Dr. Scott A. Syverud’s exemplary 30-year career in the UVA Department of Emergency Medicine culminates with his appointment as Professor Emeritus. This is a result of his pioneering efforts and dedication to providing expertise to the community, colleagues, patients, and practitioners alike. His accomplishments are far broader than what we share here today.
Since 1992, Dr. Syverud has served over 100,000 patients in our UVA Emergency Department (ED) by meeting them, their families, and loved ones, at probably the most critical times in their lives. He was the Medical Director of the sexual assault and child abuse forensic nurse examiner program for 15 years. He worked with Dr. Kathryn Laughon (School of Nursing) and advanced practice nurses to provide compassionate care and forensic evidence collection for victims in the ED. Furthermore, he was appointed to serve on the Virginia Governer’s Task Force on Improving Mental Health Services and Crisis Response. During the subsequent two years, the Task Force helped legislators review mental health services in the Commonwealth, revised emergency custody procedures, and improved access to psychiatric inpatient beds across the state.
Dr. Syverud’s academic influence & accomplishments include:
- He served as the first acting Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine while the permanent Chair was recruited (Dr. Marcus Martin).
- Dr. Syverud led the early development of the Department’s residency program in the 1990’s. Over the next 20 years or so, he assisted in recruiting and training more than two hundred emergency medicine residents at UVA.
- Founding leader and medical director for the UVA Scribe Program, which has grown to now nearly 150 medical scribes across UVA.
- Served for 10 years as a clinical mentor for undergraduate students in the bioethics internship program in partnership with the Center of Biomedical Ethics and Humanities.
- Served as a faculty member for Dr. Marcus Martin’s J-term course in St. Kitts, working with undergraduate students in Disaster Medicine and Public Health courses.
- Mentored and advised hundreds of undergraduate and high school students by providing thousands of hours of career advice and counseling, shadowing experience, and mock interviews. He taught in all four years of the medical school curriculum and also served on the admissions committee for the School of Medicine (SOM).
- Recipient of the 2009 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award.
- Served as Clinical Professor of Nursing and precepted acute care nurses and practitioners in the ED and elsewhere. He developed the Remote Area Medical (RAM) elective for undergraduate nursing and medical students.
Dr. Syverud’s efforts in communities include:
- For 20 years, Dr. Syverud served as Department Coordinator for UVA’s Commonwealth of Virginia Charity Campaign. He also served 4 years as Chair at the SOM level.
- Led disaster response teams after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Haitain earthquake in 2010.
- From 2004 to 2019, he organized and led teams providing free health services in Central and far Southwest Virginia, which included local free dental clinics and health fairs as well as RAM clinics.
- Recipient of the 2010 UVA Health System Community Service Award.
- Assisted the Health System in applying and receiving the 2008 Governer’s Award for Volunteerism and Community service as well as the 2009 Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association’s Community Benefit Award.
- For 10 years, Dr. Syverud served as one of the emergency medicine physicians providing free medical care at Scott Stadium football games.
Other efforts & accomplishments include:
- Dr. Syverud served on the Board of Directors of Piedmont Liability Trust (PLT) for 10 years.
- Recipient of the 2011 Ronald Hodges Law & Medicine Award.
- For 13 years, he served on UVA’s Chaplaincy Professional Advisory Group.
- His leadership efforts also included serving as President of the Clinical Staff for 6 years, serving on the Health System Board, and developing beneficial policies.
Some of Dr. Syverud’s advisory and mentorship efforts will continue in his Professor Emeritus role. Needless to say, Dr. Syverud has had an impactful career and has ensured compassionate care for patients and others throughout his 30 years with the University.
Thank you, Dr. Syverud, for your years of service and your countless contributions to education, the Department and University, UVA Health, and the Greater Virginia area communities.