People

Cali Myers, MHA

Member-at-Large

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Cali Myers is the executive administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She earned a Master of Health Administration from the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in clinical informatics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2024, Myers graduated from the university’s Healthcare Leadership Academy, further strengthening her leadership skills.

Before joining the university, Myers was a medical group manager for a large hospice organization in north central Florida. She is actively involved in professional organizations and currently serves as a member-at-large on the executive committee of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine’s Academy of Administrators in Academic Emergency Medicine for the 2025-26 term. Myers also leads the academy’s communications committee.

Becky McGowan, MBA

Immediate Past President

University of Colorado School of Medicine

​Becky McGowan serves as the vice chair of finance and administration for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado Denver. With over 25 years in higher education, Becky has held various administrative roles, including administrator for several basic science departments and division administrator in the Department of Medicine. She has been in her current role for the past 10 years.​

An active member of the Academy of Administrators in Academic Emergency Medicine (AAAEM) since 2012, McGowan has contributed to multiple committees, such as benchmark, strategic, education, and nominating. She held the position of AAAEM president for the 2024-2025 term, having previously served as treasurer for two years, during which she streamlined the budgeting process and strengthened relationships with SAEM staff. McGowan also serves as a presenter for the SAEM Certified Administrator in Emergency Medicine Administration (CAEMA) program. 

Frank Jurkiewicz, MBA

Secretary

University of Florida, College of Medicine - Gainesville

​Frank Jurkiewicz serves as the vice chair of administrative affairs for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. In this role, he functions as the chief non-faculty executive, ensuring faculty have the resources and infrastructure necessary to optimize productivity across clinical, educational, and research missions while maintaining a sustainable financial model. ​

Jurkiewicz earned a Master of Business Administration from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management in 2012. Over his career, he has held leadership positions in both academic health centers and private practice groups, including roles at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Indiana University Health–Indiana University School of Medicine. ​

Actively involved in professional organizations, Jurkiewicz serves as chair of the Education and Professional Development Committee for the Academy of Administrators in Academic Emergency Medicine (AAAEM). In this capacity, he focuses on promoting knowledge-sharing through sessions that address current challenges and opportunities in emergency medicine administration. Additionally, he has served on the Benchmark Committee and previously chaired the Communication Committee within AAAEM. ​

Beyond his professional commitments, Jurkiewicz is dedicated to mentoring future healthcare leaders. He played a key role in creating a two-year Healthcare Administrative Fellowship at the University of Florida, designed to cultivate the next generation of healthcare administrators.

Stephen Maxwell, MSM

President-Elect

University of Michigan

Stephen Maxwell serves as the chief department administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Management from Troy University.

Maxwell has extensive experience in healthcare administration, including roles as administrator for general surgery and director of finance for the Cardiovascular Center at the University of Michigan. Before joining the university, he held finance positions at integrated systems in southeastern Michigan and hospitals in San Antonio, Texas, and Panama City, Florida. His career began in banking in Washington, D.C., in the early 1990s.

An active member of the AAAEM for the past several years, Maxwell has contributed significantly through his participation on the Benchmark Committee, focusing on research initiatives and presenting findings at AAAEM and SAEM conferences. He has also served on the Strategic Planning Committee, assisting in the development and analysis of membership surveys, and has been a member-at-large on the AAAEM executive committee. Additionally, Maxwell has delivered lectures for the SAEM Chair Development Program.

Jennifer Patton Muir, EdD, MBA

President

East Carolina University

​Jennifer Patton Muir is the administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She holds a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, a Master of Business Administration, and a Doctor of Education in higher education administration.​

Patton Muir has worked in higher education for more than 15 years in various administrative roles, including director of employment in human resources and executive director of business and administrative affairs in the College of Nursing. In her administrative roles, she has been heavily involved in strategic planning, program development, financial management, human resources management, and policy development.​

Patton Muir has been an active leader in professional organizations, serving on the board of the North Carolina chapter of the College and University Professional Association of Human Resources, where she was co-president. She also served as vice chair of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium of the Carolinas Regional Advisory Board.

Within AAAEM, Patton Muir has contributed to the executive committee and played a key role on the Benchmarking and Strategic Planning Committees.

Ali S. Raja, MD, DBA, MPH

SAEM Past President

Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School

Dr. Raja is the executive vice chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. He holds a Master of Public Health from Harvard University, a medical degree and Master of Business Administration from Duke University, and completed emergency medicine training at the University of Cincinnati. He further advanced his expertise with a research fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Raja is board certified in emergency medicine and clinical informatics and is appointed to both the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Radiology at Harvard Medical School.

An expert in the management of critically ill patients in both the emergency department and prehospital settings, Dr. Raja has served in various high-stakes roles, including as a critical care air transport team commander for the U.S. Air Force, a civilian flight physician, and a tactical physician for several local, state, and federal agencies. He has also served as a physician with MA-1 DMAT.

The author of over 200 publications, Dr. Raja’s current research focuses on improving the appropriateness of resource utilization and operations within the emergency department.

In addition to serving on the SAEM Board, Dr. Raja has been involved with the SAEM Foundation Board and has chaired the SAEM Program Committee and the Trauma Interest Group. He has contributed to several other committees within SAEM. 

Dr. Raja is also on the board of the Massachusetts chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, where he serves as President-Elect, and he previously served as the editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine’s Journal Watch Emergency Medicine.

Ava E. Pierce, MD

SAEM Secretary-Treasurer

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dr. Pierce is a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she serves as associate vice chair of outreach and engagement and co-director of the Joint Admission Medical Program.

She earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine at Shreveport and completed her emergency medicine residency at Emory University School of Medicine. She also completed the Medical Education Research Certificate Program and the AAMC Healthcare Executive Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program.

Dr. Pierce’s research focuses on medical education, health equity, and cardiac resuscitation. She is committed to implementing innovative changes that enhance excellence in health care and strengthen a diverse workforce dedicated to providing high-quality medical care.

She has been an active leader within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), particularly in the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), where she has served as development officer and president. In recognition of her impact on student and resident academic success, ADIEM awarded her the 2016 Outstanding Academician Award. She has also served on SAEM’s Membership Committee, Ethics Committee, Equity and Inclusion Committee, and as an elected member-at-large on the SAEM Board of Directors.

Dr. Pierce is also a member of the National Medical Association and the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion, as well as a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In 2022, she was appointed as holder of the Michael P. Wainscott, MD, Professorship in Emergency Medicine.

Jody A. Vogel, MD, MSc, MSW

SAEM President-Elect

Stanford University

Dr. Vogel is an associate professor and the inaugural vice chair for academic affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University.

She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University School of Medicine. She completed her emergency medicine residency and a clinical research fellowship at Denver Health Medical Center and the University of Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine. In addition, Dr. Vogel earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2013.

Dr. Vogel is an active leader in the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), having previously served as secretary-treasurer, member-at-large, and resident member on the SAEM Board of Directors. She has dedicated more than a decade to SAEM’s Program Committee, including serving as chair for the 2019 and 2020 annual meetings. She has also contributed to numerous SAEM committees, academies, and task forces, leading national initiatives and strategic planning efforts to advance emergency care research, education, and professional development.

As a dedicated health services researcher, Dr. Vogel focuses on improving emergency care. She has authored numerous publications and has received research support from the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She also serves on the editorial board of Academic Emergency Medicine.

Dr. Vogel’s contributions to emergency medicine have been recognized with multiple academic awards for leadership and research excellence.

Michelle D. Lall, MD, MHS

SAEM President

Emory University School of Medicine

Dr. Lall, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, is a professor at Emory University, where she has been on faculty since 2013. She served as associate residency director for seven years and currently holds the position of inaugural vice chair of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Emory Emergency Medicine. Dr. Lall previously served as the inaugural director of wellbeing, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and as the medical education fellowship director.

Before joining Emory, Dr. Lall was an assistant professor at Wayne State University, starting in 2008. There, she also served as assistant residency director at the Sinai-Grace/Wayne State University Emergency Medicine Residency Program and as the medical student clerkship site director at Sinai-Grace/Wayne State University beginning in 2009. Dr. Lall earned her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed both her residency and chief residency at Emory University.

Dr. Lall is passionate about medical education and focuses on physician wellbeing, as well as the negative impact of bias on equity and inclusion in medicine. She is particularly interested in gender differences in burnout and workplace mistreatment among emergency physicians. She serves as the inaugural chair of the All-Emergency Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, a national workgroup addressing bias and disparities in academic emergency medicine.

Dr. Lall is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and is a member of several professional organizations, including the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), where she continues to serve on the executive committee of the board of directors, the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), where she is a past president, the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians, and the Georgia College of Emergency Physicians. She is also a member of the Delta Omega Honor Society.

Throughout her career, Dr. Lall has received multiple honors, including being named faculty teacher of the year twice at Sinai-Grace/Wayne State University and faculty advocate of the year twice at Emory University. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association 25 Under 45 Influencers in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Lall has also received the AWAEM Momentum Award and Mid-Career Award. In 2023, she was selected for the prestigious Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM®) program, an intensive one-year fellowship aimed at expanding the national pool of qualified women candidates for leadership in academic medicine.

Dr. Lall is dedicated to caring for underserved populations in safety-net hospitals, educating and training the next generation of emergency physicians, and serving the academic emergency medicine community.

Marquita S. Norman, MD, MBA

SAEM Finance Committee Chair

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dr. Norman 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. 

Dr. Norman earned her medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She completed an internship in emergency medicine at Howard University College of Medicine and a residency at the University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers. Dr. Norman obtained an MBA from the Collat School of Business at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2019.

Dr. Norman's professional interests focus on health equity, health care workforce diversity, medical education, and communication skills. She currently serves as chair of the SAEM Finance Committee and as a member of the SAEM Foundation Board of Trustees. She is a past chair of the SAEM Equity and Inclusion Committee and past president of the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine. 

Elizabeth Burner, MD, MPH, PhD

SAEM Grants Committee Chair

University of Southern California / Los Angeles General Medical Center

Dr. Burner is an associate professor of clinical emergency medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). She serves as the research director for the Department of Emergency Medicine and is a faculty instructor with the SC-CTSI Workforce Development core. 

Dr. Burner completed her undergraduate studies and earned her medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. She then completed an internship in internal medicine at the Cedars-Sinai/West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Internal Medicine Residency Program, followed by a residency in emergency medicine at LAC+USC Medical Center. Driven by a desire to better understand the etiology of health disparities among marginalized patients, she pursued a clinical research fellowship at the USC Department of Emergency Medicine, during which she was awarded an F32 grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and completed a Master of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Since joining the USC faculty in 2013, Dr. Burner has practiced clinically in the emergency department at Los Angeles General Medical Center (formerly LAC+USC), the Jail Urgent Care at the LA County Twin Towers Correctional Facility, and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. 

Dr. Burner received a KL2 grant from the Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) upon her faculty appointment to support her research. Her research focuses on developing emergent health communication tools to engage health-disparate groups and directing patients to chronic care and medical homes. She employs mixed-methods research to understand the perspectives of marginalized populations, particularly urban Latino immigrants, and is also interested in the validation of clinical instrument tools in ethnic minority populations, as well as the role of communication and leadership in successful resuscitations of critically ill patients.

Dr. Burner is actively involved in SAEM, serving on the Annual Meeting Program Committee and the Annual Meeting Research Committee. She also lectures at the undergraduate campus, medical school, and in the community.

Stefanie Sebok-Syer, PhD

Member-at-Large

Stanford University Department of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Sebok-Syer is an instructor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. She earned a doctorate in measurement, assessment, and evaluation from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Education, Research and Innovation at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University.

Her research focuses on performance-based assessments, team interdependence, and the use of electronic health record data to advance competency-based medical education. Dr. Sebok-Syer has authored numerous publications, including "Digital Evidence: Revisiting Assumptions at the Intersection of Technology and Assessment" and "Sharing Is Caring: Helping Institutions and Health Organizations Leverage Data for Educational Improvement." She has received funding from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for her work in competency-based medical education.

Additionally, Dr. Sebok-Syer serves as the course director for SAEM's ARMED MedEd program.

Neha Raukar, MD, MS

Member-at-Large

Mayo Clinic

Dr. Raukar is an associate professor and vice chair for academic advancement and faculty development in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic Rochester. She earned her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital. Dr. Raukar also holds a Master of Science from New York Medical College.

Dr. Raukar’s primary research focuses include sports medicine, geriatric emergency medicine, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Dr. Raukar is actively involved in teaching and supervising medical students and residents and is passionate about resident and faculty education, development, wellness, burnout, and resilience. She is particularly dedicated to addressing challenges unique to women in medicine.

Dr. Raukar has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Distinguished Emergency Medicine Clinician Award from Mayo Clinic Department of Emergency Medicine, the AWAEM Publication of the Year Award from AWAEM/SAEM, the Educator of the Quarter Consultant Award from Mayo Clinic, the Rhode Island Top Doc designation from Rhode Island Monthly, and the AWAEM Momentum Award from AWAEM/SAEM.

She has served on the SAEM Foundation Board of Trustees and is currently chair of the Advocacy Committee for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. Additionally, she is an advisory panel member for the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations Sudden Cardiac Arrest/Death Task Force.

Niels K. Rathlev, MD

Member-at-Large

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate

Dr. Rathlev is a professor of emergency medicine at UMass Chan – Baystate, where he also served as chair for over a decade. He is an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. During his tenure as chair, the department expanded significantly in both academics and research. Dr. Rathlev is dedicated to advancing federally funded research in emergency medicine and has been an active participant in the AACEM Research Task Force. His research interests include emergency department crowding, health services research, and pain management.

Dr. Rathlev earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Boston City Hospital.

Dr. Rathlev has received numerous honors and awards during his career in emergency medicine, including the Pinnacle Award from the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians, the President’s Excellence Award (Overall Winner) from Baystate Medical Center, and the Chair's Award from the Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in 2001 and 2008. He was also awarded the distinction of Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Dr. Rathlev is a member of SAEM, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AACEM), the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and Baycare Health Partners.

Susan Promes, MD, MBA

Member-at-Large

Penn State Hershey Emergency Medicine

Dr. Promes is a tenured professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine, positions she has held since 2014. 

Dr. Promes earned an undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and received a medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine. She completed her residency training at Alameda County Medical Center, Highland General Hospital, where she served as chief resident. In 2012, she obtained an MBA from the University of California – Davis Graduate School of Management. 

Prior to her current role, Dr. Promes spent seven years at the University of California, San Francisco, serving as vice chair for education, emergency medicine residency program director, and director of curricular affairs in the GME office. Before that, she was at Duke University as the inaugural emergency medicine residency program director and director of the medical school capstone course. 

Dr. Promes’s scholarly work has focused on emergency medicine medical education and clinical guidelines for practicing emergency physicians. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and edited multiple McGraw-Hill board review books to prepare physicians for the emergency medicine board exam. An internationally recognized leader in academic emergency medicine, Dr. Promes was chosen by SAEM to be the inaugural editor of their journal, Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training, which debuted in January 2017. 

In 2020, she received the SAEM Hal Jayne Excellence in Education Award from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. More recently, in 2024, she was honored with the Judith E. Tintinalli Award for Outstanding Contribution in Education.

Robert W. Neumar, MD, PhD

Member-at-Large

University of Michigan Medical School

​Dr. Neumar is the professor and chair of emergency medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. He is also a professor of molecular and integrative physiology and is affiliated with the Max Harry Weil Institute for Critical Care Research and Innovation and the Extracorporeal Life Support Laboratory. 

Dr. Neumar earned his medical degree and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his residency in emergency medicine at UPMC Medical Education in 1993.

Dr. Neumar’s research focuses on cardiac arrest resuscitation, including the molecular mechanisms of brain injury caused by cardiac arrest and therapeutic strategies to improve neurologic outcomes. He has also explored the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation as a rescue strategy for refractory cardiac arrest. He has published over 75 original research manuscripts, reviews, and textbook chapters, and has served as a reviewer for medical and biomedical science journals. His leadership roles in professional organizations include serving as chair of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee and as an AHA delegate to the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.

Dr. Neumar’s work has earned him several honors, including the award for outstanding contribution in research from the American College of Emergency Physicians. He currently co-chairs the research workgroup of the Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine (AACEM), where he is involved in developing the 2030 strategic goals for emergency medicine research. Dr. Neumar’s global health work focuses on improving access to emergency medical care in low-resource settings, aligning with the University of Michigan’s Center for Global Health Equity.

Christopher R. Carpenter, MD, MSc

Member-at-Large

Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine

Dr. Carpenter is a professor of emergency medicine and vice chair of implementation and innovation at Mayo Clinic-Rochester. He is residency-trained in both emergency medicine and internal medicine. Dr. Carpenter served on the SAEM  Board of Directors from 2019 to 2022 and continues to serve on the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Clinical Policy Committee. His research interests focus on diagnostics, geriatric emergency medicine, clinical practice guidelines, and implementation science.

Dr. Carpenter earned his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in and completed his internal medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital, where he served as chief resident. He also holds a Master of Science in clinical investigation from Washington University in St. Louis, awarded in 2007.  

Dr. Carpenter is deputy editor-in-chief of Academic Emergency Medicine and serves as an associate editor for both the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and Annals of Internal Medicine's ACP Journal Club. He co-authored the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency of Health Research (EQUATOR) Network’s Standards for Reporting of Implementation Research (StaRI) reporting guidelines. 

Dr. Carpenter also serves on the National Institute on Aging Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research Leadership Core and developed and leads the SAEM Guidelines for Reasonable and Appropriate Care in Emergency Departments (GRACE) clinical practice guidelines.

Dr. Carpenter is a co-investigator and implementation science core lead for the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (GEAR) and the Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC). Additionally, Dr. Carpenter chairs ACEP’s Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation Advisory Board. 

Dr. Carpenter has received multiple national awards, including the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association Excellence in Teaching Award, as well as the SAEM Academy of Geriatric Emergency Medicine’s (AGEM) Gerson-Sanders Award, SAEM AGEM Mentorship Award, and SAEM AGEM Pioneer Award.

Paul I. Musey, Jr., MD, MSc

Secretary-Treasurer

Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr. Musey is an associate professor of emergency medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, where he serves as the division chief for research and vice chair for innovation in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is also the Eskenazi Health Foundation Scholar in Emergency Medicine and the medical director for Enterprise Clinical Research Operations at Indiana University School of Medicine. His research focuses on the evaluation and management of psychological contributors to emergency department presentations, with a particular emphasis on low-risk chest pain.

Dr. Musey earned his medical degree from Emory University before completing his residency in emergency medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. He remained on faculty at Carolinas for 1.5 years before joining Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed an emergency medicine research fellowship and earned a Master of Science in clinical research.

A leader in emergency medicine research, Dr. Musey is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches to patient care and bridging the gap between psychological health and emergency medicine. His work continues to shape the field, particularly in understanding and addressing psychological factors in emergency presentations.

James "Jamie" McCarthy, MD, MHA

President-Elect

Memorial Hermann Health System

Dr. McCarthy is the executive vice president and chief physician executive for Memorial Hermann in Houston, Texas. In this role, he oversees the physician organization and advances Memorial Hermann’s goal of building a physician-centric, integrated network of care.

Before joining Memorial Hermann, Dr. McCarthy served as professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at McGovern Medical School. He was also the chief of emergency medical services for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, home to the Red Duke Trauma Institute, the nation’s busiest Level I trauma center, as well as Memorial Hermann Life Flight, the system’s signature air ambulance service. Under his leadership, the department received regional and national recognition for excellence in trauma and cardiac care.

Dr. McCarthy earned his medical degree from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in emergency medicine at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He is board certified in emergency medicine and emergency medical services.

A dedicated advocate for emergency services at the local and state levels, Dr. McCarthy is a member of the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council, where he co-chairs the Cardiac Care Committee. He also chairs the Governor’s EMS and Trauma Advisory Council’s Cardiac Care Committee under the Texas Department of State Health Services. In addition to his professional commitments, he serves as EMS medical director for the West University Place Fire Department and as an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant for the National Football League.

Dr. McCarthy was recognized on Becker's Hospital Review's list of “Chief Medical Officers to Know” in both 2024 and 2025 for his leadership in patient safety and quality care.

Zachary F. Meisel, MD, MPH, MSHP

President

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Dr. Meisel is the William G. Baxt Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as the vice chair of research in the Department of Emergency Medicine and is the director of the Center for Emergency Care Policy and Research. He also co-directs the Penn Injury Science Center, a CDC-funded National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and is a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics.

Dr. Meisel earned an undergraduate degree from Columbia College, Columbia University, , followed by a Master of Public Health in health policy and management from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. He completed his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1999 and later obtained a Master of Science in health policy research from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2011.

As vice chair of research, Dr. Meisel oversees research initiatives within the Department of Emergency Medicine, while also teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows. His work focuses on emergency care access, patient safety, and health policy. He previously served as the patient safety officer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and has been a medical columnist for Slate and Time, translating health services research for broader audiences.

Dr. Meisel’s research interests include narrative medicine, injury prevention, substance use disorders, medical communication, guideline adherence, opioid use disorder, patient safety, emergency medical services, and patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. He specializes in using and testing persuasive narratives to promote evidence translation to patients, providers, and policymakers. Dr. Meisel leads the Life STORRIED study (Life Stories for Opioid Risk Reduction in the Emergency Department), a multiyear, multicenter Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded clinical trial focusing on the comparative effectiveness of probabilistic versus patient narrative-enhanced risk communication for pain management following emergency care.

Dr. Meisel is senior associate editor for health communication for Academic Emergency Medicine journal. He has published extensively in medical journals, including JAMA, Health Affairs, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and BMJ. His work often addresses the translation of research evidence into clinical practice and policy. He has received over $11 million in extramural funding as principal investigator or co-principal investigator and has been continuously funded by federal agencies since 2013.

Dr. Meisel is a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and serves as director of the Policy and Dissemination Core at the Center for Health Economics of Treatment Interventions for Substance Use Disorder, HCV, and HIV (CHERISH). Dr. Meisel has pioneered the application of narrative medicine to improve the translation of research evidence, particularly concerning prescription opioids. His work has influenced how stories and data are used to communicate risks and benefits to patients, providers, and policymakers, enhancing guideline adherence and patient safety in emergency medical settings.