As an avid sports fan, Dr. Zafar Shamoon, chief of the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn, recognizes the value of teamwork both on and off the field.
“In the ER everyone is working together, from registration to environmental services to greeters to medics, pharmacists, nurses and more,” he said.
Dr. Hassan Akel, an emergency medicine physician at Beaumont, Dearborn, has been working with Dr. Shamoon for the last 7 years and has seen his leadership style up close.
“The ER can be a hard place to manage a team, but he’s a problem-solver and an empowering leader,” explains Dr. Akel. “He holds us accountable, but also has our back. I’ve seen him assist in housekeeping or transporting on
many occasions – he leads by example.”
Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Shamoon is an avid Detroit Tigers fan. He still remembers watching Kirk Gibson hit two home runs in the same game to win the 1984 World Series. In fact, if he were not a physician, Dr. Shamoon believes he would have been
a sports broadcaster or a head coach of a basketball team.
For now, he’s happy coaching his children’s youth recreation football teams. Selena and Ibrahim have been playing for two seasons now.
“Whether you’re playing football or practicing in the ER, everyone has to be on the same page for a successful outcome,” Dr. Shamoon explains. “A running back can’t get into the endzone without the offensive line opening
the lane the same way we can’t provide the care we need to without everybody in the ER working together. Timing matters. Seconds matter.”
Whether it’s in the ER or on the field, Dr. Shamoon has a passion for teaching. The most important thing he teaches is to enjoy the art of medicine.
“The art is sometimes overlooked, especially in emergency medicine,” he said. “At a time when there are many administrative duties, we should remember to respect and enjoy the art.”
The “art” Dr. Shamoon describes comes from, “Starting with the unknown at the very top and following each precise step along the way when someone comes to us for emergency care.”
Emergency medicine can be incredibly stressful, so he also encourages taking time to focus on hobbies and families.
“I recently got back into collecting football and basketball cards,” explains Dr. Shamoon. “For me, it’s important to have something to fully remove myself from the high speed and high stakes of the emergency room.”
Dr. Shamoon likens walking through the doors of the ER to the tipoff or kickoff of a big game. “Every situation is a possibility. Each shift is a mystery. It’s part of what pulls me back each and every day.”
That, according to Dr. Shamoon, is the beauty of emergency medicine.
"It's the only medical discipline that doesn't discriminate against disease process, age or gender. We see everything. We’re ready for everything."