Dr. Allswede will lead the new emergency medicine residency program and it could attract more doctors to the Alleghenies.

There's a shortage of doctors all over the country, but the emergency medicine residency program at Conemaugh hopes to bring more promising doctors to Johnstown. It will be the first residency program in the country to combine emergency and disaster medicine.

Dr. Allswede said, “The Conemaugh Health System is a very strong health system with outstanding physicians. The combination of community leadership, medical leadership and the interest in national security with Johnstown businesses is an opportunity waiting to be developed.”

According to Dr. Allswede his research will show how important it is to integrate emergency medicine with disaster preparations and homeland security. Experts say bioterrorism starts as an illness in people but can later turn into a public health issue if it is a deliberate attack.

Allswede also said, “As we know right now in world events what's going in Lebanon the Israeli Hammas and Hezbollah situation is exactly what we would look for these curious outbreaks that may actually be crimes or assassination attempts or terrorism.

The residency program kicks off in July of 2008.