Ari Friedman, MD, PhD

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.