For Immediate Release
October 17, 2006
Julie Lloyd - (202) 728-0610 x3005
New Orleans - Brian Keaton, MD FACEP, of Akron, Ohio, assumed the presidency of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) during the organization's annual Council meeting in New Orleans, where thousands of emergency physicians are gathering to discuss the latest advances in emergency medicine and address the challenges of providing quality emergency care to patients.
A leader in medical informatics, Dr. Keaton has worked at the national and state levels to improve quality of patient care through technology and the development of a nationwide health information network He was appointed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to serve as a member of the biosurveillance workgroup of the American Health Information Community, a task force focused on developing a national strategy for using healthcare data to detect, manage, and minimize the impact of events such as pandemic flu and bioterrorism events.
"Information technology is changing the way today's emergency departments operate," said Dr. Keaton. "There are technologies to speed the flow of patients through bottlenecks, share medical records, and allow laboratory tests and films to be viewed instantly and simultaneously at multiple sites. While technology alone can't solve the problems in our nation's health care system, it is an incredibly valuable tool that will help us work better, faster, and smarter. Many emergency departments that are operating at critical capacity are looking for solutions to improve patient care, increase patient safety, and improve efficiency and use of resources."
Dr. Keaton is an attending physician, director of emergency medical informatics and core faculty for the emergency medicine residency program at Summa Health System in Akron. He is also a professor of clinical emergency medicine at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. Dr. Keaton is board certified in emergency medicine and received his medical degree from Medical College of Ohio in 1979. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at Akron City Hospital (now Summa Health System) in 1982.
Dr. Keaton became a member of the ACEP Board of Directors in 2001 and has served in numerous leadership roles, including ACEP's secretary-treasurer and vice president. In 1999, he won the Council Meritorious Service Award. He also served as president of the Ohio Chapter of ACEP.
ACEP is a national medical specialty society representing emergency medicine with more than 25,000 members. ACEP is committed to advancing emergency care through continuing education, research and public education. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, ACEP has 53 chapters representing each state, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. A Government Services Chapter represents emergency physicians employed by military branches and other government agencies.