Although our residency training program in Emergency Medicine did not begin until July 2004, our department has a history dating back to 1991. At that time a small group of like-minded emergency physicians came together for a single purpose: providing to an institution that patient care could be improved by applying the principles and concepts of Emergency Medicine. Under the leadership of Dr. Donna Carden, it didn't take long for emergency medicine to prove its worth and in March of 1992, full academic department status was granted to emergency medicine at LSU Health Shreveport, making it only the 35th academic department of Emergency Medicine in the U.S. and the first in Louisiana. Dr. Carden, along with interim chair Dr. Todd Thoma, and our first named Chair, Dr. Steven Conrad ('96-'01) are owed a debt of gratitude for laying the foundation upon which this Department has been built.