Michael C. O‘Brien MD, FACEP, CCEMT-P
Michael C. O‘Brien
MD, FACEP, CCEMT-P
Associate Program Director, Fellowship in EMS Medicine
Department of Emergency Medicine
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Emergency Medicine
Professional Summary:
Dr. O‘Brien is a veteran critical care paramedic, EMS educator, and EMS physician. His clinical practice is split between shifts in the Emergency Department and operational medicine/field response. He provides medical direction to Erie Community College‘s EMS training programs and the Niagara County Sheriff‘s Office Emergency Response Team. Additionally, he is a Medical Director and Flight Physician for Mercy Flight of Western New York.
Dr. O‘Brien‘s research interests center around extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and prehospital resuscitation. He and his colleagues in the Department of Emergency Medicine‘s EMS Division are currently working to enhance cardiac arrest survival in the City of Buffalo and its surrounding communities. He is a frequent speaker on topics such as out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, operational/austere medicine, and the ethics of emergency care. He is double board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. He serves on national committees with both the National Association of EMS Physicians, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Air Medical Physician Association.
Education and Training:
- Fellowship, EMS Medicine, University at Buffalo (2017)
- Residency, Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo, (Chief Resident 2015-16) (2016)
- MD, Medicine, University of Illinois College of Medicine (2012)
- MA, Criminology, University of Illinois (2006)
- BS, Criminal Justice, Loyola University Chicago, Magna Cum Laude (2004)
Employment:
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo (2019-present)
- Medical Director, Niagara County Sheriff's Office (2019-present)
- Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine, Buffalo General Medical Center (2017-present)
- Medical Director, Quality & Education, Mercy Flight of Western New York (2017-present)
- Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine, Erie County Medical Center (2016-present)
- Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Rush Medical College, Rush University (2018–2019)
- Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine, Buffalo VA Medical Center (2017–2018)
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo (2017–2018)
- Medical Director, Erie County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (2017–2018)
- Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine, Oishei Children‘s Hospital (2017–2018)
- Clinical Instructor, Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo (2017)
- Clinical Assistant Instructor, Emergency Medicine, University at Buffalo (2013–2016)
Awards and Honors:
- Fellow, American College of Emergency Physicians (2019)
- Hero of the Heart (2018)
- Attending Physician of the Year (2018)
- Physician of Excellence (2017)
- Outstanding Resident Oral Research Presentation (2015)
- Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
- Gold Humanism Honor Society
Research Expertise:
- Disaster Medicine
- Emergency Medical Services
- Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS/ECMO)
- Resuscitation & Emergency Critical Care
Journal Articles:
- Lema PC, O'Brien M, Wilson J, James ES, Lindstrom H, DeAngelis J, Caldwell J, May P, Clemency B, O‘Brien MC. Avoid the Goose! Paramedic Identification of Esophageal Intubation by Ultrasound. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018; 33(4).
- Clemency BM, Tanski CT, Gibson Chambers J, O‘Brien M, Knapp AS, Clark AJ, McGoff P, Innes J, Lindstrom HA, Hostler D, O‘Brien MC. Compulsory Use of the Backboard is Associated with Increased Frequency of Thoracolumbar Imaging. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2018.
Professional Memberships:
- Every Coast Helicopter Operations (ECHO) (2019–present)
- Air Medical Physicians Association (2019–present)
- Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (2019–present)
- National Association of EMS Physicians (2014–present)
- American College of Emergency Physicians (2012–present)
Presentations:
- "High Velocity Vascular Trauma" University at Buffalo/University of Rochester Combined Grand Rounds, University at Buffalo (2017)
- "Resuscitation of the Blunt Trauma Patient" Annual Meeting, Vietnam Society for Emergency Medicine (2016)
- "Ultrasound Identification of Successful Endotracheal Tube Placement by Paramedics and Residents" Scientific Assembly, American College of Emergency Physicians (2014)
Service Activities:
- Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Council Steering Committee; Member (2019–2020)
- ECMO Committee, Erie County Medical Center; Member (2020–present)
- Education/Standards Committee, Air Medical Physician Association; Chair (2020–present)
- Program Evaluation Committee, Department of Emergency Medicine; Member (2020–present)
- Ethics Committee, Erie County Medical Center; Member (2020–present)
- Air Medical Services Committee, National Association of EMS Physicians; Committee Member (2020–present)
- EMS Committee, American College of Emergency Physicians; Committee Member (2019–present)
- Shock Committee, Kaleida Health; Member (2019–present)
- Prehospital Guidelines Consortium; Member (2019–present)
- Medical Executive Committee, Kaleida Health; Member (2019–present)
- Air Medical Committee, National Association of EMS Physicians; Member (2019–present)
- Education Committee, National Association of EMS Physicians; Committee Member (2019–present)
- Prehospital & Disaster Medicine Section, American College of Emergency Physicians; Councilor (2017–present)
- Western Region Emergency Medical Advisory Committee; Chairman (2017–2018)
- Specialized Medical Assistance Response Team (SMART) Executive Committee; Member (2017–2018)
- EMS Committee, New York American College of Emergency Physicians; Committee Member (2016–2018)