PHILADELPHIA Roger A. Band, MD, an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has been appointed to serve on the National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council (NEMSAC), which advises the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on all EMS matters and related issues on the nation's roadways.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood appointed Band to the post alongside other leaders in the emergency medical services (EMS). "The leadership and professional expertise of the new Council members will help NHTSA ensure that the nation's emergency response services have the most up-to-date information so they can focus on saving lives," said Secretary LaHood. Administered by NHTSA, the NEMSAC provides expert advice and recommendations to the safety agency and its federal partners on key issues including recruitment and retention of EMS personnel, quality assurance, data collection and EMS education over the course of a two-year term.

Band has led several research projects on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and is the author of numerous papers on prehospital emergency care, including the delivery of resuscitative care for cardiac arrest patients and interventions for other critically ill patients, such as those with penetrating trauma injuries and sepsis. He also serves as a reviewer for several of trauma- and emergency medicine-related journals, and was an EMT and paramedic for over ten years.

He graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Florida and earned his medical degree Jefferson Medical College. He came to the University of Pennsylvania in 2001 to pursue his Emergency Medicine residency training and joined the department's faculty in 2005. In addition to his clinical and administrative responsibilities in the Emergency Medicine department, Band serves as the Medical Director for developing world travel for the WJ Clinton Foundation, personal physician to former President Clinton, and as medical advisor for the University of Pennsylvania Police Department's Emergency Response Team.

To read the full press release about the new appointments, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's web site.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4.3 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $479.3 million awarded in the 2011 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2011, Penn Medicine provided $854 million to benefit our community.

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Penn Medicine Emergency Physician Appointed to Federal Council For Emergency Medical Services on Nation's Roadways