Deborah Diercks, M.D.

Audre and Bernard Rapoport Distinguished Chair in Clinical Care and Research

Emergency Medicine

Biography

Deborah Diercks, M.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She holds the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Distinguished Chair in Clinical Care and Research.

A nationally recognized leader in the specialty, Dr. Diercks oversees the emergency medicine programs at Parkland Memorial Hospital and UT Southwestern University Hospitals, which together constitute one of the largest emergency medicine programs in the nation.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Diercks attended Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Cincinnati and joined the faculty of the University of California, Davis, where she was a major contributor to the growth and development of its emergency medicine programs. She also holds a master’s degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Dr. Diercks has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, among other sources, for research on early management of acute coronary syndromes, the influence of gender on symptom characteristics, and utilization of cardiac biomarkers. She has held numerous leadership positions within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and was presented the Society’s 2014 Advancement of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Award. Additionally, Dr. Diercks is a Senior Associate Editor of the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

In 2020, 2021, and 2022, she was included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list.

Personal Note

She enjoys soccer and snow skiing and has two teenage daughters.

Meet Dr. Diercks

Deborah Diercks, M.D., is the first Chair of the newly created Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern. A nationally renowned leader in emergency medicine, she is well known for her expertise in concussions and traumatic brain injury and for her research in cardiovascular emergencies.

Dr. Diercks was drawn to the field of emergency medicine because of the range of expertise it requires and for the opportunity it affords to make a quick personal connection with patients.

“Patients who come to the emergency room are often at their most vulnerable or sickest point, and they’ve usually never met the doctors caring for them,” she says.

“It’s our job to approach everyone with empathy and respect while relieving their pain and suffering. In a very short amount of time, we have to let them know we are going to provide the best care we can.”

In her research, Dr. Diercks focuses on early management of acute coronary syndromes, the influence of gender on symptom characteristics, and utilization of cardiac biomarkers.

As the new Chair of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Diercks hit the ground running with the opening of William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. Combined with her other responsibilities at UT Southwestern, she leads one of the largest emergency medicine programs in the country.

“I’m excited to be able to lead a dynamic, experienced group of emergency medicine physicians who now have the opportunity to spread their wings,” she says. “As a brand new department, we can define our mission and vision and work toward our goals.”

Dr. Diercks’ long-term plans for the department include focusing on the areas of clinical care, research, and community service.

Education & Training

Graduate School - Harvard University School of Public Health (2006-2008)
Residency - University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (1994-1998), Emergency Medicine
Medical School - Tufts University School of Medicine (1990-1994)
Other Post Graduate Training - Harvard University School of Public Health (2006-2008)

Honors & Awards

D Magazine Best Doctor 2020-2022
Advancement of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Award 2014

Books & Publications

Publications
- Possible Missed Acute Coronary Syndrome Rate in North Texas: Is There Room to Improve?
  Chang MP, Vigen R, Sharma S, Diercks DB, Critical pathways in cardiology 2019 Sep 18 3 121-124
- Clinical Benefit of Hospitalization for Older Adults With Unexplained Syncope: A Propensity-Matched Analysis.
  Probst MA, Su E, Weiss RE, Yagapen AN, Malveau SE, Adler DH, Bastani A, Baugh CW, Caterino JM, Clark CL, Diercks DB, Hollander JE, Nicks BA, Nishijima DK, Shah MN, Stiffler KA, Storrow AB, Wilber ST, Sun BC, Annals of emergency medicine 2019 May
- Creating Consensus: Revisiting the Emergency Medicine Resident Scholarly Activity Requirement.
  Kane BG, Totten VY, Kraus CK, Allswede M, Diercks DB, Garg N, Ling L, McDonald EN, Rosenau AM, Wilk M, Holmes AD, Hemminger A, Greenberg MR, The western journal of emergency medicine 2019 Mar 20 2 369-375
- Evaluation of a Novel Rule-Out Myocardial Infarction Protocol Incorporating High-Sensitivity Troponin T in a US Hospital.
  Vigen R, Kutscher P, Fernandez F, Yu A, Bertulfo B, Hashim IA, Molberg K, Diercks DB, Metzger JC, Soto J, Alzubaidy D, Thibodeaux L, Joglar JA, de Lemos JA, Das SR Circulation 2018 Oct 138 18 2061-2063
- Scholarship by the Clinician-Educator in Emergency Medicine.
  Franzen D, Cooney R, Chan T, Brown M, Diercks DB AEM education and training 2018 Apr 2 2 115-120
- Gender Bias in the Management of Patients Still Exists.
  Mackey C, Diercks DB Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2018 Feb
- Diagnostic performance of cardiac Troponin I for early rule-in and rule-out of acute myocardial infarction: Results of a prospective multicenter trial.
  Storrow AB, Christenson RH, Nowak RM, Diercks DB, Singer AJ, Wu AH, Kulstad E, LoVecchio F, Fromm C, Headden G, Potis T, Hogan CJ, Schrock JW, Zelinski DP, Greenberg MR, Ritchie JC, Chamberlin JS, Bray KR, Rhodes DW, Trainor D, Holmes D, Southwick PC Clinical biochemistry 2014 Sep
- Absolute and Relative Changes (Delta) in Troponin I for Early Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Trial.
  Storrow AB, Nowak RM, Diercks DB, Singer AJ, Wu AH, Kulstad E, LoVecchio F, Fromm C, Headden G, Potis T, Hogan CJ, Schrock JW, Zelinski DP, Greenberg MR, Christenson RH, Ritchie JC, Chamberlin JS, Bray KR, Rhodes DW, Trainor D, Southwick PC Clinical biochemistry 2014 Sep
- Hemodynamic effects of nitroglycerin ointment in emergency department patients.
  Mumma BE, Dhingra KR, Kurlinkus C, Diercks DB The Journal of emergency medicine 2014 Aug 47 2 192-7
- The management of acute hypertension in patients with renal dysfunction: Labetalol or Nicardipine?
  Varon J, Soto-Ruiz KM, Baumann BM, Borczuk P, Cannon CM, Chandra A, Cline DM, Diercks DB, Hiestand B, Hsu A, Jois-Bilowich P, Kaminski B, Levy P, Nowak RM, Schrock JW, Peacock WF Postgraduate medicine 2014 Jul 126 4 124-30
- Association between prehospital electrocardiogram use and patient home distance from the percutaneous coronary intervention center on total reperfusion time in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction patients: a retrospective analysis from the national cardiovascular data registry.
  Mumma BE, Kontos MC, Peng SA, Diercks DB American heart journal 2014 Jun 167 6 915-20
- Treatment of submassive pulmonary embolism with tenecteplase or placebo: cardiopulmonary outcomes at 3 months: multicenter double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial.
  Kline JA, Nordenholz KE, Courtney DM, Kabrhel C, Jones AE, Rondina MT, Diercks DB, Klinger JR, Hernandez J Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH 2014 Apr 12 4 459-68
- A consensus parameter for the evaluation and management of angioedema in the emergency department.
  Moellman JJ, Bernstein JA, Lindsell C, Banerji A, Busse PJ, Camargo CA, Collins SP, Craig TJ, Lumry WR, Nowak R, Pines JM, Raja AS, Riedl M, Ward MJ, Zuraw BL, Diercks D, Hiestand B, Campbell RL, Schneider S, Sinert R Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2014 Apr 21 4 469-84
- Minimizing transfer time to an ST segment elevation myocardial infarction-receiving center: a modified Delphi consensus.
  Mumma BE, Williamson C, Khare RK, Mackey KE, Diercks DB Critical pathways in cardiology 2014 Mar 13 1 20-4
- Urinary Metabolomic Analysis to Detect Changes After Intravenous, Non-ionic, Low Osmolar Iodinated Radiocontrast for Computerized Tomographic Imaging.
  Diercks DB, Owen KP, Tolstikov V, Sutter ME, Kline JA The western journal of emergency medicine 2014 Mar 15 2 152-7
- Effectiveness of the Chest Pain Choice decision aid in emergency department patients with low-risk chest pain: study protocol for a multicenter randomized trial.
  Anderson RT, Montori VM, Shah ND, Ting HH, Pencille LJ, Demers M, Kline JA, Diercks DB, Hollander JE, Torres CA, Schaffer JT, Herrin J, Branda M, Leblanc A, Hess EP Trials 2014 15 166
- Rationale and methodology for a multicentre randomised trial of fibrinolysis for pulmonary embolism that includes quality of life outcomes.
  Kline JA, Hernandez J, Hogg MM, Jones AE, Courtney DM, Kabrhel C, Nordenholz KE, Diercks DB, Rondina MT, Klinger JR Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA 2013 Dec 25 6 515-26
- Identifying patients for early discharge: performance of decision rules among patients with acute chest pain.
  Mahler SA, Miller CD, Hollander JE, Nagurney JT, Birkhahn R, Singer AJ, Shapiro NI, Glynn T, Nowak R, Safdar B, Peberdy M, Counselman FL, Chandra A, Kosowsky J, Neuenschwander J, Schrock JW, Plantholt S, Diercks DB, Peacock WF International journal of cardiology 2013 Sep 168 2 795-802
- Impact of Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care accreditation on quality: an ACTION Registry®-Get With The Guidelines™ analysis.
  Peacock WF, Kontos MC, Amsterdam E, Cannon CP, Diercks D, Garvey L, Graff L, Holmes D, Holmes KS, McCord J, Newby K, Roe M, Dadkhah S, Siler-Fisher A, Ross M Critical pathways in cardiology 2013 Sep 12 3 116-20
- Polymorphisms in CYP2D6 may predict methamphetamine related heart failure.
  Sutter ME, Gaedigk A, Albertson TE, Southard J, Owen KP, Mills LD, Diercks DB Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2013 Aug 51 7 540-4
- What is an acceptable risk of major adverse cardiac event in chest pain patients soon after discharge from the Emergency Department?: a clinical survey.
  Than M, Herbert M, Flaws D, Cullen L, Hess E, Hollander JE, Diercks D, Ardagh MW, Kline JA, Munro Z, Jaffe A International journal of cardiology 2013 Jul 166 3 752-4
- Copeptin helps in the early detection of patients with acute myocardial infarction: primary results of the CHOPIN trial (Copeptin Helps in the early detection Of Patients with acute myocardial INfarction).
  Maisel A, Mueller C, Neath SX, Christenson RH, Morgenthaler NG, McCord J, Nowak RM, Vilke G, Daniels LB, Hollander JE, Apple FS, Cannon C, Nagurney JT, Schreiber D, deFilippi C, Hogan C, Diercks DB, Stein JC, Headden G, Limkakeng AT, Anand I, Wu AH, Papassotiriou J, Hartmann O, Ebmeyer S, Clopton P, Jaffe AS, Peacock WF Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2013 Jul 62 2 150-60
- ED administration of thienopyridines in non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: results from the NCDR.
  Diercks DB, Kontos MC, Hollander JE, Mumma BE, Holmes DN, Wiviott S, Saucedo JF, de Lemos JA The American journal of emergency medicine 2013 Jul 31 7 1005-11
- Effect of low-osmolality intravenous contrast on serum osmolal gap in adults.
  Ford JB, Amiri-Davani NC, Diercks DB, Albertson TE, Owen KP, Sutter ME The Journal of emergency medicine 2013 Jul 45 1 53-6
- Central versus local adjudication of myocardial infarction in a cardiac biomarker trial.
  Smith SW, Diercks DB, Nagurney JT, Hollander JE, Miller CD, Schrock JW, Singer AJ, Apple FS, McCullough PA, Ruff CT, Sesma A, Peacock WF American heart journal 2013 Mar 165 3 273-279.e1
- Incremental value of objective cardiac testing in addition to physician impression and serial contemporary troponin measurements in women.
  Diercks DB, Mumma BE, Frank Peacock W, Hollander JE, Safdar B, Mahler SA, Miller CD, Counselman FL, Birkhahn R, Schrock J, Singer AJ, Nagurney JT Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2013 Mar 20 3 265-70
- Nitrates for acute heart failure syndromes.
  Wakai A, McCabe A, Kidney R, Brooks SC, Seupaul RA, Diercks DB, Salter N, Fermann GJ, Pospisil C The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2013 8 CD005151
- Intravenous nicardipine and labetalol use in hypertensive patients with signs or symptoms suggestive of end-organ damage in the emergency department: a subgroup analysis of the CLUE trial.
  Cannon CM, Levy P, Baumann BM, Borczuk P, Chandra A, Cline DM, Diercks DB, Hiestand B, Hsu A, Jois P, Kaminski B, Nowak RM, Schrock JW, Varon J, Peacock WF BMJ open 2013 3 3
- Amphetamine abuse in emergency department patients undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
  Pomerleau AC, Sutter ME, Owen KP, Loomis E, Albertson TE, Diercks DB The Journal of emergency medicine 2012 Nov 43 5 798-802
- Standardized reporting criteria for studies evaluating suspected acute heart failure syndromes in the emergency department.
  Storrow AB, Lindsell CJ, Collins SP, Diercks DB, Filippatos GS, Hiestand BC, Hollander JE, Kirk JD, Levy PD, Miller CD, Naftilan AJ, Nowak RM, Pang PS, Peacock WF, Gheorghiade M, Cleland JG, Gheorghiade M, Abraham WT, Amsterdam EA, Cleland JG, Diercks DB, Dunlap S, Ghali J, Hobbs R, Hiestand BC, Hollander JE, Douglas Kirk J, Kremastinos D, Levy PD, Lindsell CJ, McCord J, Miller CD, Naftilan AJ, Pang PS, Frank Peacock W, Storrow AB, Thohan V Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2012 Aug 60 9 822-32
- Management of atrial fibrillation in the acute setting.
  Chenoweth J, Diercks DB Current opinion in critical care 2012 Aug 18 4 333-40
- Urinary metabolomic analysis for the identification of renal injury in patients with acute heart failure.
  Diercks DB, Owen K, Tolstikov V, Sutter M Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine 2012 Jan 19 1 18-23

Research

acute cardiovascular emergencies