Susanne J. Spano M.D., FACEP, FAWM

  • Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco
  • Director, Wilderness Medicine Fellowship, University of California San Francisco Fresno
  • Medical Director, Department of Continuing Medical Education, Community Medical Centers
  • Member, Central California Faculty Medical Group Board of Directors

Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medicine

Susanne J. Spano, M.D., FACEP, FAWM, is board certified in Emergency Medicine.

She earned her medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine. Her residency in Emergency Medicine and her fellowship in Wilderness Medicine were completed at University of California, San Francisco, Fresno.

Dr. Spano’s professional interests are Wilderness Medicine, Search and Rescue, Disaster Medicine, Medical Education, and Public Speaking.

She volunteers her time as a member of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team.

Her past professional experiences include:

  • American College of Emergency Physicians, Wilderness Medicine Fellowship Directors Committee Member
  • American College of Emergency Physicians Legislative Council, Councilor Member
  • American College of Emergency Physicians, Section of Wilderness Medicine Section Officer
  • American College of Emergency Physicians Residency Visit Ambassador Program Member
  • Wilderness Medical Society Research Council Member
  • Wilderness Medical Society Graduate Medical Education Committee, Chair-elect
  • Reviewer for the Journal of Wilderness and Environmental Medicine
  • Reviewer for the Journal of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Spano has received many awards including:

  • 2010: Borba Fellow Excellence in Research Award, UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program
  • 2010: Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (FAAEM)
  • 2012: Fellow of the ACEP Teaching Fellowship, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
  • 2012: Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP)
  • 2012: Alumnus, UCSF-CORO Faculty Leadership Collaborative, UCSF Chancellor’s Council on Faculty Life (CCFL)
  • 2013: Semi-Finals Winner: Clinical Pathology Case Competition of the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD)
  • 2013: Medical Student Teaching Award, UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program
  • 2013: National Junior Faculty Teaching Award of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
  • 2013: Speaker’s Award for Outstanding Service, American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)
  • 2015: Excellence in Peer Reviews for Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, Journal of the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS)
  • 2017: Accreditation with Commendation in Continuing Medical Education, Institute for Medical Quality, a subsidiary of the California Medical Association

In her free time, Dr. Spano enjoys backpacking, running, and gardening. She is fluent in Medical Spanish.

Education and Training

  • B.S. in Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine
  • M.D., Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
  • Residency in Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco Fresno
  • Fellowship in Wilderness Medicine, University of California San Francisco Fresno

Licensure & Certifications

  • Prehospital Base Station Physician Certification
  • Board Certification, American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM)
  • Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT)

Research and Publications

Spano S, Hoffmann F: Effects of an Exogenous Hormone on Nodulation and Root Hairs in Soybean. J Undergrad Res Bio Sci, UCI; 2001(4):18-20.

Spano S, Burg MD: Book Review of “Evidence-based Emergency Care, Diagnostic Testing and Clinical Decision Rules,” Pines J, Everett W. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2010;38:408-410.

Spano S: Book Review of “Patient Safety in Emergency Medicine,” Croskerry P, Crosby K, Schenkel S, Wears R. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2010; 39:267.

Spano S: High Altitude Emergency Delivery of Care. In Tintinalli J, et al. (ed): EMS, A Practical Global Guidebook, Shelton, Conneticut, People’s Medical Publishing House–USA, 2010:575-587.

Spano S: Book Review of “First Aid for the Emergency Medicine Oral Boards,” Howes D, Gupta R, Waples-Trefil F, Pillow T, Tupesis J. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2011;41(6):741-742.

Spano S: Book Review of “Harwood-Nuss’ Clinical Practice of Emergency Medicine, Fifth Edition,” Wolfson A, Hendey G, Ling L, Rosen C, Schaider J, Sharieff G. Journal of Emergency Medicine 2011;41(1):108.

Weichenthal L, Spano S, Horan B, Miss J: Improvised traction splints: a wilderness medicine tool or hindrance? Wilderness Environ Med 2012; 23(1):61-4.

Spano S, Burg MD: An Unusual Case of Otorrhagia. J Emerg Med 2012; 42(6): e149-150.

Vohra R, Spano S. Circus Venomous: A New Tool in Toxinology Education. Toxicon 2013;69:126-30.

Spano S, Macias F, Snowden B, Vohra R. Snakebite Survivors Club: Retrospective Review of Rattlesnake Bites in Central California. Toxicon 2013;69:38–41.

Spano, S: Working with Physician Assistants in Emergency Medicine Practice. In Rodriguez Ohanesian J: The Ultimate Guide to the Physician Assistant Profession, McGraw Hill Publishing USA, 2013:78-79.

Spano S, Macias F, Vohra R. Long-Term Complications of Rattlesnake Bites: A Telephone Survey from Central California. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 2014; 25: 210–213. PMID: 24507436

Lipman GS, Weichenthal L, Harris NS, McIntosh SE, Cushing T, Caudell MJ, Macias DJ, Weiss EA, Lemery J, Ellis MA, Spano S, McDevitt M, Tedeschi C, Dow J, Mazzorana V, McGinnis H, Gardner AF, Auerbach PS. Core Content for Wilderness Medicine Fellowship Training of Emergency Medicine Graduates. Academic Emergency Medicine 2014; 21:204-207. PMID: 24438590

Spano S, Reagle Z, Evans T. Symptomatic Hypotonic Hyponatremia Presenting at High Altitude. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 2014;25(1):69-74.2014. PMID: 24411978

Spano S, Reagle Z, Evans T. In reply to symptomatic hypotonic hyponatremia presenting at high altitude. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014;25(3):363-364.

Spano S, Dimock B. They Had Me in Stitches: A Grand Canyon River Guide’s Case Report and a Review of Wilderness Wound Management Literature. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine 2014; 25:182–189. PMID: 24418453.

Spano S, Campagne D, Stroh G, Shalit M. A Lightning Multiple Casualty Incident in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Wilderness Environ Med. 2015;26(1):43-53. PMID: 25281586

Sunde C, Spano S. Wilderness Care of Acute Traumatic Wounds Curriculum. Trauma Cases Rev. 2016; 2:039.

Luck B, Campagne D, Falcón-Banchs R, Montoya J, Spano S. Pressures of Wilderness Improvised Wound Irrigation Techniques: How Do They Compare? Wilderness Environmental Med.2016;27(4):476-481. PMID: 27793443.

Spano, S. (2016). National Park Service Medicine. In Auerbach P, et al. (Eds.), Wilderness Medicine, 7th Edition, Volume 2. (pp. 2487-2497). St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Health Sciences.

Meyer D, Constantino A, Spano S. Implicating Factors of Diarrheal Illness Among Long-Distance Backpackers in the Sierra Nevada. Wilderness Environmental Med. 2017;28(1):4-9.

Department Affiliations

UCSF Fresno Department of Emergency Medicine