Empowering Women in Emergency Medicine Leadership (AWAEM-Sponsored)

We will begin by discussing women's unique career paths in EM, followed by a personal timeline activity where participants will identify pivotal personal and professional moments and consider barriers to advancement. Small groups will then form based on skill needs: (1) Clear communication, (2) Leading in high-pressure situations and conflict resolution (3) Operations, (4) Negotiation and delegation. Groups will be solution-focused and moderated, with AI tools used strategically. Key lessons will be shared at the end.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this session, participants should be able to:
  • Develop the ability to communicate with direct language and how to leverage AI to refine communications
  • Lead in high-pressure situations, manage conflicts, and improve their ability to delegate within a team
  • Gain foundational knowledge of key operational and financial concepts for ED management and direction
  • Enhance negotiation skills, including shadow negotiation and overcoming traditional disadvantages

Presenters:

  • Kinjal Nanavati Sethuraman, MD, MPH
  • Laura E. Walker, MD, MBA
  • Ynhi Thomas, MD
  • Neha P. Raukar, MD, MS
  • Sharon Chekijian, MD, MPH
  • Nikki M. Binz, MD
  • Penelope C. Lema, MD (she/her/hers)
  • Judith A. Linden, MD
  • Hannah M. Mishkin, MD MS
  • Melissa Platt, MD
  • Wendy W. Sun, MD
  • Sandy L. Werner, MD, FAEMUS
Authors

  • Kinjal Nanavati Sethuraman, MD, MPH

    University of Maryland

    Dr. Sethuraman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland and serves as the medical director of Hyperbaric and Dive Medicine at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. After completing her residency at Boston Medical Center and her fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, she has accumulated 24 years of experience in emergency medicine, spanning both academic and community settings. She currently leads one of the busiest 24/7 emergency-capable hyperbaric chambers in the United States.

    Dr. Sethuraman has been deeply involved with the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), serving on its board for ten years and as a past president. She continues to actively contribute to both AWAEM and the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) by serving on multiple committees and mentoring medical students, residents, and junior faculty.

    Her research focuses on gender equity within emergency medicine, particularly related to workforce dynamics, compensation disparities, and recognition gaps. Additionally, Dr. Sethuraman is the site Principal Investigator for the Hyperbaric Oxygen Brain Injury Trial (HOBIT) and leads one of the highest enrolling sites for the study. She is also a clinical collaborator for studies investigating the role of oxygen in microparticle expression.

    Dr. Sethuraman remains committed to advancing emergency and hyperbaric medicine while supporting the growth and success of the next generation of emergency physicians.

  • Laura E. Walker, MD, MBA

    Mayo Clinic

    Dr. Walker has served as ED director, quality chair and regional hospital practice chair and is currently the Vice Chair of Digital Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic. She has an academic focus on health systems improvement and care delivery and is actively engaged in exploring, implementing and understanding the effects of virtual care, AI and maching learning into the clinical space. She believes women belong at all leadership tables and is a passionate about supporting their equitable advancement.

  • Ynhi Thomas, MD, MPH, MSC

    Baylor College of Medicine

    Dr. Ynhi Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., M.Sc., is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and serves as the Assistant Medical Director of Operations Research at the Ben Taub Hospital Emergency Center. She also holds the role of Investigator in the Behavioral Health Program at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt). Drawing on her expertise in public health, mental health, and leadership in quality improvement, Dr. Thomas develops innovative interventions to enhance emergency care for patients experiencing mental health crises.

    Her contributions include the development of the Behavioral Health Sorting Tool, establishment of a multidisciplinary Crisis Intervention Team, and the formulation of data-driven guidelines for the use of physical restraints. Dr. Thomas's research, funded by federal and private entities, focuses on substance use disorders, suicide prevention, and the development of clinical decision support tools. She has served as principal or co-investigator on various projects, including an FDA-funded U01 study on kratom's human abuse potential and National Institutes of Health-funded initiatives on diagnostic accuracy.

    Dr. Thomas has received several accolades, including the 2025 American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology New Investigator Award, the 2024 Chao Physician-Scientist Award, and the 2023 Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine President's Momentum Award. An inductee of Alpha Omega Alpha and The XXXI Honor Society, she completed her medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, her M.P.H. at the University of Alabama School of Public Health, her M.Sc. in Medical Anthropology at Oxford University, and her Emergency Medicine residency and fellowship training in Leadership, Quality, and Administration at BCM. Dr. Thomas enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two school-aged sons.
  • mayo photo - Neha Raukar

    Neha P. Raukar, MD, MS

    Member-at-Large

    Mayo Clinic

    I obtained my undergraduate degree from Stevens Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in Physiology from NY Medical College, and my medical degree at Howard University. After three years of residency and a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital, I returned to the northeast where I was at Brown University. There I practiced both emergency and sports medicine, taught, and conducted research. After 12 years, I moved to the Mayo Clinic to work in the area of Geriatric Emergency Medicine and Faculty Development. During the pandemic, I completed a certificate program from The University of South Florida in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and am currently working on a certificate on The Business of Healthcare from Wharton.

    During the last four years while at the Mayo Clinic, I have continued research, funded mostly by foundation grants, that have modified the way athletes are managed on and off the field. I have continued educating residents, and expanding my teaching repertoire. Unsuccessful in my quest for federal funding, I am encouraged by programs such as those of the SAEM Foundation that support young investigators to become successful, federally funded, researchers.

    It is my hope that my educational background, prior board experience, experience in fundraising, decades of participation in various roles within SAEM, and enthusiasm to join and contribute to the SAEM Foundation Board make me an ideal candidate.

  • Sharon Chekijian, MD, MPH

    Yale School of Medicine

    Dr. Chekijian joined the Yale School of Medicine faculty in 2007 where she works full time as an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine. She is faculty member in the Section of Global Health and International Emergency Medicine as well as in the Section of Administration. She has served as the inaugural Medical Director of patient experience since 2011. She is also the Medical Director of the Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner group in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Chekijian is a seasoned educator and is the founding Medical Director of the APP residency program which admitted its 1st cohort in 2015. She completed the Yale Medical Education Fellowship in 2014.

    Her research interests lie in global emergency medicine and include emergency care systems' development in low and middle-income countries, unintentional injury prevention in low and middle-income countries, as well as stroke and cardiac care in low and middle-income countries. Dr. Chekijian has led and participated in projects in the Republic of Armenia, Uganda, and Iraq. She has consulted for the World Bank and the US Department of State. She is an active member of the Stroke Initiative Advisory Task-Force for Armenia (SIATA). Dr. Chekijian was awarded a Fulbright in 2020 for her work to improve emergency care in Armenia by the establishment of a new emergency medicine residency program in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health of Armenia and supported from a research standpoint by the School of Public Health at the American University of Armenia.

    She is deeply committed to patient experience, communication and humanism in medicine. Dr. Chekijian co-produced a film that addresses human rights as it relates to the Armenian Genocide of 1915 under the working title “The Hidden Map” that premiered at the Toronto Pomegranate Film Festival in 2019.

  • Nikki M. Binz, MD

    University of North Carolina

    Dr. Nikki Binz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC. She was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri but has called North Carolina home for over 20 years. She graduated with Honors from UNC Chapel Hill with a double major in Biology and Spanish and continued her medical education at the UNC School of Medicine. She then completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at UNC Hospitals. For these reasons, she proclaims herself a “Triple Tar Heel.” She has served as faculty in the medical school since 2011. She works clinically in the Emergency Department and teaches in graduate and undergraduate medical education. Since 2015, she has served as the Residency Program Director for Emergency Medicine, which graduates 12 residents annually. Within the Department of Emergency Medicine, she is also the Associate Chair for Academic Affairs and the Co-Director of Faculty Development. She is active within the national Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine and the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine. She is trained as a Certified Professional Coach and coaches internally within her department. She has received awards from the UNC Academy Educators including the Educational Research Mentor Award and the Medical Student Advisor Award. She is currently recognized with a UNC Medical Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professorship, a 4-year program to honor and support UNC School of Medicine mid-career faculty who have demonstrated a track record of sustained leadership in teaching medical students as well as educational innovation. In April 2023, she became UNC’s first Associate DIO with GME.

    At home, she is married with 10yr old identical twin boys and 2 bonus kids. She enjoys being outdoors at the beach or in the mountains with her Vizsla pup named Tilli.

  • Penelope C. Lema, MD, FPD-AEMUS

    Columbia University Department of Emergency Medicine

    Dr. Penelope (Penny) Lema is the Vice Chair of Faculty Affairs and an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her Emergency Medicine Residency and Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship at Northshore University Hospital at Manhasset (now Northwell), where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Lema has been a nationally recognized leader in Emergency Medicine and within Emergency Ultrasound. She is the past Chair of the ACEP Emergency Ultrasound Section, past Treasurer and Board of Director of SCUF, and current Secretary-Treasurer and member of the Board of the NY Chapter of ACEP. She is an active member of SAEM AEUS and AWAEM. Dr. Lema is a passionate educator and advocate for Emergency Medicine, dedicated to inclusion and equity in medicine and faculty professional development.

  • Judith Linden, MD

    Boston Medical Center

    Judith Linden, MD is executive Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Professor of Emergency Medicine at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. She has devoted her career to identifying, documenting and addressing inequities in Emergency Medicine leadership and salary for women and minoritized faculty. She has researched and published on the topic. She is passionate about mentoring and sponsoring women and URiM for leadership training and positions. She believes that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our faculty, trainees and staff is crucial for creating a vibrant community where all feel welcome and empowered to contribute to our mission.
    She is active in the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine and key SAEM committees devoted to increasing diversity and belonging in Emergency Medicine.

  • Hannah M. Mishkin, MD, MS

    Drexel University College of Medicine/ Reading Hospital-Tower Health

    Dr. Mishkin is the Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director at Reading Hospital-Tower Health in West Reading, Pennsylvania, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Drexel College of Medicine. With a keen focus on medical education, Women in Medicine, Wellness, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she brings a wealth of expertise to her roles. Previously, Dr. Mishkin serves on the Pennsylvania ACEP (PACPE) Board of Directors, chaired the Wellness Committee and served as a Pennsylvania deleegate at ACEPs Council. She is an active member of AWAEM's Leadership Committee and the Women in Medicine and Sciences Committee at Drexel University.

    Dr. Mishkin holds a Master’s of Science in Developmental Biology and earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in 2005. After completing her Emergency Medicine Residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, she gained valuable experience working in the community while raising a young family. Dr. Mishkin later transitioned back to academic medicine, playing a pivotal role in developing Reading Hospital's new 3-year ACGME accredited Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Since 2019, she has served as the Program Director, overseeing its growth and success.

    Residing in West Chester, PA, with her husband, three boys, and two dogs, Dr. Mishkin enjoys various activities in her free time, including reading, traveling, hiking, biking, HIIT, yoga, and experimenting with new recipes.

  • Melissa Platt, MD

    University of Louisville

    Melissa Platt, M.D. is a Professor in the University of Louisville Department of Emergency Medicine and the Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education for the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She has been a core faculty member for 19 years with areas of expertise including health law, heat illness, and women's health. She firmly believes in education and organized involvement to influence positive change in health care.

  • Wendy W. Sun, MD

    Yale University School of Medicine

    Dr. Wendy W. Sun is an Administration Fellow and Instructor of Emergency Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. She is passionate about patient quality and safety, physician wellness, and health innovation. Having served as a past President of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Residents and Medical Students (SAEM RAMS) and the Resident Member on the SAEM Board of Directors, she continues to be invested in the advancement of Emergency Medicine through research, mentorship, education, and advocacy.

    Dr. Sun earned her undergraduate degree at Columbia University in Biomedical Engineering. She subsequently obtained her Doctor of Medicine from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine where she was inducted into the Gold Humanism and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Societies. Most recently, she completed Emergency Medicine residency at Yale - New Haven Health where she served as Chief Resident. She continues to further her education as a candidate of the MBA for Executives at the Yale School of Management. A Canadian from Toronto, she now resides in New Haven.

  • Sandy L. Werner, MD, FAEMUS

    MetroHealth Medical Center

    Current positions/appointments
    Vice Chair and Ultrasound Fellowship Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, MetroHealth Medical Center
    Professor of Emergency Medicine, Case Western Reserve University

    Background Information
    I graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 2000 and completed my emergency medicine residency and ultrasound fellowship at MetroHealth Medical Center/CCF/CWRU in 2004. My academic interests are ultrasound, resident education, and faculty development/leadership .I am currently on the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Council. I have published EM ultrasound manuscripts in the major EM journals, spoken at regional and national conferences on topics related to ultrasound, education, faculty development and leadership skills. I recently completed coaching certificate training and have extensive experience in administrative leadership positions, including Medical Staff President and Chair of the Medical Executive Committee.

    I previously served as the editor for Tintinalli’s AccessEM To the Point: Clinical Reviews, and as a peer reviewer for Annals of Emergency Medicine and Pediatric EM Reports. I was recently appointed as a member of the Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship Accreditation Counsil, and am currently on the SAEM Faculty Development Committee and a member of AWAEM's Administrative Leadership Group

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