About the Critical Care Center


The Emory Critical Care Center (ECCC) stands as one of the preeminent critical care organizations (CCOs) in the United States. As a hallmark of distinction, we represent the confluence of patient care, research, education, and professional development, all underpinned by an unyielding commitment to clinical excellence, quality, and patient safety. In every facet of our operations, the ECCC demonstrates the transformative power of integration, relentlessly advocating for value-based care.

Emory Healthcare (EHC) has 354 adult intensive care unit (ICU) beds. The Emory Critical Care Center's (ECCC) horizontal integration paradigm empowers us to deliver a nationally recognized clinical program on this expansive scale. Our high-quality, multiprofessional, and multidisciplinary training programs underscore our commitment to contemporary, holistic approaches to critical care. With an extensive range of critical care services and a fertile environment for research and development, our clinical programs are as diverse as they are integral to the advancement of critical care as a discipline. 

The ECCC works in close partnership with the leadership of EHC and its individual hospitals to meet the evolving needs of critically ill patients within a high acuity, quaternary referral academic healthcare system. We are guided by a vision to assert ourselves as global torchbearers in academic critical care. In the face of the challenges posed by an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, our unwavering dedication to our mission, vision, and values—tightly aligned with those of EHC—ensures our resilience and continued growth. 

The Emory Critical Care Center (ECCC) operates in a highly collaborative model that enhances the scope and quality of critical care across Emory Healthcare. The ECCC oversees intensive care units (ICUs) across six Emory Healthcare hospitals, including the physician and advanced practice provider (APP) practice within those ICUs. The ECCC partners with clinical departments within the Emory University School of Medicine to recruit, develop, and retain faculty across the critical care practice. The ECCC directly has APPs delivering care 24/7/365 in medical, surgical, surgical cardiovascular, and medical/surgical ICUs. Neuroscience and medical cardiovascular units (i.e., CCUs and CICUs) are considered ECCC affiliate ICUs, further enriching our collective expertise and approach. This structure ensures holistic, streamlined, and specialized critical care delivery across Emory Healthcare.

The ECCC began in 2009 under the leadership of its founding director, Dr. Timothy Buchman. Amidst organizational growth, EHC sought to consolidate its critical care programs within the ECCC. His mandate was to integrate intensive care units throughout EHC. The ECCC set out to not only accomplish that goal but also revolutionize approaches to critical care with a vision that has since transformed the landscape of critical care not just locally but nationally.  

The ECCC expanded its operations and eventually grew to encompass six EHC hospitals: Emory University Hospital, Emory University Hospital Midtown, Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital, Emory Johns Creek Hospital, Emory Decatur Hospital, and Emory Hillandale Hospital. Our multidisciplinary team grew to include critical care physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and nurses working alongside pharmacists, respiratory therapists, nutrition support specialists, and consultant physicians from dozens of medical specialties. 

In 2014, the ECCC introduced an innovative tele-critical care program, the eICU. Funded by a $10.7 million Health Care Innovation Award, the program was designed to expand access to critical care services, lower costs, and tackle the issue of a national shortage of critical care physicians. Through a combination of continuous remote monitoring, care model evolutions to include APP training, and remote physician oversight, the eICU yielded improved care at lower cost. Emory's eICU has been recognized for improving the patient care experience, reducing length of stay, and extending access to critical care expertise, marking a significant milestone in the ECCC's journey to redefine critical care 

The Center has made significant strides in research, in partnership with departments and faculty across the Emory University School of Medicine. Relevant areas of focus include gut integrity, the immunological host response in sepsis, physiological dynamics, predictive biology, patient monitoring, and care at the end of life. The ECCC sponsors a one-year NP/PA post-graduate fellowship, a training program designed to groom the next generation of critical care APPs. The ECCC also partners with critical care physician training programs across all departments to further the educational mission. 

In 2018, Dr. Craig Coopersmith assumed leadership as the ECCC’s interim Director and was later named the Director in 2020. Recognized as an innovative leader in critical care medicine, Dr. Coopersmith led the critical care response to the COVID-19 pandemic at a local and national level. Under his guidance, the ECCC has remained a beacon of resilience and innovation, designing, testing, and implementing critical care strategies, all while providing expert and compassionate care to our patients. 

Today, Emory Healthcare has 354 adult ICU beds. These are managed by a team of approximately 100 physicians and well over 200 APPs. While each ICU under the ECCC maintains its individual specialization, we are united by our common goal of providing the 'right care, right now.' As a testament to our commitment to integrated and consistent care, we employ standardized, evidence-based approaches to critical care empowered by data-driven audit and feedback across the system. This approach ensures that every patient receives consistent, high-quality care, no matter the location or situation. 

The ECCC has been recognized for its dedication to clinical excellence, bolstered by a comprehensive, multiprofessional approach, as an integrated network spanning multiple hospitals. As the ECCC steps into its future, it continues to focus on its strategic objective of establishing itself as a global leader in academic critical care, guided by its mission, vision, and values in creating solutions for contemporary critical care challenges. 

Our Team

The Emory Critical Care Center team is comprised of hundreds of specially trained physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, and health care professionals.

Learn More About Our Team

Locations

Our clinical footprint spans across multiple Emory Healthcare (EHC) hospitals. Learn more about our six primary facilities.

Get EHC Facility Info

Careers

Explore our critical care employment opportunities, from Advanced Practice Provider (APP) roles in Emory Healthcare facilities or Emory School of Medicine faculty positions for physicians.

Search Critical Care Careers

Wellbeing

Take advantage of these resources and recommendations for ECCC staff to enhance personal and professional wellbeing and support.

Explore Wellbeing Resources

IDEA

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Discrimination committee strives to create a welcoming and supportive environment at the Emory Critical Care Center.

Explore IDEA Resources

Life in Atlanta

Rich in history and culture, "the ATL" is a thriving metropolis that offers an unparalleled blend of lifestyle, opportunities, and amenities to our team members.

Learn More about Atlanta

Contact Us


Address:
550 Peachtree St. NE
Davis-Fischer Bldg, Suite 3245-A
Atlanta, GA 30308
Main Line:
Fax Line: