Key Strategies for New Leaders: Addressing Challenges Faced by Women in Leadership (AWAEM- and Faculty Development Committee-Sponsored)
This session focuses on supporting the development of women leaders in emergency medicine, drawing from Dr. Cheri Hobgood's 2022 article, "Barriers, Challenges, and Solutions: What Can We Learn about Leadership in Academic Medicine from a Qualitative Study of Emergency Medicine Women Chairs." In her research, Dr. Hobgood identified key challenges faced by women in leadership roles, such as departmental culture, succession planning, and isolation. Through case studies and an expert panel, attendees will learn strategies to overcome these barriers, including fostering supportive institutional cultures and navigating leadership challenges. Panelists will share their personal journeys, discuss essential leadership skills, and emphasize the value of mentorship. Participants will leave with actionable insights to support women’s leadership development in emergency medicine.
Learning Objectives:
- Compare and contrast counseling and coaching as strategies to improve departmental culture.
- Describe approaches to succession planning including delegated authority and interim leadership.
- Discuss the changes to relationships with colleagues that new leaders face when they take on administrative roles.
- Develop a supportive network of SAEM members to promote ongoing mentorship and collaboration.
Presenters:
- Leigh A. Patterson, MD
- Luan Lawson, MD, MAEd
- Mary E. Tanski, MD, MBA
- Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA
- Deborah B. Diercks, MD, MSc, MBA
- Linda L. Brown, MD, MSCE
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Leigh A. Patterson, MD, MAED
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
Dr. Leigh Patterson in the Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine and the Chief of Emergency Service Line for the ECU Health System. Dr. Patterson completed her residency at Louisiana State University in New Orleans and her fellowship in EM Ultrasound at Drexel College of Medicine. She completed her MAEd with a focus in Adult Education at East Carolina University and served as the Residency Director for Emergency Medicine.. She has worked in UME as a course director and as Chair of the Brody Executive Curriculum Committee. Following her time as Residency Director, Dr. Patterson served as the Associate Dean for Faculty Development. In this role, she also served as an Interim Chair for the Department of Pathology at ECU. She regularly mentors faculty on career planning and developing teaching skills. Dr. Patterson continues to enjoy a busy shift in the ED with residents and students. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter and is an avid knitter.
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Luan Lawson, MD, MAEd
Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Luan E. Lawson serves as the Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education and Student Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency training at East Carolina University. Her academic interests have focused on undergraduate education with particular expertise in curriculum development, assessment, accreditation, and team training.
During Dr. Lawson’s tenure as Director of Undergraduate Medical Education in Emergency Medicine, she developed and established an Emergency Medicine clerkship for fourth year medical students featuring a simulation-based curriculum. Dr. Lawson also collaborated in developing the National Clinical Assessment Tool in Emergency Medicine, a standardized assessment tool utilized in clerkships across the country. Dr. Lawson served on the National Board of Medical Examiners Emergency Medicine Advanced Clinical Exam Task Force and is a past-president of the Clerkship Directors of Emergency Medicine. -
Mary E. Tanski, M.D, M.B.A.
Oregon Health & Science University
Mary Tanski, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.C.E.P. is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. She is co-director of the emergency medicine administration fellowship and serves as faculty in the OHSU Healthcare MBA program, where she teaches the Operations and Quality Improvement course.
Dr. Tanski was elected to the Board of the Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine and serves as member at large. She serves on the AACEM Diversity and Equity taskforce and is also active in the Academy of Women in Academic Medicine. Her professional and research interests include emergency department operations, healthcare quality, mentorship, and leadership development. She is an oral boards examiner for the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Dr. Tanski received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Michigan State University and her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She completed her Emergency Medicine residency served as Chief Resident at George Washington University, and her fellowship in Emergency Department Administration as well as her Masters of Business Administration at OHSU. -
Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA
University of Texas Southwestern
Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA is an Associate Professor and serves as the Associate Vice-Chair of Health Equity, Quality and Safety in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She currently serves as chair of the SAEM Finance Committee and a member of the SAEMF Board of Trustees. She is the past chair of the Equity and Inclusion Committee and past president of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine. She completed her internship at Howard University and residency training at the University of Michigan. She completed her MBA from the Collat School of Business at UAB. Her work has been centered around healthcare workforce diversity and inclusion efforts involving K-16 pathways programs and development of opportunities for undergraduate and graduate medical education. Dr. Norman’s professional and community interests include health equity, health care workforce diversity, medical education, and communication skills. -
Deborah B. Diercks, MD, MSc, MBA
UT Southwestern
Dr. Deborah Diercks joined the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2014. She completed her residency at University of Cincinnati Medical Center and obtained a Master of Science from Harvard. Her clinical research interests have included the diagnosis and management of patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome and congestive heart failure who present to the emergency department. She has been involved in both single center and multi-center trials in both of these areas.
Dr. Diercks has collaborated in studies involving the identification of acute coronary syndrome in the emergency department, including the use of cardiac injury markers and novel electrocardiogram techniques, and has done work evaluating observation unit care of the chest pain patient. She has participated in therapeutic trials for congestive heart failure and acute coronary syndrome.
Over the past several years, Dr. Diercks has participated in a number of national acute coronary syndrome symposia. She is active in Emergency Medicine serving on many ACEP committees and has been on the Board of Directors for the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. She is active within the American College of Cardiology and serves on the Editorial Boards for Circulation and Academic Emergency Medicine. She has received awards for the Advancement of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine and Advancement of the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. -
Linda L. Brown, MD, MSCE
Brown University
Linda L. Brown, MD, MSCE is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics. She is the Chair & Physician-in-Chief for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Alpert Medical School, Brown University and Rhode Island, Hasbro Children's, The Miriam & Newport Hospitals. She is the President of Brown Emergency Medicine. She is the Vice Chair of Pediatric EM for Brown EM.
Dr. Brown is a practicing Pediatric EM attending physician. She received her MD from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine. She received her Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) from the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her Pediatric Residency as a Chief Resident here at the Hasbro Children's Hospital/ Brown University program. Dr. Brown completed her Pediatric EM fellowship at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Dr. Brown is active on various local, regional & national committees. She is a national leader in pediatric EM and medical simulation. Her professional interests include medical simulation & education; pediatric EM quality improvement; difficult airway; resuscitation; and research.
Dr. Brown has been recognized for her hard work and leadership both regionally and nationally. She received several departmental awards including: the Brian J. Zink, MD Outstanding Leadership in EM; the Brown EM Foundation Award; the Libby Nestor, MD Outstanding Mentor, the Jacek Franaszek Exemplary Educator; and Outstanding Contribution in Education, just to name a few. Nationally, Dr. Brown was recognized with various awards including the Dr. Marianne Gausche-Hill Award for Teaching Mentorship and the SAEM Simulation Academy Distinguished Educator Award. Dr. Brown is a well-respected, researcher on a national level having contributed to over 45 publications.