EMERGENCY-MEDICINE CREDENTIALS IN ST-LOUIS AND KANSAS-CITY - DOES THEPRESENCE OF AN EMERGENCY-MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM HAVE A GEOGRAPHICDIFFERENCE

Study objective: To compare emergency physician (EP) credentialing cha racteristics in two metropolitan areas of Missouri: Kansas City, which has had an emergency medicine (EM) residency program since 1973, and St Louis, which is without a program approved by the Accreditation Cou ncil for Graduate Medical Education. Methods: A cross-sectional, descr iptive survey concerning EP training, certification, and practice char acteristics was administered by standardized telephone interviews. Par ticipants were all emergency department directors in Kansas City and S t Louis general hospital EDs serving more than 10,000 patients annuall y. Results: Twenty Kansas City EDs, with an annual census of 20,250+/- 7,200; and 30 St louis EDs, with an annual census of 27,100+/-13,800, were surveyed. In Kansas City, 68% of practicing EPs were EM trained, versus 10% in St. Louis (P<.0005). The percentage of board-certified E Ps was also greater in Kansas City than in St Louis (82% versus 42%, P <.0005). Eighty-six percent of ED directors in St louis, compared with 30% in Kansas City, reported that they did not attempt to recruit EM- trained staff or that recruitment was difficult (P<.0005). Conclusion: The presence of an EM residency training program is associated with f avorable EP credentialing characteristics in the Kansas City metropoli tan area. This information may prove useful to institutions attempting to establish EM training programs in areas where none currently exist .