The Origins of Modern Emergency Medicine

Discover the historic origins of modern emergency medicine at this special presentation at Salisbury University.

On April 8 at 1 PM join National Museum of Civil War Medicine’s Executive Director David Price, Director of Interpretation Jake Wynn, and Education Specialist John Lustrea in the Guerrieri Student Union, Wicomico Room as they discuss the origins of modern emergency medicine in a special presentation at Salisbury University.

America’s bloodiest conflict saw tremendous advances in emergency medical practices. The Civil War killed an estimated 700,000 people and resulted in millions of cases of wounds and disease. It was a medical crisis unlike any seen before or since in the United States. The policymakers and practitioners on the front lines worked together to establish many of the foundational systems and practices – triage, tiered levels of care, and more – that continue to be utilized more than 155 years later.

Major Jonathan Letterman, perhaps more than anyone else of the time, was behind the innovations in emergency medicine that are still in use today. This program will explore the Civil War experiences of Jonathan Letterman and how, through his leadership and innovative ideas, he implemented critical changes that saved countless lives in the Civil War and shaped emergency practices to the present day.