History of USF Emergency Medicine

In 1996 The University of South Florida College of Medicine (USF) and Tampa General Hospital (TGH) appointed a joint committee that created the Emergency Medicine Care Center (EMCC). After a national search, Dr. David Orban was recruited from the University of Florida as the Medical Director and Chief of the new EMCC.   TGH was transitioning from a public county hospital to a private-not-for-profit healthcare system while USF was developing into one of the foremost academic referral centers in the state of Florida.  Concomitant with the improvements in the health center, the EMCC was also growing at a rapid pace, and replacement of all moonlighters with academic EM faculty members happened quickly.  

In 2000, a full academic Division of Emergency Medicine was established at USF.  Dr. Kelly O’Keefe was the first Residency Program Director, and working together, the new division successfully submitted an application to start a new EM residency program at USF which was inaugurated on July 1, 2003. The original six Core Faculty included David J. Orban (Chief), Kelly P. O’Keefe, (First Residency Director), Michael Omori, David H. Hackstadt, Catherine Carrubba, and Richard Paula.

The USF Emergency Medicine Residency accepted its first class in 2003.The residency program was established as a PGY 1-3 program with 6 residents per year, and over the next 4 years expanded to 10 residents per year.  Over a nearly 17-year program history, our EM Program Directors include: Kelly O’Keefe and Charlotte Derr. Our Associate Program Directors include Charlotte Derr, Rachel Semmons, and as of October 2019, Enola Okonkwo. Learn more about the team.

Important Milestones:

  • 1985 Designation of TGH as a Level 1 Trauma Center

  • 1985 Designation of TGH as a State Burn Center

  • 1987 Designation of TGH as a State Poison Control Center

  • 1988 Aeromed Helicopter LifeFlight program based at TGH is inaugurated

  • 1996 USF and TGH establish the Emergency Medical Care Center

  • 2000 USF Establishes a full academic Division of Emergency Medicine 

  • 2002 State Designation as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center

  • 2003 First Class of USF Emergency Medicine Residency

  • 2005 Founding of the Emergency Medicine Administrative Fellowship by Dr. Orban

  • 2007 USF EM Residency expands to 10 residents per year

  • 2007 Founding of the USF EMS Fellowship by Dr. Catherine Carrubba

  • 2008 Designation as a STEMI Receiving Center

  • 2010 Designation as a Primary Stroke Center

  • 2010 Founding of the Ultrasound Fellowship by Dr. Charlotte Derr 

  • 2012 Founding of the USF EMS Fellowship by Dr. Catherine Carrubba

  • 2013 Founding of the USF EM Division of Research by Dr. Jason Wilson

  • 2015 Dr. Jason Wilson named Director of TGH Office of Clinical Research

  • 2015 Founding of the USF Critical Care Medicine Fellowship

  • 2016 Opening of the TGH Brandon Healthplex – Freestanding ED

  • 2017 Dr. Charlotte Derr named EM Residency Program Director

  • 2019 Founding of the USF EM Division of Toxicology by Dr. Justin Arnold

  • 2020 Founding of the USF EM Simulation Fellowship by Dr. Ryan McKenna

  • 2022 Dr. Jason Wilson named Division Chief of Emergency Medicine

  • 2023 Dr. Heather Henderson named Director of Social Emergency Medicine