People

AAAEM Secretary

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.

AAAEM Member-at-Large Nominee

University of Kansas

I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the members of the AAAEM in an at-large position. I am passionate about making the academy as resourceful as possible for its members.

AAAEM Treasurer

University of Michigan

My Emergency Medicine experience includes the last eight years as the Chief Department Administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Emergency Medicine, I was the administrator for General Surgery at the University of Michigan. Before joining General Surgery, I was the Director of Finance for the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan. Other healthcare experiences prior to joining the University of Michigan include the Director of Finance at an integrated system in SE Michigan, and other finance roles at hospitals in San Antonio, Texas and Panama City Florida. I began my career in banking in the early 90’s while living in Washington, DC. My BA is from Michigan State University, and I have a masters in finance from Troy University. My volunteer experience with AAAEM includes the last seven years participating on the Benchmark Committee. I have utilized this opportunity to focus on the research side of the survey and have been fortunate to be able to present some of the research finding on behalf of the committee to the AAAEM conference as well as at SAEM. For the last several years, I have also participated on the strategic planning committee and helped in developing the membership survey and consolidating and reporting results of that survey. This past year, I have been one of the members-at-large of the Executive Committee of AAAEM. I have also provided two lectures per year for the last three years to the SAEM Chair Development program. I have gained much from my participation within AAAEM and have found great value in using the data from our survey to influence decisions at my home institution.

Treasurer

University Wisconsin Madison

Member-at-Large

Oregon Health & Science University

Medical Student Representative

Tulane School Of Medicine

I attended the University of Virginia where I studied Biochemistry and Neuroscience and worked in Dr. Chris Deppmann’s lab studying the innervation of adipose tissue and mechanisms of fat loss during caloric restriction. While in college, I was awarded several grants for research at the bench and abroad, working in Ethiopia and Brazil. I completed a post bac at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, under the advisement of Dr. Thomas Wellems. There I studied the antimalarial drug candidate WR99210 and published on a production error. While at NIH, I completed coursework covering healthcare equity and shadowed in the ICU. I joined the Tulane MD-PhD program in 2020 and began serving in several student clinics, distributing vaccines, testing for STDs and TB, dressing wounds, and helping connect patients to available services. Last year, I was privileged to serve as a Medical Student Ambassador at SAEM. I was drawn to the MSA program because of the mentorship offered. The program over-delivered! SAEM connected me with an incredible mentor who has brought opportunities to my attention and been available for every question I have along the way. Beyond this, several SAEM members involved in basic science research went out of their way to include me in a dinner after the conference wrapped one night, just because they wanted to make sure I had guidance on the path to becoming a physician-scientist in EM. I am running to be a Medical Student Representative on the RAMS board because I want to encourage experiences like the one I had, I want to continue to soak up the connections and community offered by SAEM, and I want to contribute to the RAMS team. If elected, I will try to make the MSA program more visible to students, connect past MSA volunteers to current applicants, and support others on the board.

Member-at-Large

Quinnipiac University

As the last year of Medical School approaches and Residency applications are complete, I am extremely grateful to the physicians and future physicians I learned from and worked with through RAMS over the past three years. Being able to attend committee meetings, work on projects like the “Cold Feet” study, the Post-Dobbs Decision Landscape of EM didactic, the #StopTheStigmaEM campaign and paper, and the All-EM DEI Taskforce, always reminded me why I came to medical school in the first place. Before medical school I was an EMT, National Guard Healthcare Specialist, ED RN, then APRN, but SAEM and RAMS gave me my first introduction to Academic Emergency Medicine. I know what a pivotal role these opportunities had in my ability to stay motivated and engaged. I want to continue to bring opportunities to others, connect people to facilitate projects and represent medical student and resident interests for another year. Everyone deserves the opportunity to realize their ideas, get support and mentorship, or simply findings a committee where they can contribute to advancements in the field. My goal is to help connect those who are unaware or unable to find the resources on their own and contribute to projects that create opportunities for others. Thank you for your time!

President

Stanford University

My name is Lauren Diercks, and I am a PGY2 at Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency. I have served on the RAMS Board for four years, two years as a medical student representative, one as a Member at Large, and am currently Secretary Treasurer. If elected as President, I will continue to prioritize the membership experience. RAMS members derive value from career advancing involvement in SAEM through abstract presentation, committee involvement, didactics, and Pulse articles. The job of the RAMS Board is to promote those experiences for residents and medical students. In my prior roles on the RAMS Board, I created an EMIG survey to understand the medical student experience, collected data about current RAMS involvement in committees, and created the short term project form to increase RAMS involvement in committee and academy work. In addition to increasing deliverables for members, the board can modernize our virtual presence. My goal is to adjust from webinars, to short, palatable, written or video deliverables that will better align with membership needs and use the virtual presence SAEM is developing with the new website and social media. As president, I hope to facilitate the new website improvements to optimize the website so our members can reach the established roadmaps, curriculum, podcasts, webinars, and opportunities that already exist. My ultimate goal on the RAMS Board is to continue to create a quality membership experience that fosters career development for RAMS members.

Medical Student Representative

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine-Middletown

I obtained my B.S. in Business Administration from Colorado State University. After graduating, I decided to revisit my lifelong interest in medicine by completing a pre-medical post-baccalaureate program at Washington University in St. Louis. Before applying to medical school, I worked as an emergency medical technician for a local ambulance company and the Yale New Haven Health Emergency Department. This experience sparked my passion for emergency medicine and provided me with valuable skills and insight into acute care and ED management. This fall, I began my medical career at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Middletown, New York. I was awarded the Health Professions Scholarship through the US Navy and am currently a US Naval Officer. At Touro, I have undertaken various leadership positions to serve my fellow students. I was elected as Professional Development Chair for our school’s Student Osteopathic Medicine Association (SOMA) chapter, where I implemented Q&A sessions with Emergency Department representatives from Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis and Yale New Haven Health Hospital in New Haven. Additionally, I am one of four class representatives elected to serve as a liaison between faculty and students. I am running for SAEM office because I believe that my strong background in academic leadership will allow me to make valuable contributions to the SAEM community. If elected, I hope to bring an osteopathic perspective to the SAEM organization and build camaraderie amongst MD and DO students with a shared passion for emergency medicine. Furthermore, I aim to use my background as an emergency medical technician and US Naval Officer to help develop and support infrastructure that improves our ability to provide compassionate and effective medical care.

Member-at-Large

University of Texas, Health Sciences Center at Houston

Member-at-Large

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School

I am a second-year Emergency Medicine resident physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. I completed undergraduate studies at Stanford University and medical school at Harvard Medical School. I have a passion for trauma-informed care that grew out of a background in sexual violence advocacy. My current academic work focuses on TIC as a broad framework for medical education including domains of educational content (e.g. trauma and health effects, adverse childhood events, and TIC clinical care) and educational context (e.g. faculty development, student advising, and student wellbeing). I am running for re-election to the RAMS board in hopes to continue projects started in my first term. In my work with the Equity and Inclusion Committee, there is a lot of excited around trauma-informed care. I led several didactic submissions to SAEM 2023 and hope to build on this momentum by creating educational content and a certificate program. The RAMS board has been active in the resident labor and wellness space. I hope to continue this work in a second term through education and advocating for our members.

Member-at-Large

Windsor University School of Medicine

I am a fourth-year medical student at Windsor University School of Medicine with aspirations of becoming an Emergency Medicine Physician. I was born and raised in New York and received my Bachelor’s degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. I worked for five years as a Nationally Registered EMT for the New York City 911 system. I became a certified American Heart Association CPR and First Aid instructor and started my own successful training business. I am passionate about improving representation in medicine and combatting health disparities. My commitment to medicine and serving my community led me to create my own organization dedicated to providing resources, health education, and health screening to domestic violence and homeless shelters throughout New York City and presently expanding to Chicago. My experience includes creating and running the first free COVID-19 testing site for Loretto Hospital in Chicago at the height of the pandemic and working as an ACLS certified ER technician for the trauma level one hospital, The University of Chicago. Currently, I am the Board Secretary for MedCEEP, a non-profit organization that is a pipeline program for high school students that live in Chicago communities most affected by gun violence and health disparities. I am also the Vice Chair for AAEM’s Cabinet of Delegates, Head Liaison for SNMA's EM interest group, and am actively pursuing her master's degree in health care management. I am presently completing a year long Leadership Program through the organization SNMA. I am on SAEM's Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine Committee, Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Committee, Social Emergency Medicine and Population Health Committee, Global Emergency Medicine Academy (GEMA) Committee, and the Evidence-Based Healthcare and Implementation Committee. I would love to use my platform with RAMS to help create programming that would encourage and advance diversity and inclusion for members that can identify as underrepresented in medicine. There are many issues that are unique to physicians of color and I would love to create resources to help our members navigate those issues while providing them with the support they need.

Member-at-Large

Yale University

I am running because I would like to help the RAMS board connect residents and students interested in public health policy to research projects, methods, and ideas that they might not know about. When I was a medical student, I knew that I was interested in gathering evidence to change health policy -- the problem is that it’s challenging for the untrained person to understand how health policy research even works. Now -- after much practice, education, and coaching -- I happily conduct my own so-called “health services research” with strong mentorship across three institutions. But I deeply enjoy communicating about health policy research to anyone interested in the US health care system, especially because there is a disconnect separating us students and trainees who are interested in it and understanding how to perform research on it. I hope to re-engage this aspect of health policy education with the RAMS Board.

Resident Member

Massachusetts General Hospital

I was initially drawn to emergency medicine because of its multifaceted, evolving, and dynamic nature. It is a specialty where uncertainty is seen as a catalyst for coordinated care, critical thinking, and innovation. As emergency medicine providers, we meet people where they are—managing not only acute conditions but also addressing the complex social dynamics and nuances driving their care. This passion for emergency medicine began long before my formal training—it was driven by my desire to serve others, bridge gaps in healthcare, and provide compassionate care regardless of available resources. Somewhere along the way, as a medical student, I was fortunate to come across SAEM, and was immediately captivated by its mission to advance academic emergency medicine through education, research, and professional development. SAEM’s core vision aligned perfectly with my own desire to make a broader impact, beyond the four walls of an emergency department.

My initial exposure to SAEM began as a medical student ambassador in 2022, a role that opened the door to my involvement with SAEM at the national level. Since then, I have had the privilege of serving as a former RAMS Board Member at Large and as resident liaison to the Education Committee. I currently serve as a resident reviewer for the SAEM Grants Committee and as a resident member of AWAEM and ADIEM. These roles have enabled me to contribute to important projects and advocate for the needs of residents and medical students at a national level while allowing me to expand my understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within our specialty. I have led in the development of educational roadmaps for trainees, revision of our RAMS Board strategic plan, organization of webinars for residents and medical students, and review of didactics and grants proposals. Beyond my work with SAEM, I chair the Center for Diversity and Inclusion Resident and Fellow Committee at Massachusetts General Hospital, and lead a grant-funded community outreach project for at-risk youth in Boston.

As I reflect on my involvement with SAEM and my experiences in emergency medicine, I recognize that the challenges facing our field are evolving. It has grown increasingly more difficult to develop clinical competence in high-stakes, low-frequency clinical scenarios, while managing the cognitive overload that prevails in a demanding, fast-paced specialty. These challenges require strategic action, including balancing procedural proficiency with meaningful patient connections, navigating the increasing demands of patient volume and staffing shortages, and addressing the challenge of providing primary care services amidst unprecedented ED volumes. Yet, despite these challenges, the field is poised for transformative growth with advancements in AI, digital health tools, the expansion of telemedicine, and greater collaboration across specialties.

I am running for a position on the SAEM Board of Directors because I see both the challenges and the immense opportunities ahead, and I believe my background, perspective, and skills align with SAEM's strategic direction. I am committed to being a voice for all residents and medical students, and I will work to make sure that the perspectives of our RAMS members are addressed through strategic, goal-driven efforts. I am committed to integrating emerging technologies into medical education, advocating for mental health support for both providers and patients, and fostering cross-institutional collaborations centered on health equity. I will support initiatives that promote sustainable workforce practices and advocate for better training opportunities and support systems for residents. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth and future of emergency medicine, and I am confident that by working together, we can leverage these opportunities to strengthen our specialty.

Member-at-Large

Virginia Commonwealth University

Laura Barrera, MD, Capt., USAF earned her Bachelors of Science in Women's Studies at Old Dominion University. She then completed a post-baccalaureate at George Mason University in Biology and went on to attend medical school at The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Barrer has recently earned her wings with the Air Force, making her a certified Flight Surgeon.

Dr. Barrera's is an active member on the SAEM Program (Didactics) Committee. Additionally, she is also part of the leadership with the Emergency Medicine Resident's Association Government Services, where she served as Chair for the Women in Medicine National Committee with the American Medical Associaton. Currently, Dr. Barrera will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the Workforce Committee.

Member-at-Large

New York Presbyterian Cornell Columbia

I am running to continue my position on the SAEM RAMS board to foster open communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement in medical education. My primary goal is to support learners throughout their medical careers, not just during medical school and residency. I aim to help SAEM compile its outstanding resources into a user-friendly platform where medical students and residents can easily access webinars, guidebooks, and articles on topics ranging from research and grant funding to medical education and mental health support. By continually enhancing this repository, I aspire to develop tools and references that adapt with us throughout all stages of our careers, ultimately enriching our learning environment and elevating the specialty of emergency medicine.

Before entering medical school, I taught 6th-grade math and science in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, teaching 120 students. This experience ignited my passion for education and inspired me to give back during my gap year. I quickly learned that a communication gap often exists between educators and learners. Many of my students assumed I understood their feelings and needs, yet few voiced their concerns. To best support them, I actively encouraged open dialogue, deepening my understanding of their challenges as learners and individuals.

Transitioning back to being a learner (in medical school) just a month after completing my teaching role, I noticed my medical school classmates frequently expressed frustrations regarding faculty and administrative decisions. When I inquired whether they communicated their concerns, the typical response was, “No, but I’m sure they know.” This disconnect further illuminated the frustration and dissatisfaction prevalent on both sides.

Two months into my journey at New York Medical College, I was elected to the school’s curriculum committee as a liaison between students and faculty. In this role, I advocated for student concerns and facilitated communication of faculty expertise back to my peers. During my tenure on the committee, I witnessed firsthand how eager professors were to assist once they received feedback. On the committee, we designed and implemented a new systems-based, shortened preclinical curriculum. We also established open feedback surveys and monthly town halls to facilitate ongoing dialogue between students and faculty.

As a resident at NYP Cornell and Columbia, I contribute to our residency recruitment board, developed peer-to-peer evaluations during shifts, and volunteer for college outreach programs. I also mentor current medical students and remain passionate about medical education.

As a member of the SAEM Wellness Committee this year, I have contributed to initiatives supporting the well-being of residents and medical students, including developing articles on suicide prevention and creating resources for the Stop the Stigma Campaign. Additionally, I have organized webinars teaching medical students and residents how to apply for grants and secure funding for research.

Through my continued work on the RAMS board, I hope to bridge the gap between learners and educators. By focusing on well-being, constructive feedback, and accessible resources, I believe we can cultivate an enriching learning environment that empowers all members of our community. I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving on the SAEM RAMS board and contribute to our collective growth and success in emergency medicine.

Member-at-Large

Washington University in St. Louis

Jennifer Reyes Lin, MD, MPH is a third-year Emergency Medicine resident at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Reyes-Lin's interests include community-based participatory and qualitative research, social emergency medicine and palliative care. Currently, she will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Member-at-Large

University of Florida - Jacksonville

Hello! My name is Jeanne Rabalais and I am a PGY-2 at the University of Florida – Jacksonville. I am a proud alumnus of Tulane University where I majored in Psychology. Prior to medical school, I completed my Master’s Degree in Health Administration and completed a one-year Administrative Residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I then completed medical school at the same institution before moving to Florida for residency. I have the qualifications and experience to help ensure the successful future of academic emergency medicine through this organization. During my Administrative Residency, I had the opportunity to serve on several boards throughout the hospital, develop departmental budgets, and advance strategic plans hospital-wide. In medical school, I served as Vice President of our Associated Student Government and as a member of the Academic House Leadership Council. But most notably, I was the Executive Director of 12th Street Health and Wellness Center, a student-run interprofessional free clinic. I have continued my leadership efforts through residency serving on our program’s evaluation committee, and wellness committee, and leading our recruitment and social media committee. I am also the current Chair of the EMRA Leadership Academy and our program’s FCEP representative. I have been an SAEM member since deciding on emergency medicine in medical school. I continued my membership in residency and have recently applied to join committees since confirming I want to practice academic medicine. I have recently become more involved in AWAEM and will be aiding their social media committee. As our specialty is at a pivotal place in its evolution, I believe this organization is uniquely positioned to direct its path and I am running for office to be a more impactful voice in this evolution. If elected, I will advance the RAMS strategic plan while instituting new goals and objectives in light of the changing landscape of academic emergency medicine, with a specific focus on professional development and medical student and resident advocacy. I commit to ensuring the medical student and resident voice is heard and elevated and that the future of academic emergency medicine is fully cultivated. I appreciate your support of my candidacy.

Member-at-Large

Mass General Hospital

Giovanni Rodriguez, MD, is a first-generation Mexican American who obtained her BS in biology at Uuniversity of Wisconsin-Madison. Additionally, she obtained her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Rodriguez is a current emergency medicine resident at the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency at Mass General Hospital /Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Dr. Rodriguez was the student member of the Indiana University GME Board of Executives for 2 years. Currently, she serves as a resident member for Mass General Brigham Education Committee, and serves on the Mass General Hospital Center for Diversity and Inclusion Resident and Fellow Committee (RFC) , which is an inter-departmental board for underrepresented in medicine (URM) trainees at Mass General. As the Vice Chair, Dr. Rodriguez assists trainees in getting involved in the larger Harvard and Boston communities, residency recruitment, and social and networking events for trainees.

Dr. Rodriguez's SAEM experience includes, former AWAEM Newsletter Committee member and Resident Member for the AWAEM Executive Committee. Currently, Dr. Rodriguez will serve as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large and RAMS Board liaison to the ED Administration and Clinical Operations Committee.

Washington University in St Louis

Dr. Ly Cloessner is a current PGY-3 at Washington University in Saint Louis. Dr. Cloessner's path to emergency medicine (EM) began with a career in public health and public service, driven by a deep-seated commitment to giving back to the community. This ethos naturally led her to the field of EM, where practitioners care for anyone, regardless of condition or time of day. Her dedication to serving others has also guided her involvement with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), where she seeks to make a positive impact within the EM community.

Dr. Cloessner attended her first SAEM meeting as a first-year resident (PGY-1), where she discovered a wealth of mentorship, networking opportunities, education, and career guidance. These resources have been instrumental in her residency journey and as she prepares for fellowship. She earned her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed her undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston. Her academic interests include POCUS, development of emergency medicine systems in resource-limited settings, and public health, particulary infectious disease management.