Em Pulse

We’re in the midst of a global pandemic and, of course, everyone’s attention is focused on COVID-19. Other podcasts have excellent coverage of this situation. In this episode, we’ll be discussing other important infections that continue to affect our communities: HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis. Over the past year, the UC Davis ED implemented a massive screening effort to identify patients who have become infected. Dr. Larissa May explains how the screening works and some of the surprising trends we’ve seen. Infection rates were higher than expected and many patients had no idea they were infected! One patient tells us how screening positive for HIV, and being connected to care, changed his life.  This topic, as with so many issues we cover, brings up the broader question: what is the role of the emergency department in the healthcare system? We will explore this further in an upcoming episode and we would love to hear from YOU.  What do YOU see as the role of the emergency department in the broader health s