01/01/2026

Member Spotlight - January 2026

Dave Keseg, MD, FACEP, FASAM

Former Chief Medical Officer: Olentangy Emergency Services
Former Chief Development Officer: Premier Health Care Services
Former Medical Director Columbus Division of Fire
Former Addiction Physician: Brightview
Former Chief Medical Officer: OFFOR Healthcare Services
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Highlights

• Chapter Member since 1981
• Jack B. Liberator EMS Lifetime Achievement Award, 2024
• Served 32 years as the Medical Director for the Columbus Division of Fire
• Ohio ACEP Bill Hall Award for Service, 2012
• Ohio ACEP Board Member and Past President (1993-1999)
• Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine
• John Campbell Award winner for Trauma Education, 1996
• Michael Copass Award for Best National EMS Medical Director, 2013
• OhioHealth EMS Award of Excellence, 2019
• Columbus Division of Fire: Fire Chiefs Award, 2012
• Assisted in the production of the Ohio ACEP EMS Medical Directors handbook
• Air Medical Physician Association – Founding Member
• Founding Board member and proponent of OHIO CARES

What do you love most about Emergency Medicine?

There are so many aspects of Emergency Medicine that I love but here are the some of my favorites:

•  Diversity of clinical challenges - never get bored
• Immediate gratification of taking a patient from the start of their medical issue to the ultimate resolution.
• Ability to work set hours so family life doesn’t suffer.
• Opportunity to work with a outstanding team of emergency caregivers
• Partnering with our EMS providers to collaborate on our treatment of patients

What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the field of Emergency Medicine?

• Work in an Emergency Department in a subsidiary role (aide, transport tech, etc)
• Talk to others currently practicing in an Emergency Department about pros/cons
• Be able to compartmentalize your emotions to focus solely on patient treatment
• Ride as an observer on an EMS vehicle to see what the patients experience before they get to the ED

What are some of the ways in which Ohio ACEP has supported you?

• Lobbying efforts have supported my practice
• Educational offerings made me a better informed and impactful ED physician
• Holding offices at Ohio ACEP helped me understand how to best serve members
• Participation in National ACEP activities made me aware of EM issues outside Ohio

Do you have a favorite quote to share?

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Fun Facts About You? 
I am a Bass Player and Lead Singer in the Blue Jeans Band.

The Ohio ACEP Member Spotlight is a monthly showcase of an active member and their impact on the specialty of Emergency Medicine.

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