Rahul Sharma, MD, MBA

Member-at-Large

New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center

I serve as the Barbara and Stephen Friedman Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine. I oversee the operational and administrative activities of four NYP-Weill Cornell EDs (Brooklyn, Queens, Weill Cornell, Lower Manhattan), which see approximately 400,000 patient visits per year and which host three separate ACGME EM Residency programs.  I also serve as the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Virtual Care at Weill Cornell Medicine, Chief of EMS for the NYP Enterprise,  Chair of the Finance Committee for the Weill Cornell Medicine Physician Organization and serve on the Board of Fellows for Weill Cornell Medicine. Additionally, I was the past president of the New York Presbyterian Hospital Medical Board. Prior to becoming Chair, I was Chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and led its promotion to full departmental status in 2018. I have been a longstanding member of SAEM and have actively participated in AACEM since becoming Chief in 2016.  Most recently, I served as a member of the AACEM Leader Development Workgroup where I contributed to the development of the Emerging Leader Development program (eLEAD) offered by AACEM. I have received two national teaching awards from ACEP and EMRA, the Modern Healthcare Top 25 Innovator in the Healthcare Industry Award, and the ACEP National Innovative Change in Practice Management Award. I am also an elected life member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

My academic and research interests focus on the development and use of technological innovation to improve the quality of emergency care and its delivery.  Accordingly, I have   launched several ED based digital health platforms that transformed healthcare delivery, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.  I believe we can advance our specialty by becoming leaders in providing emergency care outside of the hospital environment by utilizing technology, including telemedicine, remote patient monitoring and artificial intelligence. Emergency Medicine providers are uniquely positioned to do this and to also advance the research and education opportunities within this care delivery model. I also founded the Center for Virtual Care at Weill Cornell Medicine in 2019.  The mission of the Center is to transform healthcare delivery through telemedicine, with a focus on patient quality and outcomes. It provides robust training and simulation to all clinicians active in the virtual care space, including all GME trainees across the New York Presbyterian Hospital enterprise and other hospital systems. I also developed our annual Virtual Healthcare Conference and Research Forum, one of the first telemedicine research forums established in the nation.  

I believe wellness is a priority, particularly in light of the challenges faced by our specialty. Our physician led wellness program has been recognized nationally, including at the National Academy of Medicine and, most recently, at the 2023 SAEM Annual Meeting. I also co-chair the Weill Cornell Medicine Physician Organization Physician Wellness Workgroup which is tasked with providing  impactful recommendations to senior leadership at our institution.  Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts have had similar success with investment in opportunities for faculty, residents and students and the establishment of our diversifiED committee. Furthermore, we have devoted a significant part of our research in both global health and telemedicine to the study of health disparities that plague women and underrepresented groups.  I would hope to build on the significant progress AACEM has achieved in the areas of wellness and DEI. 

My work with AACEM and my interactions with my Chair colleagues have been instrumental in my growth as a chair. It is an invaluable resource and network which provides countless opportunities to collaborate with my chair colleagues, participate in national dialogues, and offer and engage in mentorship. It has also helped me to further realize my goals in education and research. 

It would be an honor to serve on the AACEM Executive Committee and I believe, if given the opportunity, I would make immediate and meaningful contributions to this esteemed group. I would enthusiastically bring my experience and expertise in academic Emergency Medicine to AACEM and, if elected, I will support and work with other members of the Executive Committee and the organization to launch initiatives focused on the recruitment, development, and retention of faculty, residents and medical students. I will also work to strengthen our national network and to develop a pipeline of future emergency care researchers and academic and clinical faculty.