Computer-aided emergency telecommunications for the deaf

My revolutionary adventures in the development of modern emergency medical systems in our country

The purpose of this article is to describe my exciting adventures in the development of the emergency medical systems in our country. After my training in plastic surgery at the University of Virginia, I accepted the position of Acting Director of the Emergency Room at the University of Virginia Health Science Center. Working with gifted physicians, basic scientists, nurses, and students, we coordinated the development of an emergency medical system that has been replicated throughout our country. Our system included the following: State legislation for the sexual assault victim, public access by the 9-1-1 telephone number, training of rescue squads, emergency radio communication system, trauma centers, poison control centers, emergency medical plan for the President of the United States, national telecommunications system for the deaf, and the first air medical transportation system in Virginia.

Edlich drive: a metaphor for the Edlich tradition

Richard F. Edlich, MD, the Raymond F. Morgan Professor of Plastic Surgery and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has been honored with the naming of a new road at North Fork Business Park: Edlich Drive. North Fork Business Park is a high-technology center for biomedical research, and the designation of this new road celebrates Dr. Edlich's instrumental role in the formation of a successful partnership between the University of Virginia and private industry. This partnership provides a mechanism to move technology from the laboratory to the marketplace and, ultimately, to the patient's bedside. Dr. Edlich's unparalleled contributions to his community include the establishment of the Emergency Department at the University of Virginia, the implementation of a regional emergency medical system, and the development of the Pegasus Emergency Flight Operations. Other accomplishments include the founding of the Ira DeCamp Regional Burn Center and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. "Drive" aptly characterizes Dr. Edlich's unfailing commitment to his many roles as physician, research scientist, community leader, and mentor for medical students and residents.