People

President

University of Kansas

President

Washington University in Saint Louis

I originally came to Emergency Medicine through a career in public health and public service. I fundamentally believe in giving back to my community, so it is no surprise that I found a love for emergency medicine--we are the only physicians who care for anyone in our communities, for any condition, at any time.

My belief in service led to my involvement with leadership in SAEM. I went to my first SAEM meeting as a PGY-1, and, at that meeting, I found mentorship, networking opportunities, education, and career guidance that have been invaluable as I have progressed through residency and prepared myself for fellowship. To give back to the SAEM community, I became involved in planning the Global Emergency Medicine Academy's educational offerings at the annual SAEM meetings, and I was elected to the RAMS board as a Member-at-Large last year. This year, I am running for the position of RAMS Board President.

As a board member, I have worked hard to connect other RAMS members to resources, mentorship, and opportunities for career growth like those that I found in SAEM. Additionally, I have been a champion of greater involvement from RAMS members in the SAEM subcommittees. Most importantly, I have worked hard alongside my fellow board members this year to create the newest RAMS strategic plan, which will go into effect this year. I'm so proud of our plan, which aims to increase RAMS member engagement, expands our educational offerings, and promotes diversity in our field. As president, I will make sure that the strategic plan starts on strong footing. In addition to spearheading the measures outlined in the strategic plan, I will increase our efforts to support RAMS members as they begin their careers. Given that Emergency Medicine as a specialty faces uncertainty after recent job projections and upheaval in the Match, I will work with the board to advocate for limits on inappropriate program expansion and on other measures, such as prioritization of resident learning in environments that increasingly face encroachment from non-physician providers. It is more important than ever that our academic societies protect and promote physicians in the early stages of their careers, and I will ensure that the RAMS board continues this important work.

Medical Student Representative

Emory University School of Medicine

Education: current M3 at Emory University School of Medicine. B.A. from Yale University (2016).

Qualifications and SAEM experience: Member of SAEM’s Education and Workforce Committees–currently working on multiple projects regarding recruitment of medical students into EM. Also collaborated on multiple didactics that have been submitted to SAEM’s 2024 conference. Currently serving as President of Emory’s Pediatric Emergency Medicine Interest Group and Vice President of Emory’s EMIG. Prior to entering medical school, I worked as a scribe for three years in both the Mt. Sinai and Ascension St. Thomas hospital systems as well as maintained my EMT-B certification.

Why I’m running:

If elected, I intend to advocate not only for my fellow trainees' interests, but to fight to preserve Emergency Medicine as a whole.

As a medical student intent on entering an EM residency in the near future, I’m very cognizant about recent discourse regarding the numerous changes to the emergency medicine workforce. Between the continued effects of COVID-19, increased burnout, mid level encroachment, and rapid residency expansion left unchecked, the future of emergency medicine faces significant obstacles. As trainees, I believe that the most important issue at hand today is advancing policies that will preserve the health of emergency medicine as a specialty for decades to come.

Now more than ever, there is a significant need for medical students and residents to take an active role in advocacy and leadership within Emergency Medicine. Serving on the RAMS committee as a medical student representative offers a phenomenal opportunity to advocate for the interests of future EM physicians as we seek to secure improved educational opportunities at every level of EM training as well as protect the health of the best medical specialty that exists. SAEM has a responsibility to its student and resident members, and I would use my role within RAMS to demand that the broader academic EM community address the issues that matter to us the most.

Medical Student Representative

Quinnipiac University

My name is Stephanie Balint, and I am an M3 at Quinnipiac University. Prior to medical school I developed a passion for EM on my journey as an EMT, National Guard Healthcare Specialist, ED RN, and then APRN. My clinical experience before medical school was in community centers. I always enjoyed the cohesive team, how we could anticipate one another’s needs, and feel supported. Working with SAEM and RAMS was my first experience working on research with ED physicians from academic centers and I found the cohesion and support was no different. In addition to supporting one another, I have found this role to be an amazing way to help connect students with projects, mentors, and committee work. I was able to contribute to didactics on the Post-Roe Landscape of EM, Management of APP’s in the ED, Moral Injury, work on research regarding workforce, contribute to 4 pulse articles among other things. However my favorite parts were the time I got to connect people to research if they did not have access or just had an interest. I truly believe that the people I have met along the way would still be supportive and mentors for new medical students even if I do not get elected again, but I would definitely be excited to continue this work with the official title.

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

University of Virginia Health Sciences Center

My educational background includes undergraduate and medical school studies at the University of Virginia, followed by emergency medicine residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. I then completed a one year clinical ultrasound fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University. Following this, I returned back to University of Virginia as a faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine. I have served on the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound Executive Committee within SAEM since 2020. This includes a 2 year term as Treasurer, 2020-2022, followed by a one year term as President-elect (2022-2023), one year as President (current), and one upcoming year as past-President (2024-2025). Notable roles I have held at the University of Virginia include associate residency director (2019-current), Director of Emergency Ultrasound (2019-current), Director of Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship (2019-current), departmental diversity facilitator (2017-2023), coding/billing liaison to the University Physicians Group (2021-current), School of Medicine Admissions member (2018-2021), and School of Medicine Curriculum Committee member (2021-current).

Contributing to SAEM through AEUS has been a highly instructive and rewarding component of my academic work. Over time, I’ve come to learn that our membership is quite often our greatest asset. When we have properly oriented ourselves to effectively harnessing members’ interests and talents, we have been able to develop quality content and programming for our Academy. It is with this sense that I hope to serve on the Bylaws Committee. Engaging with membership at all levels is critical for the health and vitality of SAEM and this extends to the Bylaws Committee as well. The October 2023 webinar focusing on the Bylaws Committee was a tangible example of demonstrating the scope of the committee to membership at large. My goal would be to find additional avenues for member communication and involvement within the scope of the Bylaws Committee’s work. This could include direct communication with SAEM members about our work, such as in submissions to the SAEM Pulse. This could also include updating members on our efforts and our determinations as we work through the SAEM bylaws and make recommendations to the SAEM board. As bylaws can often seem nebulous to the outsider, it would be interesting to create a quick guide for members to easily get a sense of what the key bylaws are and how they support SAEM’s work. One could also envision occasional ‘bylaw highlight’ communications to members, wherein we seek to highlight a particular bylaw’s scope and importance.

In addition to the above, I certainly appreciate that the Bylaws Committee is one that requires a critical eye and close attention to detail. This is work to be undertaken in a serious and scrutinizing fashion, as the wording and content of the bylaws will undoubtedly have ongoing effects on SAEM’s missions and functions. My goal would be to provide clarity and visibility of the SAEM bylaws, particularly those that might be subject to introduction or amendment. All potential impacts of a bylaw addition or amendment should be thoroughly considered. Ensuring clarity of communication of these impacts to the Board of Directors and other relevant parties would be an ongoing focus of these efforts. Through this work, I would hope to assist the committee in working through each individual bylaw to assess its history, current status, relevance, and appropriateness into the future. The objective would be to not rest on the assumption that the current bylaws are the correct ones into the future, but rather to assess each one for current applicability and long term viability.

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

Rush University Medical Center

As an educator, researcher, and long-standing active member of SAEM, I am honored to be considered for the SAEM Bylaws Committee. Over the past decade, my commitment to SAEM has been evident through my involvement in various committees, including the Program Committee, Research Committee, Abstracts Subcommittee, Faculty Development Committee, and Digital Innovation Task Force. I am also a regular contributor to the annual SAEM Strategic Planning sessions. I have served as Chair of the Education Summit, an annual education-focused conference within the Scientific Assembly, and currently serve as the Director of Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation for the SAEM Advanced Research Methodology, Evaluation and Design in Medical Education (ARMED MedEd) program. Based upon these efforts, I was honored to receive the SAEM Program Committee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advance the Specialty of Academic Emergency Medicine.

My commitment extends beyond SAEM, where I have held national leadership positions in AAEM, ACEP, CORD, ICEP, and SCUF. These roles have provided me with a detailed understanding of organizational bylaws and their pivotal role. As the ACEP EUS section chair, I successfully led the revision of several key policies, including the ultrasound use and transesophageal echocardiography policy statements. Serving as the Publication Committee Chair for the CDC-funded INSPIRE program, I collaborated with a geographically-dispersed group to develop robust guidelines and charters guiding collaborative publications and design.

 If selected for the Bylaws Committee, I will leverage this experience and my robust network to provide thorough and thoughtful recommendations to the Board. I will focus on improving collaboration across groups and ensuring the delivery of excellent, evidence-based, and equitable care to the communities we serve. I am excited about the prospect of contributing my skills and insights to the Bylaws Committee and look forward to the opportunity to play a meaningful role in advancing the mission of SAEM. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

As professor and chair of the Department of EM at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, I have continued to be an active member of SAEM and AACEM. Over the last 3 decades, I have served in a variety of roles including the Governmental Affairs Committee, External Collaboration Committee (Chair), Finance Committee, Foundation Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Evidenced Based Healthcare and Implementation Interest Group. Having recently completed 5 years of service on the AACEM Executive Committee which included one year as President, I understand the critical importance of organizational bylaws. It was pointed out by one of my fellow Executive Committee members that I have an eye for detail which is critical when reviewing bylaws for proposed changes.

Resident Member

Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit

Emergency Medicine has always been my calling – four years as a special operations soldier, five as a street paramedic and now my fourth year of residency – I knew I wanted to do EM and continue operating on the frontlines of medicine even before starting undergrad. As such, it has been my pleasure to serve as President of the RAMS Board. Prior to that, I spent three years as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large. My involvement has enabled participation in a multitude of projects from starting an online residency fair in response to COVID travel restrictions to advocating for better understanding of and guidelines for Advance Practice Providers in Academic Emergency Departments. As Board President, I have focused on improving the efficiency and efficacy of a maturing board; specifically on professionalizing the efforts of the Board with focus on measures to increase the boards potential success in their selected efforts via increased use of online voting, task forces and dedicated agenda setting. This has freed up board members times to enable them to better focus on their respective interests.


However, the challenges facing the specialty continue to grow: an uncertain future job market, unchecked growth of residency training slots, prolonged boarding, diminishing psychiatric resources and continued mid-level encroachment. All factors which certainly contributed to the precipitous drop in EM applicants over the past few years. Yet, these challenges are not insurmountable. I am running for Resident Member to the SAEM Board because I believe we need to do more in the face of these challenges. My prior experience as a leader of RAMS will allow me to effectively voice Resident and Medical Student concerns to the SAEM Board and advocate for my constituents. With the avalanche of challenges facing the profession, I think it more important than ever that the elected leaders of SAEM focus their efforts on meeting the needs of its members with strategic efforts and goal driven advocacy.


As the Resident Member to the SAEM Board, I believe you occupy a crucial position to advise the SAEM Board on RAMS Members' concerns. My years of experience on the RAMS Board enables me to bring a seasoned and experienced voice to speak for Residents and Medical Students to the SAEM Board. I will ensure our RAMS Members have a spot at the table where decisions regarding their future are being made and ensure solutions incorporate our input. I will continue to advocate for limits on mid-level encroachment, stricter guidelines on residency program growth and against the further corporatization of medicine. Most important, I will ensure SAEM continues to meet its RAMS members where they are – providing resources, opportunities and advocacy in line with our members’ needs.

Resident Member

Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's

Member-at-Large

Wayne State University School of Medicine

I have been active within SAEM since 2008, serving on the SAEM Awards, By-Laws, Grants, Program, and Research Committees. For the last three years, I have served as Chair of the Research Committee and a member of the SAEM Bylaws Committee. The overarching theme of my work with SAEM has been to seek out novel ways to combine research and teaching. Within the Research Committee, I led the development of the inaugural Advanced Research Methodology, Evaluation and Design (ARMED) course, grew the Research Learning Series (RLS) from an abandoned concept into a monthly webinar series, prioritized the development of ARMED MedEd, led efforts to improve communication with federal funding agencies, formed initiatives to promote female and URiM EM researchers, and advocated for improved access to federal funding for acute care and medical education research. As Chair of the Bylaws Committee, I have learned to balance respect for our legacy and rich history as an organization representing academic EM physicians with the need to periodically review our mission as a modern organization. Since SAEM’s birth in 1989, we have grown and developed into a mature organization with different needs and priorities than our founders could have anticipated. Board members are charged with guiding the continued evolution of SAEM to ensure that our organization remains relevant in the modern world and continues to address the needs of our current members without losing sight of our mission to advance academic EM. If elected to the Board of Directors, I will continue to seek out novel ways to bring researchers and educators together. I will advocate for unity and collaboration within our organization, recognizing that each member of SAEM brings something valuable to our organization.

My educational background is fairly straightforward. I received my MD (2004) and MBA (2005) degrees from the University of Cincinnati, and completed EM residency at Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, Michigan). Since completing residency, I have worked clinically in the EDs at Detroit Receiving Hospital (DRH) and Sinai-Grace Hospital (SGH). I am currently an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine and DRH Director of Clinical Research. I recently completed a five-year term as Chair of the WSU MP2 Institutional Review Board (IRB), and am an active clinical researcher. I believe that my experiences in business administration, regulatory policy, and research administration will make me a well-rounded and valuable member of the Board.

If elected, I will continue to advocate for those who don’t yet feel represented within our SAEM membership and the broader EM community. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given to serve SAEM, and feel that these experiences have helped me to develop the confidence and competency that I needed as a clinician, scholar, and leader. But not everyone has had the same opportunities that I have had. As a Board member, I would work towards improving that situation by helping to create new leadership opportunities for individuals from a broad range of backgrounds, including those currently under-represented within our organization’s leadership, and empowering them to lead in their own way. SAEM has many incredible, talented and valuable members who currently feel marginalized or excluded from realizing their true potential within SAEM. As a member of the Board, I would prioritize finding and engaging those who want to help but have not yet been given the chance.

Member-at-Large

University of Cincinnati

Ryan LaFollette, MD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. LaFollette graduated from UC’s Emergency Medicine Residency where he served as a Chief Resident in 2016 and upon graduation became an Assistant Program Director, a title he currently holds. He also serves as a flight physician and a physician member of the Cincinnati SWAT team.

Dr. LaFollette functions as the current SAEM Program Committee Chair, leading the society’s most attended meeting ever in Austin, TX at SAEM23 and is excited about continuing a record setting year at SAEM24 in Phoenix, AZ. He has served a number of roles in the Program Committee, including Chairing the Medical Student Ambassadors where he helped to double our medical student presence at the Annual Meeting. He has also led Didactics from 2018-2022, revamping the grading and selection process while significantly increasing the number of didactic offerings. Additionally, he served as Virtual Presence Committee Chair from 2018-2021, during which the SAEM livestreams contributed hundreds of hours of free SAEM content and oversaw the expansion of the SAEM podcasts and new website creation. He has also been a member of the Awards and Education Committee, creating the FOAMed Excellence in Education Award which was first given out in 2019.

Dr. LaFollette’s academic interests include resident education and knowledge translation, being a leader of the Education Leadership Academy at UC. He serves on the UC GME Executive Committee at the University of Cincinnati, on the Executive Board of the UC Emergency Medicine Program Of Women in LeadERship (EMPOWER) and as an Editor-in-Chief of TamingtheSRU.com. He has won both the Faculty of the Year (2019) and Mentor of the Year (2023) awards. If elected to the board, he would look to forward the technological advances that connect our diverse society and create next-generation resources to curate the vast SAEM resources and knowledge base into career-furthering deliverables.

Associate Professor & Clerkship Director

Baylor College of Medicine

Navdeep Sekhon, MD, is an Associate Professor and Clerkship Director (EM Clerkship) at the Baylor College of Medicine Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine. Sekhon did medical school at the University of California at San Diego and residency at East Carolina University. He has been advising medical students interested in emergency medicine since 2016. Sekhon is currently a Member-at-Large for the Executive Committee of Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM).

Member-at-Large

University of Michigan

My name is Joseph House. I am currently a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical School. I completed medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine and Emergency Medicine Residency at East Carolina University/Brody School of Medicine in North Carolina. After residency, I completed fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at University of Michigan. After fellowship I joined the faculty at University of Michigan splitting my clinical time between the Adult and Children's Emergency Departments. During my time at Michigan I have held several academic roles. I have been the Director of Medical Student Education for the last 12 years. I have also served as Director of Interprofessional Education for the UM Medical School, creating longitudinal IPE experiences during each year of medical school. I also created several courses and opportunities for medical students to work with and learn from faculty and students from numerous Health Science Schools on campus. In addition, I served as Assistant Program Director for a few years before refocusing my academic efforts solely on medical students helping to navigate their role during and after COVID.

I have been an active member on the CDEM Executive since 2019 serving as treasurer and secretary and currently serve as the President of CDEM. I have also been active on the SAEM Workforce Committee and CORD Match Taskforce as we have looked at contributors to the recent decrease in applicants to Emergency Medicine. I am also a member of the Aliiance of Clinical Educators which brings together educators across specialties.

I am running for SAEM Board as I believe my experience on many committees and in many leadership positions brings a unique perspective to SAEM. I have seen the impact of many outside forces on EM from the medical student, resident, and faculty point of view and I think SAEM is in a position to help shape what EM will look like for years to come.

Secretary-Treasurer

Stanford University

It is an exciting and transformative time within our specialty with both challenges and opportunities related to our workforce, researcher pipeline, medical education, and practice across acute care medicine. In this era, thoughtful and empathic leadership is necessary. As a long-standing leader in the Society, I have led multiple successful initiatives, and am running for the office of Secretary-Treasurer to continue to effectively engage and support members while advancing the mission of the Society and our specialty.

I am Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University. I received a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and began my career as a social worker on the midnight shift in the Emergency Department where my interest in our specialty flourished. I subsequently obtained a Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine, graduating with distinction in biomedical research. I completed residency training at the Denver Health Medical Center, serving as chief resident during my final year of training. Following residency, I completed a research fellowship and served as academic faculty at the Denver Health Medical Center. I am a health services researcher with a history of grant support from the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Over the course of my career, I have been an active contributor to the Society beginning during residency and extending throughout my time as faculty, including my current service as Member-at-Large on the Board of Directors over the past four years. As a resident, I served as an active member of several committees, the Inaugural Chair of the Resident and Student Advisory Committee (which subsequently became Resident and Medical Students [RAMS]), and as Resident Member of the Board of Directors. As a faculty member, I have had the privilege of serving in many leadership roles in the Society, having led numerous committees and task forces and contributed to multiple annual SAEM strategic planning sessions. Highlights of my contributions to the Society include ten years of dedicated service on the SAEM Program Committee (PC), including two years as SAEM PC Chair, during which I led notable innovations such as: creation of novel program officer events, increased plenary abstracts; creation of the education keynote; expanded pediatric offerings; support for increased lactation areas and onsite childcare; and increased networking events. Because of these successful innovations, during my PC leadership there was a record number of abstract and didactic submissions. In addition, I have been an active member of the ACEP-SAEM Federal Research Funding Workgroup, Research Committee, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Wellness Committee, Awards Committee, Graduate Medical Education Committee, AWAEM, and ADIEM. I serve as a member of the Editorial Board for Academic Emergency Medicine. I was elected to the Nominating Committee 2015–2017 and have been invited to serve on or lead task forces to improve the SAEM Consensus Conference, Academic Emergency Medicine, and SAEM Leadership Forum. Through these excellent experiences and multiple leadership roles, I came to understand the essential role of the Society in improving our delivery of care to patients through education, innovation, and research. Moreover, I came to fully appreciate the benefits of the collaborative relationships developed through the Society which foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas that help improve patient care.

My goals for advancing members and the Society are multifaceted. The first goal would be to advocate for increased high-quality education, networking, and faculty development for all members to facilitate the leadership skills necessary to advance our specialty. The second goal would be to increase mentorship and collaborative research opportunities for investigators with the intent of increasing competitive, successful applications for federal research grants. As part of this process, I would continue to promote increased participation by emergency care investigators in federal study sections, advocate for expanded research training opportunities (R38, T32, K12), and encourage medical scientist training programs as a venue to help streamline clinical and research training and increase PhD-level emergency care investigators. Third, I would continue to encourage active participation by junior faculty and residents within the Society so they may benefit from the Society’s valuable resources as they become the future leaders in our specialty. Early mentorship through the Society is vital for the development of these future academicians who will carry forth the Society’s mission. Fourth, I would continue to promote inclusiveness in the Society’s endeavors, products, and leaders. The goal will be to engage all academicians in the Society in a meaningful way to encourage the novel innovation and discovery that results from diverse perspectives, thereby strengthening our specialty. Finally, I would work to continue to strengthen our relationships with other emergency medicine organizations as collegiality and collaboration is key to our specialty’s success. 

In summary, the Society has played an integral role in my development as an academician. As Secretary-Treasurer, I would encourage and foster opportunities for this same development for others so they may also benefit from the Society’s rich resources. My overall goal would be to strengthen the role of the Society as an influential leader in providing and advocating for emergency care research, education, and grants. I fully appreciate the many outstanding opportunities afforded by the Society, and it would be an honor to serve as Secretary-Treasurer.

President-Elect

Emory University

As SAEM continues to grow and evolve, my involvement in various capacities within the organization provides valuable insights and a deep understanding of its inner workings. In alignment with SAEM's mission promoting high-quality research and educational innovation in emergency care, my aspiration to facilitate increased member engagement is crucial for advancing the field and promoting positive change within academic Emergency Medicine. My continued dedication to SAEM and desire to serve as its President is a testament to my commitment to the organization and its mission. My extensive experience as a Member-At-Large on the Board of Directors, along with my current role as Secretary/Treasurer, positions me as a highly qualified candidate to take on the role of President. Continuing my work on the executive committee as President is a natural next step in my journey to advance SAEM and academic Emergency Medicine as a whole.

Within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, I have made significant professional impact. Through my leadership and involvement in various committees, task forces, and academies I have contributed to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the specialty, as well as the promotion of scientific discovery, education, and professional development. My service as the Inaugural Chair of the All Emergency Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, as well as my past role as the board representative to the Industry Advisory Council, underscores my commitment to fostering collaboration and driving positive change in the field. My leadership within the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) and recognition through awards such as the AWAEM Momentum Award and Outstanding Research Publication Award further highlight my dedication to advancing the role of women in academic emergency medicine. Moreover, my involvement with the Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine and the SAEM Research Equity Task Force Equity demonstrates my commitment to promoting inclusivity and addressing disparities within the field. I have significantly contributed to the organization’s mission and vision, through participation in various SAEM committees, including the Education Committee, Wellness Committee, and Equity and Inclusion Committee. My dedication to SAEM and my opportunities for leadership within the organization has made a meaningful impact on my professional development and the organization.

My background and experience as a Professor, Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, former Associate Residency Director and Medical Education Fellowship Director in Emergency Medicine at Emory University demonstrates my deep commitment to academic emergency medicine. The emphasis on fostering increased inclusion, bridging the generational gap, and addressing the evolving needs of the EM workforce reflects a forward-thinking approach to leadership in the field. I recognize the importance of thoughtful and deliberate leadership in academia, especially in the context of the ever-changing landscape of emergency medicine. Pushing the envelope of innovation, education, research, and scholarship is crucial to advance the specialty and meet the challenges and opportunities it presents.

My passion and experience position me well to contribute to the continued growth and success of SAEM. Through collaborative leadership and a long-standing commitment to the organization, I am well suited for the role of President. It would be my privilege to continue serving on the Executive Committee of the SAEM Board of Directors as President. In this role, it would be my honor to lead our members in making a significant impact on the field of emergency medicine.

AAAEM Member-at-Large Candidate

Medical College of Wisconsin

It is my honor to be considered to serve on the AAAEM Executive Committee as member-at-large. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my career so far to be part of this group and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting my colleagues, learning as part of the CAEMA program, and serving on both the benchmark and the education committees over the last few months. I believe my combination of education (MBA), healthcare industry experience ( and leadership experience (12 years, 10 of which in management roles) have equipped me well to serve this great organization as we continue to grow and expand. I hope to be able to bring useful outside perspective as I am new to Emergency Medicine, but have worked in the department of medicine and especially in internal medicine prior to joining emergency medicine. My goal would be to help further the goals of the board and especially continue to engage current and future members. I would hope to engage organizations that are not currently members, showcasing the benefits of membership as I have experienced them. Thank you for your consideration.

AAAEM Member-at-Large Candidate

Jefferson Einstein Hospital

I am currently the Administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Einstein Hospitals (JEH), a safety net hospital, now part of Jefferson Health System providing a leadership role in alignment of health services operations and processes across all sites, outreach, financial oversight, strategic planning, research, program development and clinical service delivery. Additional core responsibilities extend to support for the department divisions to include emergency medical services, informatics, ultrasound sonography, toxicology services, clinical research studies, and medical education programs. Revenue cycle management has been another key area of focus building a collaborative infrastructure to provide direction in support of billing education and high-quality clinical documentation. I explore opportunities for partner relationships, oversee grants and contracts to ensure timely completion of promised deliverables and communication with funders. Most interesting has been civic engagement and the opportunity to work with Vot-ER, a nonpartisan organization that works to bring voter registration into health care settings with the goal of giving patients a voice in the policies that directly impact them. Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia was an early adopter as a model site for registering underrepresented patients through the emergency department. I have held positions in diverse healthcare environments involving varied disciplines. Among my significant accomplishments are implementing monitoring systems and processes to optimize operational and financial performance and collaborative strategies to enhance the delivery of patient centered care; organizational initiatives employing population health management as a key strategy to enhance patient centered care delivery, control cost of care, and impact health outcomes; and identified care transition coordination opportunities to improve patient care and services between hospitals and community service providers to improve quality of care. Driving innovative health solutions for underserved populations has also involved supporting community health opioid use disorder programs and trauma intervention services. I earned a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. I have been an active member of AAAEM for the past six years benefiting greatly from participation at the annual retreats, utilizing data from the benchmark surveys, and serving on the IDEA Committee. These activities have promoted my professional growth and have allowed me to make positive contributions in the decision-making process at my institution on various projects. This past year as a Member-at -Large of the Executive Committee (EC), I had the opportunity to participate in leadership and strategic initiatives of the Academy. Serving a second year will be even more valuable. I am more prepared and equipped to participate to a higher degree having gained experience in setting priorities that align with the Academy mission in maintaining a community forum for dissemination of information and exchange of ideas among administrators within emergency medicine academic programs. I would be honored to serve another year in EC leadership fulfilling the Academy mission and contributing to the success of committee and project related activities.

AAAEM Secretary Candidate

University of Florida, Gainesville

I am honored to submit my nomination for consideration as a valuable member of the executive committee. With over 15 years of distinguished leadership experience in academic and community healthcare, particularly in emergency medicine administration, I bring a wealth of expertise to the table. Holding a Master of Business Administration and an Academic Emergency Medicine Administration Certification, I have successfully served as the Executive Administrator/Vice Chair for Administrative Affairs, playing a pivotal role as the foremost non-faculty executive in our department. In this capacity, I have reported directly to the department Chair and collaborated closely with a diverse range of stakeholders, including the Chair, Executive Vice Chair (EVC), and Vice Chairs (VCs). My core mission revolves around the development and execution of strategic initiatives aimed at advancing our department's clinical, education, and research missions. This multifaceted task requires a deep commitment of time and effort, as I actively engage with leaders from the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM), the College of Medicine (COM), and UF Health Shands to expand and enhance the delivery of emergency services. I have played a central role in ensuring the financial and operational integrity of the Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM). Through prudent stewardship of institutional resources, proactive recruitment of a professional senior management team, and implementation of rigorous budget controls, I have effectively managed financial resources to support our missions and meet fiscal targets. Currently serving as the Chair of the AAAEM Education Committee, I have impacted emergency medicine administration through the establishment of educational webinars and moderation of national retreat sessions. These initiatives reflect my commitment to fostering a knowledgeable and collaborative community within AAAEM. My prior role as Chair of the AAAEM Communication Committee further demonstrates my dedication to improving communication and engagement strategies. Beyond AAAEM, my four-year tenure as the Assistant Program Director for the Administrative Fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville highlights my commitment to developing emerging professionals in healthcare leadership. Notably, my visionary decision to outsource coding services for emergency services professional billing resulted in a 30% increase in patient collections year-over-year, showcasing my strategic thinking and positive impact on the institution's financial health. This achievement, coupled with collaboration with key stakeholders, highlights my ability to drive positive change in complex academic medical centers. Furthermore, my role involves developing comprehensive business plans and program/practice development strategies, serving as the roadmap to guide our department towards achieving its goals. These efforts collectively represent my dedication to driving our department's success, not only in financial and operational terms but also in its overall performance. I am committed to advancing healthcare services, maintaining financial stability, and excelling in our multifaceted mission to improve patient care, education, and research in the field of emergency medicine. In summary, my multifaceted roles as a leader in AAAEM, mentor in academic medicine, and innovator in healthcare leadership make me an ideal candidate to serve our members on the executive committee. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience to further the committee's objectives and advance the goals of our organization.

AAAEM Secretary Candidate

Mass General Brigham

I currently serve as the Vice President of Enterprise Emergency Medicine for the Mass General Brigham health system in Boston, MA, where we are building an integrated enterprise emergency medicine service comprised of 2 academic medical center EDs, 7 community hospital EDs, and 1 specialty hospital ED. I hold an MBA from Boston College (’15) and am a graduate of the AAAEM CAEMA program (’21). For the past year, I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege to serve the AAAEM as a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee, a member of the Finance Committee, a member of the Benchmark Committee, and for the past two years, as Vice Chair of the Education Committee. I’m proud of the work that we’ve done on these teams, and I am excited at the opportunities we have ahead of us as a specialty and as an academy. The AAAEM stands out among the various healthcare administration industry groups for its track record of providing relevant and actionable data, educational and professional development opportunities, and most importantly, a sense of community and camaraderie. It would be an honor to continue to serve our membership and build upon this strong foundation. Thank you for considering me for this opportunity. This is a challenging time for our specialty, and I want to do my best to ensure our members continue to have access to any and all resources to support their departments to the best of their abilities.

Clinical Assistant Professor/Associate Director

Stanford University

Maryam Makowski, PhD, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Associate Director of Scholarship and Health Promotion of the Stanford Medicine WellMD & WellPhD.  

Dr. Makowski is a nutrition scientist, a physician well-being expert, and a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach. The focus of her nutrition research is examining the effects of micro- and macro-nutrients, meal composition, and timing on cognitive function, mood, mental sharpness, and eating behaviors of professionals with high cognitive and physical demands. As a physician coach, Maryam uses evidence-based strategies to empower her physician clients in optimizing their well-being, self-compassion, energy, focus, and mental sharpness for peak performance. 

Maryam completed her master's and doctoral studies in clinical nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, and medical science at the University of Toronto in Canada. Prior to joining Stanford, she served as a scientific associate at Toronto General Hospital-University Health Network in Toronto, and as an advisor to Air Canada rouge pilots and cabin crew on optimal nutrition for fatigue mitigation. Over the course of her career, she has authored highly cited scientific papers on nutrition and well-being.