The Department of Emergency Medicine provides post-graduate training for physicians in Emergency Medicine, provides physician staff for University Hospital's Emergency Department which sees approximately 70,000 patients a year, and conducts research in the field of Emergency Medicine. There are currently 21 full-time physician faculty members, two research Ph. D.'s, and 26 residents in the three year post graduate program. One member of the faculty is the Associate Dean of Medical Education. The Department works closely with the University's paramedic/EMT program and the Suffolk County EMS.

Currently, in addition to the residency program, the Department offers electives in the third and fourth years of medical school, as well as a two-week clerkship in the third year. The faculty also teach Stony Brook medical students Advanced Cardiac Life Support during their third year of medical school.

In additional to clinical and teaching work, the department offers a nationally recognized program of research, including NIH and industry sponsored studies. One recent clinical trial led to the FDA approval of the first tissue adhesive for wound closure. The faculty is actively involved in contributing to peer-reviewed research and textbooks in such diverse areas as emergency department overcrowding, pre-hospital care, hemorrhagic shock, cervical injuries, toxicology, cutaneous wound care, pain assessment and management, and research methodology. A member of the Department is an associate editor of Academic Emergency Medicine. Third year residents conduct research on a topic of their choice.

Mark C. Henry, M.D., became the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine in 1990, the same year the residency program was begun. Dr. Henry is the Medical Director of the New York State Emergency Medical System, and has been actively involved in post 9/11 medical disaster planning for biological terrorism. Dr Henry, the author of several textbooks, is an expert in the field of pre-hospital medical care. Currently he is working with expanding CPR training within the medical community in Brazil