Christine Butts

Christine Butts, MD is Professor (CHS) in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She serves as Fellowship Director for Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound and as Assistant Emergency Ultrasound Director for Faculty.

Education:

• Undergraduate: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• MD: Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
• Residency: Louisiana State University Medical Center (Chief Resident)
• Fellowship: Emergency Ultrasound, LSU Medical Center

Research & Clinical Interests: Dr. Butts is a leading authority on point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in acute care. Her scholarly work explores bedside cardiac, thoracic, vascular, ocular, and musculoskeletal ultrasound; protocol development for trauma and critical care; and training methods that expand ultrasound use in under-resourced environments. She writes the monthly column “The Speed of Sound” in Emergency Medicine News, distilling complex ultrasound concepts for frontline clinicians.

Publication Themes: From 2018 to 2025 she has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and technical guides. Recurring themes include optimizing the FAST exam, diagnosing cardiac arrest etiologies, detecting DVT at the bedside, using ocular ultrasound for intracranial pressure assessment, and implementing regional nerve blocks for hip-fracture analgesia. Her work repeatedly demonstrates how POCUS accelerates diagnosis, improves procedural safety, and guides resource allocation in busy emergency departments.

Leadership & Service:

• Fellowship Director, Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound
• Assistant Emergency Ultrasound Director, Faculty Ultrasound
• Columnist, The Speed of Sound, Emergency Medicine News

Clinical Practice: Dr. Butts practices clinically at the University Hospital BerbeeWalsh Emergency Department and East Madison Hospital Emergency Department, providing high-acuity emergency care and bedside ultrasound supervision.

Personal: Away from medicine she enjoys traveling, reading, baking, and spending time with her son.