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CREST Network​


The Clinical Research on Emergency Services & Treatments (CREST) Network is a multi-center collaborative network at Kaiser Permanente that encourages, enables, and executes research in emergency medicine. Its goals are to support a cooperative platform for the emergency medicine research community, encourage quality research in emergency medicine, and disseminate evidence-based knowledge to refine current community emergency care standards. To learn more about ongoing projects not funded by DARE visit the CREST Network Publications Page


​Physicians Involved in Research


Dustin Ballard, MD, MBE
San Rafael Medical Center
Sean Bouvet, MD
Antioch and Walnut Creek Medical Centers
Dale Cotton, MD
South Sacramento Medical Center
Ed Durant, MD, MPH
Modesto and Manteca Medical Centers
Stephen Gamboa, MD, MPH
San Francisco Medical Center
Meena Ghiya, MD
South San Francisco Medical Center
Erik Hofmann, MD
South Sacramento Medical Center
Chandu Karadi, MD, PhD
San Jose Medical Center
Mamata Kene, MD, MPH
Fremont and San Leandro Medical Centers
James Lin, MD
Santa Clara Medical Center
Dustin Mark, MD
Oakland and Richmond Medical Centers
Ian McLachlan, MD, MPH
San Francisco Medical Center
Dana Sax, MD, MPH
Oakland and Richmond Medical Centers
David R. Vinson, MD
Roseville and Sacramento Medical Centers

Ongoing and Completed CREST Network Projects, All Funding Mechanisms

[2022 Continued Funding] Objective cardiac testing following emergency department evaluations for chest pain: associations between referral for non-invasive cardiac testing and 2-year adverse outcomes.
Dustin Mark | CH | Ongoing

Acute Emergency Care and Outcomes for Stroke, Myocardial Infarction, and Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kaiser Permanente Northern California: Implications for Care Delivery During COVID-19 Recovery Phase and Future Surges
Mai Nguyen-Huynh, Matthew Solomon, David Vinson, Robert Chang | Other | Ongoing

Antenatal pulmonary embolism diagnostics (APED) in the COVID-19 era
David Vinson | CH | Ongoing

Comparative effectiveness of outcomes associated with video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) versus robot assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) for lobectomy in KPNC
Jeffery Velotta, Vinnie Liu | TAP | Ongoing

Improving management of emergency department patients with undifferentiated syncope; prospective validation of the Canadian Syncope Risk Score
David R. Vinson, MD | PRP | Ongoing

Improving Risk Stratification of Emergency Department Patients with Acute Heart Failure: Building and Testing a Machine-learning Platform for Personalized, Accurate, Real-time Risk Prediction
Dana Sax, Mary Reed | PRP | Ongoing

Non-endoscopic management of acute esophageal food impaction (EFI) in the emergency department
Linda Lee | CH | Ongoing

Reducing Variation in Hospitalization and Processes of Care in Emergency Department Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial
David Vinson, Mary Reed | DSGP | Ongoing

Trends in the use of computed tomographic cerebral angiography for emergency department patients with headache
Dustin Mark, Mary Reed | RAU | Ongoing

Assessing frequency and predictors of under- and over-triage of pediatric emergency department patients
Dana Sax | CH | Completed

Assessing the frequency and predictors of mis-triage among pediatric patients in the emergency department
Dana Sax | CH | Completed

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome in the ED: Characteristics and Determinants of Length of Stay
Dale Cotton | CH | Completed

Characteristics of ED Patients Who Test Positive for SARS-CoV-2 in a Community Health Setting
Dale Cotton, Mary Reed | RAU | Completed

Derivation and Testing of a Search Tool that Combines ICD Codes and Unstructured Clinical Data to Improve Accurate Case Identification of Emergency Department Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Dana Sax | CH | Completed

Evaluating the Incidence of Contrast Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Emergency Department Patients
Mamata Kene | CH | Completed

Imaging in suspected renal colic: retrospective validation of clinical decision rules to predict uncomplicated ureteral stone
Edward Durant | CH | Completed

Impact of Opioid Safety Initiative Education on Emergency Department Opioid Prescribing
Mamata Kene, Mary Reed | RAU | Completed

Improving risk stratification of E.D. patients with acute heart failure: external validation of the STRATIFY tool
Dana Sax, Mary Reed | DSGP | Completed

Improving stroke prevention for high-risk AFib by discharge redesign using electronic clinical decision support
David Vinson, Mary Reed | PRP | Completed

In-hospital mortality among patients with non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage: In a hub-and-spoke model of neuroscience care, are outcomes non-inferior following presentation to a spoke versus a hub medical center?
Dustin Mark | CH | Completed

KP-specific cardiac history and risk summaries: standardizing Emergency Work-ups Around Risk Data (STEWARD) Chest Pain Project - Phase 3
Dustin Mark, Mary Reed | DSGP | Completed

Patterns and Impact of Chemical Restraint Use for Patients in the Emergency Department Presenting with Acute Psychiatric Distress
Suzanne Lippert | CH | Completed

Patterns and Impact of Restraint Use for Patients in the Emergency Department Presenting with Acute Psychiatric Distress
Suzanne Lippert | CH | Completed

Real-time decision support algorithms for pulmonary embolism in the ED
CREST Network, Mary Reed | DSGP | Completed

Risk stratification of emergency department patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding: identifying patients who may be safe for outpatient management
Sean Bouvet | CH | Completed

Sustainability of Electronic Clinical Decision Support System Effects: an Evaluation of Two Use Cases
Dustin Ballard | CH | Completed

The Management of Stable Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in the Community Emergency Department Setting
Ian McLachlan | CH | Completed

Utility of Fluid Resuscitation in Low-Risk Patients with Severe Sepsis
Todd Seigel | CH | Completed

Utilization of Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiograms at KPNC: Predictors of Higher Yield and Comparison to National Rates
Mamata Kene | CH | Completed