Welcome to the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine!
Our department was founded in 2014 to advance emergency care for patients, families, and communities across Wisconsin and beyond. Grounded in the Wisconsin Idea, our work improves health and well-being beyond our walls, a commitment that has propelled us to become a nationally recognized leader with lasting impact across patient care, education, research, and service.
Central to this mission are our patients and communities. Through state-of-the-art clinical facilities and services — including the only air medical service in the United States with an attending physician on every transport — and robust clinical programs such as EMS, critical care, and ultrasound, we deliver high-quality care to patients from across the upper Midwest. Our global and social emergency medicine programs extend this impact internationally.
We promote fair health care access and services by continually examining our policies, processes, and curricula; advancing research and quality improvements that address root causes of gaps in emergency care; and supporting initiatives for medically underserved and rural communities.
Equally important to our mission are our unparalleled investments in education and research. Our highly selective residency and fellowship programs are thriving, and our graduates go on to lead in institutions and communities across the country. Our faculty hold key leadership positions within UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, shaping the future of health care. Our research enterprise, nationally recognized for translating rigorous science into better education and patient care, is strengthened by UW–Madison’s commitment (more than $1.9 billion annually) to building a campus where innovation can thrive at scale.
Everything we do begins with our people. Our trainees, faculty, and staff are not just colleagues, they are our family. From the bedside to the simulation lab, from the research space to the Wisconsin Union Terrace, we foster a culture of belonging and growth through meaningful mentorship, professional development, and clear advancement pathways for all team members.
Wisconsin Badgers Dr. James Berbee and Karen Walsh embraced the vision of our future and provided resources to build our clinical, research, and educational programs. Our founding chair, Dr. Azita Hamedani, set the course we are on today. We continue to build on their legacy by pushing forward, always advancing our specialty and embedding social impact and belonging in all aspects of our work.
Thank you for your interest in the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and UW Health. We invite you to join us on our journey!
Sincerely,
Manish N. Shah, MD, MPH, FACEP
Professor and Chair
The Azita G. Hamedani Distinguished Chair of Emergency Medicine
BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine
