Welcome Message

Dear Delegates,

It is with great excitement that we welcome you to the Eighth Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress –Sixth Italian GREAT Network Congress (MEMC-GREAT 2015), in the city of Rome, Italy. The MEMC-GREAT Italy 2015 represents a new collaboration between the Mediterranean Academy of Emergency Medicine (MAEM), the Global Research on Acute Conditions Team (GREAT Italy) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), to enhance and continue the MEMC & GREAT Italy traditions and enhance their education and research mission.

The prior MEMC Congresses in Stresa, Italy (2001); Sitges, Spain (2003); Nice, France (2005); Sorrento, Italy (2007); Valencia, Spain (2009); Kos, Greece (2011) and Marseille, France (2013) had unqualified successes — which turned early on the MEMC into international tradition — in early September of every odd year.

The main objective of MEMC is to develop emergency medicine across the Mediterranean basin by supporting EM pioneers and leaders around the whole Mediterranean basin, endorsing proper standards, providing training and education in emergency medicine, as well as promoting proper access and services for all our emergency patients around the “Big Blue.”

The establishment of the Mediterranean Academy of Emergency Medicine (MAEM) is an important milestone in the global development of emergency medicine in this historic region. In 2015, MAEM is stepping in to host and share in the planning and execution of the MEMC-GREAT 2015. Through new collaborative efforts with international and regional societies, MAEM will continue to promote academic and scientific exchange around the globe and not only the Mediterranean.

While much focus in the Mediterranean has been in Europe, it is less than half of the Mediterranean basin. Since 1999, our specialty has been developing along the eastern and southern boundaries as well as across the culturally associated Middle East and the Arab World. In Turkey, we have witnessed a historically exceptional success in the growth of EM residency programs, and the development of our specialty – with more EM programs than any nation around the Mediterranean basin. Turkish EM has a scientific journal, two national societies, many academic departments, a Eurasian Congress as well as many conferences and seminars. We now have tens of EM residencies in the Arab World (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Lebanon), an active and growing Arab Board of Emergency Medicine, a number of outstanding specialty societies and board certification bodies in some countries, and a growing number of exceptional national and regional conferences. In Lebanon with its population of five million, three EM residency programs and one full academic department are already established. No wonder then that MAEM will be launching in the coming few months a regional scientific journal (MedJEM) and assuming a leadership role planning and executing the MEMC for the years to come.

In 2015, the MEMC will be held jointly with the GREAT Italy annual conference. GREAT is an International Network of multidisciplinary experts in the management of acute clinical conditions in the fields of emergency medicine and critical care. Over the last years, the GREAT Network has experienced a yearly lively growth, and now includes 72 countries in the world and important cooperations with Universities and Care Centers at the global level.

Italian and International GREAT Congresses have been held each year in Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Barcelona, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Helsinki, Finland, with and increasing number of participants and a very active participation and collaboration between outstanding experts and young fellows. The GREAT Network aims to standardize the clinical and organizational system approach in acute disease management all over the world, and to encourage young physicians to do research on acute conditions through the concept of “Translational Medicine” and the conduction of multi-center clinical trials.

Thanks to this strong research activity, since its inception in 2010  a significant number of scientific articles produced by the GREAT Network groups have been published on very important international journals. Our joint effort will add innovation and special flavor to the MEMC, and will provide exceptional momentum and value to our speakers and participants. Together, we shall continue to develop and promote exceptional international networks and to build bridges of knowledge, research, and activism.

Regards, 

Amin Antoine N. Kazzi, MD MAAEM FAAEM
Chair, Steering Committee, the Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Academy (MAEM)
MAEM Executive Chair, the Mediterranean EM Congress (MEMC 2015)
Founding Former Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, AUB, Beirut, Lebanon
Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut
Past President, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM)

 

Prof. Salvatore Di Somma, MD PhD
GREAT Italy President
GREAT Network President
Professor of Medicine & Director Emergency Medicine
Chairman Postgraduate School of Emergency Medicine
Department of Medical-Surgery Sciences and Translational Medicine
University La Sapienza Rome, Sant’Andrea Hospital Rome, Italy

 

Mark Reiter, MD MBA FAAEM
President, American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Residency Director, University of Tennessee-Murfreesboro/Nashville
Associate Professor, University of Tennessee College of Medicine
CEO, Emergency Excellence

 

 

Last updated: August 26, 2015