Dr. Datner now is chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Einstein Healthcare Network. She says taking care of patients in an emergency can be “very scary” but she channels her energy and emotions into what needs to be done. “You are focused on the technical part of it,” she says. The emergency department takes care of anyone who arrives at the door. Heart attacks, broken bones, car accidents, asthma attacks, and poi- sonings are just a few of the problems. Einstein’s emergency department in North Philadelphia treats about 300 people each day, including about 35 children. Dr. Datner and the staff use a system called triage to make sure the sickest people get treated first. Patients who are less sick sometimes wait a little longer. “We see our job as serving the community,” Dr. Datner says. Amid all the busyness, she tries to connect with patients and families. “I love interacting with people. Every individual has a fascinating story,” Dr. Datner says. She sees how injuries can quickly happen, and possibly be avoided. She recalls one young man who was in a bad car accident because he had been drinking alcohol. She counseled him on the Elizabeth Datner Handling emergencies, teaching prevention Dr. Elizabeth Datner was only a first grad- er when she decided she wanted to be a doctor. “You can do what you want to do,” said her mother, who was a nurse. “Be the person to make decisions.” She wasn’t squea- mish. She grew up as a city kid in the Germantown section of Phila- delphia but often visited her grandparents at their farm in Chester County. She says she used to go to the chicken coop with her grandfather, who would chop off a chicken’s head and bring the chicken to her grandmother to cook for dinner. In fact, seeing the chicken’s insides fascinated her, she says. As a medical student at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, she loved every facet of medicine, from pediatrics to cardiology. But she was particularly fascinated by emergency medicine. She remembers thinking: “This is a perfect specialty for me. I can take care of every type of problem.” 10