Christopher Holstege, M.D.

Christopher P. Holstege, M.D. has served as the Executive Director of Student Health since 2013. He also is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine and Chief of the University of Virginia’s Division of Medical Toxicology, positions he has held since 1999. He served 8 years on the University of Virginia Faculty Senate representing all 11 schools and served as its Chair in academic year 2014.
Dr. Holstege was hired by the University of Virginia in 1999.

He has served as the Director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center. He established the Center of Clinical Toxicology that was formally recognized in 2001 by the School of Medicine, a 24/7/365 clinical medical service that provides care for poisoned patients. That team has cared for tens of thousands of patients over his tenure in a compassionate manner, often helping families cope with the overdose ramifications of self-induced drug and substance abuse. His clinical expertise pertaining to poisonings has resulted in his being called upon to assist in numerous criminal poisoning cases. Dr. Holstege has provided care for not only poisoned patients, but also serves as an active member of the emergency medicine faculty at the University of Virginia.

He is actively involved in teaching and has created numerous educational programs at the University of Virginia. He established the medical student electives Medical Toxicology (1305) in 2001 and Wilderness Medicine (1307) in 2009 through which over a thousand students have rotated. He established the GME approved two year Medical Toxicology Fellowship in 2002. Dr. Holstege travels locally, nationally and internationally to lecture to various entities.

Dr. Holstege conducts clinical, basic science, and epidemiological research.

He has over 200 publications in medical journals, periodicals, and books. He has edited or authored 10 books and is the lead editor of his most recent book entitled Criminal Poisoning – Clinical and Forensic Perspectives. He is dedicating his current research focus to the study of student populations. He recently published in the journal of Clinical Toxicology a study entitled Abuse, misuse, and suicidal substance use by children on school property. He also is the lead investigator on two recent studies pertaining to students with results that have been presented at national scientific meetings: Impact of substance abuse discharge recommendation compliance on ED readmission rate in a college population; The epidemiology of alcohol and substance-related emergency department admissions within a university population.

In appreciation of his work in both education and clinical service, Dr. Holstege was inducted into the UVa Medical School’s Academy of Distinguished Educators, received the 2012 Preceptor of the Year Award from the Appalachian College of Pharmacy, the 2003 Dean’s Award for Clinical Excellence form the University of Virginia School of Medicine, the 2002 National Faculty Teaching Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Attending Teacher of the Year Award in both 2001 and 2002 form the University of Virginia’s Department of Emergency Medicine.