Emergency Medicine Faculty

Biographical Info

Additional Titles/Positions

Attending Physician, Chair, Section of Tactical Emergency Medicine, ACEP
Co-Chair, TEMS Committee, Illinois Tactical Officers Association
Executive Committee, UICOMP Department of Emergency Medicine
Assistant Director, Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship, OSF Healthcare / UICOMP
Medical Director, STATT Tactical Medicine Unit
Sworn Tactical Physician, Woodford County and Peoria County Sheriff’s Office

Residency

Univ of Alabama -Birmingham, AL – Surgery Internship
UICOMP/OSF Saint Francis Medical Center

Research, Scholarly and Academic Interests

Tactical Medicine, Wilderness / Austere Medicine, Disaster Medicine / USAR / HazMat
Emergency Ultrasound
Lead Author of the ACEP-endorsed textbook: Tactical Medicine Essentials
Co-author: Keeping Your Family Safe – the Responsibilities of Firearm Ownership

Other Interests/Fun Facts

Dr. Wipfler served our country for 14 years attaining the rank of Major in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.

Dr. Wipfler was instrumental in forming the first Tactical EMS unit in the state of Illinois (called STATT) certified by the Illinois Dept. of Public Health and his team supports three tactical SWAT teams in central Illinois.

He has supported law enforcement tactical operations since 1994, and has been involved in over 250 SWAT callouts. He is a certified expert in high power rifle, pistol, and small-bore rifle, and is certified by the Illinois State Police as a concealed carry instructor. He is a certified instructor of firearms safety and marksmanship for over 30 years, and has supported tactical deployments with the U.S. Secret Service, US Marshals, DEA, FBI, IL State Police SWAT, and regional SWAT teams.

Since 1999, Dr. Wipfler developed one of the first formal 2-week electives in tactical medicine for emergency medicine residents in the world, here at OSF Healthcare St. Francis EM Residency Program, At that time, there was no formal textbook in tactical medicine, so he dedicated many years to work as lead author, with over 120 contributors, to write the first ACEP-endorsed textbook on this topic, Tactical Medicine Essentials, now recently published as the 2nd edition.

Dr. Wipfler developed one of the first formal 2-week electives in tactical medicine for emergency medicine residents at OSF Healthcare St. Francis EM Residency Program.

He is an avid advanced open water scuba diver, alpine mountaineer, and continues to climb several mountains yearly, often with his wife and 6 children, and has summited the Matterhorn in Switzerland, Mount Rainier, Mount Shasta, Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, Longs Peak, Crestone Peak, and others. The Chicago Olympic Triathlon is a worthy challenge he completed recently, and he enjoys the great outdoors to the fullest.

Licensure and Certifications

Emergency Medicine – American Board of Emergency Medicine
Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS)

Awards/Recognitions