Outside Our Walls

With deep roots as the home of the oldest emergency medicine residency program in the United States, the UC and the University of Cincinnati are using their legacy and expertise to help build something new: a formal emergency medicine specialty in Central America.

Planting Seeds for the Future of Emergency Medicine

“Our mission is to support emergency medicine growing throughout the region,” says Whitney K. Bryant, MD, the faculty member leading the initiative. Dr. Bryant holds appointments in both Emergency Medicine and Environmental and Public Health Sciences and also directs the MD/MPH dual degree program at UC.

The work is as ambitious as it is necessary. In many parts of Central America, emergency medicine is still a developing field. Patients who arrive at hospitals with undiagnosed symptoms—those most in need of urgent, skilled triage—are often referred to specialty hospitals based on a guess rather than a clear diagnostic pathway. The result: misdirected care, delayed treatment, and outcomes that could be improved with specialized emergency training. UC Health is working to change that.

Building Emergency Medicine from the Ground Up

In El Salvador, a small but determined group of physicians is training to become the country’s first generation of emergency medicine specialists. The effort is still in its early stages, with just three years of residents currently enrolled in the program. These trainees, described as “pioneers,” are choosing a path without a formal national certification—yet.

Creating a fully accredited residency program is a long process. “It takes about a decade,” says Dr. Bryant. But UC Health’s Emergency Department is in it for the long haul. Their previous work in Guatemala City, which recently celebrated its first graduating class after years of collaboration, demonstrates the long-term commitment required to bring emergency medicine to life in a new country.

Why Cincinnati? A Legacy of Leadership

“Cincinnati is the home of the oldest emergency medicine residency in history. The University of Cincinnati is the first,” Dr. Bryant proudly notes.

That history matters. UC’s reputation for strong medical education and its pioneering Ultrasound Division are vital to their global health efforts. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a cornerstone of modern emergency medicine, enabling real-time, bedside assessments for critically ill patients. In El Salvador, UC faculty and residents are training local physicians to use this tool effectively, shifting the diagnostic process from delayed diagnoses to immediate, actionable decisions.

“In the emergency department, when we do an echocardiogram, we do it at the bedside in real time for some of our sickest patients to try to answer clinical questions. Our focus is different.”

Education, Even from Afar

Ongoing education is a crucial pillar of the program. Weekly Zoom lectures supplement local training, filling a gap where emergency educators are still scarce. UC Health faculty regularly engage with Central American physicians across specialties who understand the need for a dedicated acute care discipline.

“We are working to develop physicians who see the value and the importance of having people who are dedicated to taking care of acutely ill and injured patients.”

A Human Mission

Beyond the clinical and educational goals lies a powerful emotional drive: global citizenship. Witnessing preventable deaths and complications caused by the absence of emergency medicine is deeply motivating.

“The level of care that we provide in Cincinnati is not available everywhere—it is heartbreaking to watch people suffer or experience bad outcomes—especially when you know they could be saved. Working to remedy that is our goal.”

This commitment is embodied by residents like Daniel Artiga, a participant from UC’s Emergency Medicine Department who recently completed a special elective in El Salvador. For Artiga, this experience was more than professional—it was deeply personal.

“The resident who’s here with me, Daniel Artiga, is the hero of this trip. His family is from El Salvador. This is his first time visiting El Salvador. His family left because of the civil war and immigrated to the US.”

“My goal in pursuing medicine has always been to give back to my community,” says Artiga. “Even after my parents moved to the United States, I was raised in a predominantly Latino area of Los Angeles with limited healthcare access.  Not only can I support that community in the United States, but I can also give back to my father's country and help improve their hospital’s skillset with my enthusiasm for ultrasound. POCUS is affordable and portable—two key ingredients that make it invaluable in resource-limited settings. The UC Emergency Medicine Department recognizes how important ultrasound is in patient care. I’m proud to be a part of a department that supports the mission to bring this technology worldwide.”

Looking Ahead

UC Health’s global work in emergency medicine is not just about exporting expertise—it’s about building lasting systems that will serve future generations. By mentoring local physicians, creating educational pipelines, and championing the specialty’s growth, UC Health is helping ensure that emergency medicine becomes a permanent, transformative part of the healthcare landscape in Central America. “We are planting seeds,” says Dr. Bryant, “and in time, those seeds will grow.”