St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department (ED) serves a patient population with an unusually high prevalence of addictions and mental health, including the high-risk opioid use that has gripped North America. Building St. Paul Hospital’s expertise in harm reduction, the St. Paul’s ED Research Group in collaboration with Vancouver and provincial public health officials, implement and studies novel approaches to deliver care to vulnerable populations. We plan not only to improve the care of our own patients, but also to contribute evidence that will help patients far beyond our walls.

Selected Publications:

Kestler A, Buxton J, Meckling G, Giesler A, Lee M, Fuller K, Quian H, Marks D, Scheuermeyer F. Factors Associated With Participation in an Emergency Department-Based Take-Home Naloxone Program for At-Risk Opioid Users. Ann Emerg Med. 2017 Mar;69(3):340-346.

Scheuermeyer FX, DeWitt C, Christenson J, Grunau B, Kestler A, Grafstein R, Boxton J, Barbic D, Milanovic S, Torkjari R, Sahota I, Innes G. Safety of a brief emergency department observation protocol for patients with presumed fentanyl overdose. Annals of Emergency Medicine. 2018. In Press.