The department treats approximately 42,000 patients annually, the highest patient volume in the state. Since the medical center covers all major medical specialties, it serves as a major referral center for the state. The Emergency Department functions to coordinate all outpatient referrals to the medical center. It also serves as medical control for the Central EMS District of Mississippi. Medical Toxicology was established as a formal medical specialty under the auspices of Emergency Medicine in 1996.
Clinical rotations are available for resident physicians and medical students.
The practice of Emergency Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has evolved well beyond the classic boundaries of the specialty. A critical care helicopter transport service functions within the Emergency Department to rapidly transport patients to the medical center. An Observation Unit is located adjacent to the Emergency Department and is used for the treatment and evaluation of patients with illnesses or injuries that require times longer than a few hours but less than 24 hours. New technologies have also been incorporated into the practice of Emergency Medicine as well as clinical research. Emergency ultrasound is used in the evaluation of a variety of conditions ranging from early pregnancy to acute trauma.