Andrew Cathers
· MD, DRTMVerifiedUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison · Emergency Medicine
Active 2006–2026
About
Andrew Cathers, MD, DRTM, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Prehospital Medicine at UW–Madison. He holds board certifications in emergency medicine and EMS, and has completed a fellowship in Retrieval & Critical Care Transport at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. Dr. Cathers is a native of Rhode Island and attended medical school at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, following his graduation from Providence College with a degree in Biology. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. His professional interests include resident training, continuing education of attending physicians, advanced retrieval medicine, and airway management. Dr. Cathers has published papers and presented educational sessions both locally and internationally, including serving as an instructor at the UK Anesthesia, Trauma, and Critical Care Course. He is a Fellow of the Air Medical Physician Association and the Academy of Emergency Medical Services, and holds a Diploma in Retrieval and Transfer Medicine from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. His leadership roles include serving as Medical Director of UW Health Med Flight, and he has been recognized with awards such as the Medical Director of the Year by the Air Medical Physician Association in 2023 and participation in the UW Health Physician Leadership Development Program.
Research topics
- Intensive care medicine
- Medical emergency
- Medicine
- Emergency medicine
- Surgery
- Radiology
- Cardiology
Selected publications
Figshare · 2026-02-20
articleOpen accessAir medical transport (AMT) improves survival for selected trauma patients. Improving AMT triage is limited by a lack of evidence and a standardized definition for which patients and circumstances may warrant AMT. Our objective was to develop a consensus-based definition of AMT need. We recruited a multidisciplinary, nationally representative panel with expertise in AMT from trauma surgery, anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and emergency medical services (EMS). Panelists were presented with criteria from the literature representing the potential for AMT need that included patient injuries, time-sensitive interventions, and system factors. Panelists voted over 4 rounds to refine and select (≥70% agreement) a final set of criteria using a web-based Delphi methodology, including potential criteria combinations. A total of 32 of 45 (71.1%) invited panelists agreed to participate. From 66 initial criteria, panelists reached consensus on 18 patient factors, 6 time-sensitive interventions, 3 system factors, and 7 combinations of criteria. Two key themes emerged: the need for specialized care from air medical crews that may not be available from ground ambulance clinicians, as well as overall prehospital time-savings. After narrative feedback and refinement to eliminate redundant and overlapping criteria, an algorithm for AMT need was developed along with a decision flow diagram suitable for educational dissemination. We developed a consensus-based definition of AMT need for trauma patients that can be operationalized for AMT triage. Further validation of this concept with patient outcomes and identifying implementation barriers will contribute to field deployment of a useful AMT triage tool for EMS clinicians.
Figshare · 2026-02-20
articleOpen accessAir medical transport (AMT) improves survival for selected trauma patients. Improving AMT triage is limited by a lack of evidence and a standardized definition for which patients and circumstances may warrant AMT. Our objective was to develop a consensus-based definition of AMT need. We recruited a multidisciplinary, nationally representative panel with expertise in AMT from trauma surgery, anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and emergency medical services (EMS). Panelists were presented with criteria from the literature representing the potential for AMT need that included patient injuries, time-sensitive interventions, and system factors. Panelists voted over 4 rounds to refine and select (≥70% agreement) a final set of criteria using a web-based Delphi methodology, including potential criteria combinations. A total of 32 of 45 (71.1%) invited panelists agreed to participate. From 66 initial criteria, panelists reached consensus on 18 patient factors, 6 time-sensitive interventions, 3 system factors, and 7 combinations of criteria. Two key themes emerged: the need for specialized care from air medical crews that may not be available from ground ambulance clinicians, as well as overall prehospital time-savings. After narrative feedback and refinement to eliminate redundant and overlapping criteria, an algorithm for AMT need was developed along with a decision flow diagram suitable for educational dissemination. We developed a consensus-based definition of AMT need for trauma patients that can be operationalized for AMT triage. Further validation of this concept with patient outcomes and identifying implementation barriers will contribute to field deployment of a useful AMT triage tool for EMS clinicians.
Prehospital Emergency Care · 2026-02-19
articleOBJECTIVES: Air medical transport (AMT) improves survival for selected trauma patients. Improving AMT triage is limited by a lack of evidence and a standardized definition for which patients and circumstances may warrant AMT. Our objective was to develop a consensus-based definition of AMT need. METHODS: We recruited a multidisciplinary, nationally representative panel with expertise in AMT from trauma surgery, anesthesiology, critical care, emergency medicine, and emergency medical services (EMS). Panelists were presented with criteria from the literature representing the potential for AMT need that included patient injuries, time-sensitive interventions, and system factors. Panelists voted over 4 rounds to refine and select (≥70% agreement) a final set of criteria using a web-based Delphi methodology, including potential criteria combinations. RESULTS: A total of 32 of 45 (71.1%) invited panelists agreed to participate. From 66 initial criteria, panelists reached consensus on 18 patient factors, 6 time-sensitive interventions, 3 system factors, and 7 combinations of criteria. Two key themes emerged: the need for specialized care from air medical crews that may not be available from ground ambulance clinicians, as well as overall prehospital time-savings. After narrative feedback and refinement to eliminate redundant and overlapping criteria, an algorithm for AMT need was developed along with a decision flow diagram suitable for educational dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a consensus-based definition of AMT need for trauma patients that can be operationalized for AMT triage. Further validation of this concept with patient outcomes and identifying implementation barriers will contribute to field deployment of a useful AMT triage tool for EMS clinicians.
Prehospital Emergency Care · 2025-05-05 · 2 citations
articleOBJECTIVES: The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of a bundled quality improvement (QI) intervention targeting implementation of the Ground & Air Medical qUality in Transport (GAMUT) metric plateau pressure (Pplat) < 30 mmHg on the incidence of Pplat documentation and rate of lung protective ventilation (LPV). METHODS: A QI-bundle encompassing education, spaced repetition, and signposting was implemented in a university affiliated, physician/nurse-staffed critical care transport (CCT) program. Our primary aim was to improve the rate of LPV during CCT with the secondary aim of improving the documentation rate of Pplat. Statistical analysis was performed pre- and post-QI intervention using a Pearson chi-square, 95% confidence intervals (CI), nonparametric tests of medians, and two-sample t-test as appropriate. Cohen's effect size was calculated to evaluate the magnitude of difference. Control charts assess changes over time. RESULTS: ≤ 0.001, difference 45.3%, 95% CI 14.8%, 57.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of a QI initiative targeting implementation of a GAMUT metric to improve both documentation and patient care practices. Our findings indicate that our QI intervention improved documentation of Pplat by nearly nine-fold. We also demonstrated sustained improvement in patient care with higher rates of LPV as defined by Pplat < 30 mmHg and DP < 15 mmHg post-implementation.
Air Medical Journal · 2025-08-22
articleASAIO Journal · 2025-07-29 · 1 citations
articleExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a form of cardiopulmonary support associated with improved survival in severe respiratory failure and refractory cardiac arrest. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is highly specialized and resource-intensive; high-volume ECMO centers demonstrate improved outcomes, supporting the creation of regionalized care models. As such, the role of critical care transport medicine (CCTM) is vital. Given limited prior analysis, we aimed to descriptively review ECMO transport processes globally. A 27 item survey addressing team composition, training, and transport capabilities was distributed to 16 transport organizations in eight countries. If available, ECMO transport protocols were reviewed. Fourteen ECMO programs responded from six countries (87.5% response rate). Most programs (78.6%) offer ground, 71.4% offer rotary-wing, and 50% offer fixed-wing transport. A minority (28.6%) provided all transport modes. Nearly half (42.9%) of programs did not require a separate ECMO team. A physician was present in 57.1% and a perfusionist/ECMO specialists in 71.4% of transport teams, respectively. All programs required initial team ECMO training. Critical care transport medicine teams are essential for enabling ECMO access. There is significant variability in team composition, capabilities, and transport modality, but training requirements are seen across programs. Further study should align best practices for interfacility transport of ECMO patients.
Facilitation of a Centralized Recovery Center Through Air and Ground Critical Care Transport
Air Medical Journal · 2025-05-03
articleSenior authorAir Medical Journal · 2024-10-28
articleSenior authorPrehospital Ultrasound Use to Guide Emergent Pericardiocentesis: A Case Report
Air Medical Journal · 2024-04-29 · 4 citations
articleAir Medical Journal · 2024-04-17 · 4 citations
article
Frequent coauthors
- 23 shared
Michael Steuerwald
Swiss HIV Cohort Study
- 13 shared
Hani I. Kuttab
- 11 shared
Craig Tschautscher
- 8 shared
Jordan Imoehl
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 4 shared
Ryan Newberry
- 4 shared
Jarett D. Jones
- 4 shared
Mason A. Hill
University of Wisconsin–Madison
- 4 shared
Simanjit K. Mand
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Awards & honors
- UW Health Physician Leadership Development Program Graduate…
- Medical Director of the Year, Air Medical Physician Associat…
- Fellow of the Air Medical Physician Association (FAMPA)
- Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Medical Services (FAEMS)
- Diploma in Retrieval and Transfer Medicine (DRTM) from the R…
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