Emergency Department Chair Message
Welcome to the Department of Emergency Medicine at WellSpan York Hospital!
I’m delighted to share some information about our Department and the ways in which we offer a premier Emergency Medicine training experience that emphasizes clinical and academic excellence in a setting and work environment that supports a high quality of life.
I came to York Hospital after spending 16 years working clinically and administratively in New York City hospitals. What drew me to our Department here at York is that it is a remarkably high-volume, high-acuity academic ED based in a specialty teaching hospital practicing cutting-edge medicine in a region that is stunningly beautiful, remarkably affordable and centrally located to many offerings.
The WellSpan York Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine provides emergency care to over 90,000 patients per year. WellSpan York Hospital is the region’s leader in advanced specialty care: we are a 600-bed teaching hospital that serves a population of over 500,000. We are the flagship hospital for the WellSpan Healthcare System and its six surrounding Community Hospitals and over 200 clinical sites.
We are a Level 1 Trauma Center, and the only accredited trauma center in York, Adams and Franklin Counties. We are a Certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, a STEMI/Chest Pain Center, have ECMO services, and we are an ACEP-accredited Geriatric Department.
Our location in York, PA, a manufacturing and industrial hub with surrounding farmland provides us with a unique mix of patient populations and pathology. We see urban, suburban and rural patient populations and provide specialty and subspecialty care for our region’s sickest community members and most complex cases.
Our Department has fellowship-trained Faculty and national leaders in: Disaster Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Toxicology, EMS, Research, Ultrasound, Medical Education and Wilderness Medicine. Specialty tracks and a focus on Resident education allow our Faculty to pass on their expertise and passion to our Residents. We are home to Ultrasound and Medical Education fellowships. We play the lead role in operating our Health System’s Simulation Center, and we also have a full-time research coordinator supporting our Research Division.
In addition to our clinical staff, we have embedded in our Department: pharmacists, case managers, physical therapists, behavioral health counselors and additional ancillary services that allow us to approach our ED patients holistically, and address not only medical/surgical emergencies, but also to identify and address social determinants of health.
Our location is central to multiple Northeast Cities: we are less than 1 hour from Baltimore, and 2 hours to Philly and Washington DC. Meanwhile, we offer affordable housing opportunities both in the urban or suburban settings of York, and in the rolling countryside and farmland only minutes away. Our Department strongly supports wellness and developing a skillset that will support career satisfaction and sustainability.
As one of our nation’s oldest Emergency Medicine entering our 35th year, we have a strong alumni network with over 300 graduates nationwide, and a large number of our graduates pursue fellowship training.
Thank you for considering York Hospital for your Residency Training. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our Department’s members if we can assist you in your Residency Selection Process.
Jeffrey Lazar, MD MPH
Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
WellSpan York Hospital
System Co-Medical Director
EM Division, WellSpan Health
