It is with great sadness that I report the death of Sheldon Jacobson, Professor and Chair of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, from complications of cancer. This is a tremendous loss for all of us and he will be profoundly missed. Dr. Jacobson was so many things to so many people; an educator, a mentor, an advisor, and a role model. He was a master clinician who formed the careers of countless emergency physicians. He will be remembered for his warmth, his kindness, his compassion, and his honesty.

Dr. Jacobson came to Mount Sinai in 1994 to establish the Institution's first academic department of emergency medicine. He had a vision which drove the creation of a highly regarded emergency medicine training program.

In 1994 Mount Sinai School of Medicine had no formal curriculum in emergency medicine; Mount Sinai Medical Center had no emergency medicine residency training program; there was no emergency medicine research agenda, and only one emergency medicine residency trained faculty. Dr. Jacobson leaves a department that has 32 emergency medicine trained faculty, 16 of whom are fellowship trained; a department that is ranked number 10 in the country by the NIH in emergency medicine funding; a department with 60 residents, 6 fellows, a first year medical student course, and a fourth year clerkship; a department with 6 affiliated emergency departments that include over 100 emergency physicians treating over 500,000 patients a year. Dr. Jacobson had a vision that he brought to a reality . . . a wonderful, legacy that will benefit many generations to come.

Originally trained in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Dr. Jacobson holds an important place in the history of Emergency Medicine. In 1974 he created the Institute of Emergency Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and established the first paramedic training program in New York City. In 1975, he became one of the founding forces in the Jacobi Emergency Medicine Residency. In 1976 he became the founding director of the New York City EMS advisory board. In 1979 he became the Director of the Emergency Department at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. In 1982 he became one of the early diplomates of the newly established American Board of Emergency Medicine. In 1983 Dr Jacobson was one of the founders of the Philadelphia Emergency Physicians Society. In 1986 he became one of the first emergency physicians to join the National Board of Medical Examiners where he continued to provide service throughout his career. Since 1978, Dr. Jacobson edited a regular section of the journal Emergency Medicine on "Errors in Emergency Practice", in addition to participating on numerous national committees and editorial boards.

For 35 years, Dr. Jacobson gave all of his heart and all of his soul to the advancement of emergency medicine. His commitment to quality patient care and to education created a standard in excellence. His last national presentation in December 2008 was titled "Lighting candles in a time of darkness"; the presentation explored the challenges facing American healthcare and the vital role played by emergency medicine in meeting the challenges posed by hospital overcrowding and caring for the uninsured. It was a presentation filled with the wisdom of experience and with the characteristic optimism Dr. Jacobson always had in finding innovative solutions to difficult problems. Throughout his career, Dr. Jacobson lit many candles. Now we will light one for him. We have lost a friend and a colleague whose absence will leave an Irreplaceable gap . . . but he will always live in our hearts.

(Source: An author at Mount Sinai Hospital sent on June 30, 2009 to Bill Barsan, SAEM President 1991-92)

In lieu of flowers a Sheldon Jacobson, MD memorial fund has been set up. Donations can be sent to:

The Mount Sinai Hospital
Sheldon Jacobson, MD Fund
Department of Development Box 1049
1 Gustave L. Levy Place
New York, N.Y. 10029

Article in Emergency Medicine Journal >>

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