Special Operations Institute

By forming unique partnerships, the Special Emergency Medical Operations Institute is committed to the provision of emergency medical support in unconventional settings.

Our creed is "Helping Those Who Help". Our primary role is to assist first responders and other organizations to achieve their goals more safely through enhanced medical care, education and research.

The University of Cincinnati Department of Emergency Medicine has long benefited from working relationships with many first responder and specialized response teams. The Institute represents an effort to augment these partnerships into a coordinated and collaborative endeavor.

Based in the Department of Emergency Medicine and at the only regional Level 1 Trauma Center, the core faculty of the Institute is comprised of emergency medicine attending physicians, residents and prehospital care providers.

The Special Operations Institute is a crucial internal structure of the division and maintains five areas of focus:

Tactical Medicine
UC EMS provides tactical medical direction and on-site active tactical physicians for the Cincinnati Police Department SWAT team and other regional resources.

Mass Casualty
The SOI supports local and federal DMAT teams and is actively involved in hospital and health system disaster planning. UC EMS faculty provide disaster preparedness oversight for the University Medical Center.

Mass Gathering Medicine
The City of Cincinnati hosts several large-scale public gatherings each year including road races, ATP/WTA tennis tournaments, and other special events.

Wilderness Medicine
EMS faculty include wilderness medicine experts including a past president of the Wilderness Medical Society.

Dignitary Protection
Cincinnati lies in a perpetual “swing state” and is the site of frequent political visits from candidates during election years. The SOI works with the US Secret Service to provide medical support for these high-level visits.