Martin Casey, MD, MPH

Member-at-Large

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Dr. Martin F. Casey is seeking a Member-at-Large position on the Academy of Geriatric Emergency Medicine (AGEM) Executive Committee to actively contribute to the advancement of geriatric-focused emergency care. With a foundation in emergency medicine research, clinical expertise, and an ongoing commitment to deprescribing inappropriate medications for older adults, Dr. Casey believes this role aligns well with both professional goals and personal dedication to enhancing emergency care for aging populations.

Dr. Casey's current research, supported by the National Institute on Aging, the US Deprescribing Research Network, and others, addresses the unique medication safety challenges faced by older adults in emergency settings. This background has equipped Dr. Casey with a clear understanding of the unmet needs in geriatric emergency medicine and the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration, advocacy, and education in building a safer, more inclusive healthcare environment for older adults.

Serving as Member-at-Large would allow Dr. Casey to bring a fresh perspective to the Executive Committee, focusing on advancing AGEM’s mission of improving geriatric care through initiatives that prioritize safe prescribing, evidence-based interventions, and best practices for emergency clinicians. Dr. Casey is especially committed to amplifying AGEM’s impact through education, such as expanding didactic offerings, fostering mentorship for early-career professionals, and engaging in policy advocacy to promote geriatric-focused initiatives. This role represents a meaningful opportunity for Dr. Casey to help shape the future of geriatric emergency medicine and drive impactful change for a vulnerable patient population.

Adrian Haimovich, MD, PhD

Member-at-Large

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

As Director for Geriatric Emergency Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, I am dedicated to improving the care of older adults in the emergency department. My research and operational work have focused on integrating geriatric principles into emergency care, particularly through the promotion of patient-centered care for seriously ill older adults.

I believe that EDs are uniquely positioned to serve as a critical intervention point for older patients, but that these interventions need to be grounded in pragmatism and resource efficiency. As a Member-at-Large, I want to use my experience advancing the science of practical ED-based goals of care discussions to support AGEM’s mission of advancing research, education, and clinical practice in geriatric emergency medicine.

If elected, I will work to create meaningful opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and collaboration within AGEM, particularly at the intersection of research and operations. I am passionate about fostering a vibrant and inclusive community where members can connect, share knowledge, and drive innovations that enhance the quality of care for our older patients.

I am grateful for the opportunity to run and would be honored to serve in this role, helping AGEM continue to lead the way in improving geriatric care in the emergency department.

David Hancock, PhD

Member-at-Large

Weill Cornell Medicine

I am honored to be considered for the position of Member-at-Large within the Academy of Geriatric Emergency Medicine (AGEM) of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM). As a faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine, my work is deeply focused on the intersection of emergency medicine and geriatric care. My primary research interests lie in older adult injury prevention, with a particular focus on elder mistreatment and older adult gun violence—two critical and under-explored areas in the field.

Additionally, I have a strong interest in geriatric EMS research and am currently leading a collaborative effort within SAEM to develop geriatric readiness guidelines for EMS providers. This initiative aims to improve prehospital care for older adults, ensuring that EMS providers are well-equipped to address the unique needs of this growing population.

As Member-at-Large, I will work to advocate for research and clinical initiatives that prioritize the safety and well-being of older adults. I am committed to fostering collaboration across disciplines and enhancing the resources available to our members, ensuring that we continue to lead in the development of best practices for geriatric emergency medicine. Thank you for your consideration.

Jessica Houck, DO

Member-at-Large

University of Kentucky

I currently serve as the Geriatric Medical Director at UK, a position I have held for about a year now. In this role, I have gained valuable insights into geriatric emergency medicine, which has ignited my passion for improving care for our elderly patients. I feel a strong responsibility to my community and colleagues to deepen my expertise in this field and to share that knowledge within my team and department.

At the university, I am actively engaged in several initiatives aimed at enhancing geriatric care, including a community paramedicine referral program, the establishment of a falls clinic in collaboration with PM&R, leading a volunteer program focused on delirium and agitation prevention in older adults, and creating a multidisciplinary team to address the unique needs and circumstances of our geriatric patients.

By serving as a Member-at-Large, I hope to become more involved in the advancement of geriatric emergency medicine, which aligns closely with my personal and professional goals. In this role, I promise to be present and active within the community and help fulfill the groups mission to improve quality of care of our older patients through education, research and faculty development. I hope you would consider me for one of AGEM's Member-at-Large.

Ari Friedman, MD, PhD

Member-at-Large

University of Pennsylvania

As an MD/PhD health economist and emergency physician, I conduct research as well care for patients in a metropolitan Level I Trauma Center. My NIA K23 project uses a novel cohort as well as electronic health record data to study the management, diagnoses, and outcomes of abdominal pain in older patients in EDs. In turn, through these research and clinical experiences, I observed how the ED is a deliriogenic environment for patients with baseline vulnerabilities such as cognitive impairment and dementia, and our team is now building tools to better identify patients at risk of delirium and pathways to improve and prioritize their care.

AGEM has played an instrumental role in my growth as a geriatric emergency medical clinician and researcher. I would love to be able to give back to the field and community by serving on the board. If elected as a Member-At-Large on the AGEM Executive Committee, I hope to help AGEM advance research and education to strengthen AGEM and geriatric EM. In addition, I will work with researchers, quality improvement teams, and learning health systems practitioners who do not currently think of themselves as geriatricians to increase their understanding of the importance of geriatric emergency medicine. I will also encourage geriatricians and geri researchers who do not incorporate the emergency department into their work to do so.

Sara Hurley, MD

Resident Representative

The Ohio State University

I am a second-year emergency medicine resident at The Ohio State University. I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from medical school at Johns Hopkins University in 2023. My interest in geriatrics was sparked in medical school during the Covid-19 pandemic. I have always been close with both my grandmothers. Witnessing how the pandemic impacted my grandmothers’ lives and the barriers they faced to get medical care in an increasingly virtual world opened my eyes to healthcare disparities in the geriatric population.

As a resident, I have further developed my passion for geriatric emergency medicine while deepening my appreciation for the unique needs of older adults, especially in a busy and chaotic emergency department. While in residency, I have carried out research on the acceptability of a partnership between a community emergency department and geriatric case managers. In the future, I hope to continue to hone my research focus into ways to best screen for elder abuse in the emergency department.

I am running for AGEM Resident Representative to work with and learn from physicians who share my passion for geriatric emergency medicine. I hope to build my career in geriatric emergency medicine, and I feel that this position will allow me to meet incredible mentors and gain a new appreciation for this wonderful specialty. As a member of the Executive Committee, my goal is to engage members at all levels and continue to learn better ways to care for our geriatric patients.

Natalie Liogas-Deneau, MD

Resident Representative

Corewell Health East, William Beaumont University Hospital

As a resident with a deep commitment to geriatric care, I am excited to apply for the role of resident representative for AGEM executive council. My passion for this field began through my personal experience as the primary caregiver for my grandmother, which ignited my drive to improve care for older adults. I was fortunate to discover this field within Emergency Medicine early in my medical training through valuable mentorship.

Currently I am involved in the Geriatric Speciality Track within my residency program, and have also participated in research projects that aimed to optimize care for older adults in the emergency department. I am eager to take on leadership opportunities that allow me to further contribute to this vital and often overlooked niche within emergency medicine. Serving as a resident representative would provide me with a platform to collaborate with leaders in the field, expand my network, and continue developing the skills needed to best serve the population I am passionate about.

I am eager to bring my enthusiasm and dedication to this role, and I look forward to contributing to initiatives that improve the quality of care for older adults. It would be a privilege to advocate for my peers and the geriatric population as a member of the committee.

Erin Hunt

Medical Student Representative

The Ohio State University

My name is Erin Hunt, and I am a second-year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. I am seeking re-election as the medical student representative for AGEM due to my passion for Emergency Medicine and my commitment to improving care for vulnerable populations, such as geriatric patients. Over the past year in this role, I have gained valuable insights into leadership within Emergency Medicine and had the privilege of working alongside dedicated physicians who want to better care for our geriatric population. If re-elected, I would like to continue expanding AGEM’s social media presence, increasing our outreach, and highlighting the organization’s many opportunities, all while advancing awareness of the unique challenges faced by older adults in emergency care.

Audrey Lam

Medical Student Representative

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

I am a second-year medical student at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and a graduate of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. During my four years as an EMT with USC Emergency Medical Services (EMSC), I served as the Associate Director, implemented a geriatric curriculum, and led EMTs in teaching first aid at a retirement community—a first in EMSC’s history. My passions in gerontology and EMS led me to join Cedars-Sinai’s Geriatric ED Quality Improvement Committee towards GED accreditation. Reflecting upon my ED volunteer experience, I identified ways to optimize our volunteer structure to better fulfill older patients’ needs. I collaborated with interdisciplinary healthcare leaders to innovate Cedars-Sinai’s first age-friendly volunteer program and presented at ACEP and to the Institute of Healthcare Improvement on how our 3,600 hours of supportive interventions decreased restraint usage and calmed agitated patients. I learned that collaborative committees, like these, are capable of shifting entire cultures and mobilizing resources to structurally improve care for marginalized communities. I have additionally presented at the National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation Conference for three years about age-friendly, culturally-sensitive EMS care. As the recipient of the NIA-funded Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) grant at UCLA, I researched ethnogeriatrics with Dr. David Reuben and was selected to be their 2024 Murray H. Neidorf MSTAR Scholar. I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to collaborate and advance age-friendly care for underrepresented communities in emergency medicine across medical schools.

Grace Wang, MS, MPH

Medical Student Representative

Penn State College of Medicine

Everywhere I have lived, from growing up in Taiwan to moving to California for college, Massachusetts for graduate school, and Pennsylvania for medical school, I find myself repeatedly drawn to working in the ED and giving back to vulnerable populations, especially older adults.

As the first in my family to pursue medicine and move to the States, I obtained three bachelor's degrees at UC Berkeley in MCB: Immunology/Infectious Diseases, Psychology, and Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology. My studies combined my interests in modifiable health factors and behaviors, and I supported older adults in my community both independently and at Oakland’s Sutter Health ED and the Alzheimer’s Services of East Bay.

In Massachusetts, I pursued an MS in Biomedical Sciences and an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. I worked with Tufts’ Palliative Care Department, training MS4s in end-of-life and goals-of-care conversations. As a civilian volunteer for the City of Boston, I planned inclusive events for older community members. During the COVID pandemic, I took care of isolated older adults and worked on ED research at Massachusetts General Hospital on DVTs, PEs, geriatric falls, and the ED Virtual Observation Unit.

Now in medical school, I continue my ED research on sepsis, geriatric falls, EMS decision-making, and hypertension while organizing volunteer opportunities for medical students to help older adults in local nursing homes. My experiences in diverse healthcare settings have strengthened my commitment to emergency medicine and advocating for vulnerable populations, particularly older adults with a focus on social determinants of health.