Robert F. Poirier, MD, FACEP

Robert F. Poirier Jr., MD, FACEP, assistant professor of emergency medicine, is being recognized for his commitment to initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of citizens in the greater St. Louis community, most notably the underserved and those with behavioral health emergencies.

As a steering committee member for the Regional Behavioral Health Commission, he has led successful efforts to secure millions in state funding. Faced with the closure of the area’s only publicly funded psychiatric emergency department and acute inpatient behavioral health facility, Poirier helped shape a regional response. He is a current board member for two key organizations that were created from this process — the Behavioral Health Network and the St. Louis Psychiatric Stabilization Center.

In addition, as a board member and president of the Missouri College of Emergency Physicians, Poirier has facilitated state policy related to highway/motor vehicle safety, controlled-substance abuse and Medicaid reform. As a councilor for the National American College of Emergency Physicians, he has acted as a voice for the Missouri delegation in regards to pursuing better policy at the federal level.

Poirier’s knowledge of the clinical process, his role as clinical chief of the area’s largest emergency department, and his compassion for the unique needs of those in a behavioral health crisis make him an invaluable resource as a peer and as an educator.

Poirier earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1994 and his medical degree from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in 1999. He completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital/St. Louis Children’s Hospital and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA through the university’s Olin Business School.