People

John Dickens, MD, MBA

Resident Member

McGaw Medical Center/Northwestern University

I am a third-year emergency medicine resident at McGaw Medical Center/Northwestern University in Chicago, IL and I am running for the position of Resident Member for the SAEM Board of Directors. Before residency, I worked as a project manager for Epic Systems and later for Humana as part of the company’s Digital Health & Analytics team. I received both my MD and MBA degrees from the University of Louisville in my hometown of Louisville, KY. I have been involved with SAEM since 2021, serving in various roles including Medical Student Ambassador for the SAEM Annual Conference, Resident Liaison for the Informatics, Data Science, & Artificial Intelligence Interest Group, member of the RAMS Nominating Committee, and my current role of Member-at-Large of the RAMS Board as well as RAMS Board Representative to the SAEM Awards Committee.

I am seeking your support for my election to this position because I am eager to contribute to the Board’s mission of maintaining its status as the premier organization for developing and supporting current and future academic leaders in emergency medicine. My background as a project manager for large healthcare corporations has equipped me with the organizational and executive skills necessary to be a productive member of the Board. As the only resident representative, I will provide a unique perspective that is essential for understanding the interests of resident and medical student members regarding the future of our specialty. Additionally, my experience in other SAEM organizations offers valuable institutional knowledge, enabling me to effectively support and create opportunities for scholarship, leadership, and career development. Most importantly, I aim to advocate for trainees within SAEM’s broader organizational efforts. In a time when many residents and medical students have concerns about the future landscape and career opportunities in our field, it is crucial that we have a voice in leadership organizations that are committed to improving and shaping the future of our specialty.

Aaron D'Amore, MD

President

Mass General Brigham / Harvard Medical School

D'Amore you want, D’Amore you get!

In leadership, my north star has always been the principal that the strongest leaders are not those with all the power, but those who are able to empower others. Emergency medicine is the best specialty because we must effectively work as a team to get the job done – and RAMS is the same! I am running for RAMS president under this belief so that together we can build each other up and expand leadership and academic opportunities for all trainees in emergency medicine. Having experience working on the RAMS board plus a strong background in academic medicine and leadership, I am confident I have what it takes to carry the RAMS board to future success.

RAMS membership has been growing at record rates, which is exciting because of all the amazing feats we can accomplish with our growing group of emergency academicians. In light of empowering others’ career growth, I would like to expand upon RAMS efforts in three meaningful ways:

First, SAEM and RAMS offer numerous opportunities for their members to get involved. I would like to help make it easier for our members to discover what opportunities are available and interesting to them through the creation of a centralized resource which lists the many opportunities offered to our RAMS members. This in turn will ensure that we are maximizing the amount of involvement we can obtain and spread the wealth to folks who may not have otherwise known where to start.

Second, it is pertinent that we continue to focus our efforts on medical student involvement as a means of promoting our specialty’s growth and future promise. One way I would love to assist this is by advocating for more medical student roles on the RAMS board given their unique and invaluable perspectives. I would also continue to advocate for more medical student opportunities through SAEM and expand our excellent outreach efforts for promoting future RAMS growth.

Third, SAEM and RAMS are premier organizations pushing the needle on academics and research within our field of emergency medicine. I want to continue to expand these opportunities for our members through our promotion of more grants and publication opportunities. I am particularly valuable in this sense as I have a strong background in academic medicine, having worked at the National Institutes of Health prior to medical school and now currently being in training at a highly academic residency program.

Having served on the RAMS board, I have a solid understanding of the functioning of RAMS as an organization. I am honored to have been elected to serve as a member-at-large for the RAMS Board and an Education Committee representative. In addition to representing and advocating for my peers in these roles, with the help of my team, I helped spearhead the review of all the preexisting and the creation of several new SAEM Roadmaps – a free resource which helps RAMS members interested in exploring the many career pathways in Emergency Medicine.

In addition, having served as the president of my medical school class for four years as well as the vice president of our Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor society, I’m no stranger to leading large groups of passionate medical professionals. My work in these roles and others were recognized through multiple awards, including the ACEP/EMRA Medical Student Professionalism and Leadership Award, the William D. Kaplan, M.D. Humanism Award, RISE AAMC Leadership Conference Award Delegation, Gold Humanism Honor Society, and Student Service Award.

I am fully committed to this organization and its initiatives, and as a third-year next year in a four-year program, I look forward to giving these projects my full attention if elected. For all these reasons, I am excited about the opportunity to serve the emergency medicine community as your next RAMS president, and I look forward to working with you all in this wonderful field for years to come!

Alison Bonner, MD

Member-at-Large

New York Presbyterian Cornell Columbia

I am currently a PGY-2 at New York Presbyterian- Cornell/Columbia and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for both my Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine, graduating in 2023 as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. I have had the privilege of serving as a RAMS Board Member-at-large for the past year and am honored to be considered for re-election.

In my time on the RAMS Board so far, I have acted as liaison to the Program Committee. In this role, I am collaborating with my fellow board liaison to develop a year-long mentorship program for the medical student ambassadors who are crucial to ensuring the annual meeting runs smoothly. I have also been part of the Strategic Planning Task Force to create the next three-year strategic plan for the RAMS Board. The Regional Ambassador Task Force has been working to connect EMIGs with SAEM, and I have assisted this group in writing the EMIG guidebook and attempting to build a better communication system with EMIGs around the country. It has been a joy to work with such a wonderful group of doctors on this board; we are just getting started and have a list of projects we are excited to bring to fruition.

My interest in Emergency Medicine began as an undergraduate volunteer and medical scribe where I learned what it is to be a good emergency physician and how to approach emergency medical care. Medical school was where I found the two focus areas for the rest of my career- education and mental health and wellness. I took advantage of every opportunity to teach, including as an EMIG leader, a peer instructor for the clinical skills course, and as an MCAT course instructor for undergraduates from underprivileged backgrounds. In residency, I am part of the Medical Education advanced practice track, through which I have helped teach procedure sessions for Code BLOOM, an organization at Cornell Medical School that mentors URiM pre-medical students. I also represent my class on our residency Program Evaluation Committee and co-lead our Women in Emergency Medicine group (WomEM), as I aim to continuously improve our residency education as our program expands and ensure other women physicians are able to join and be successful in our specialty.

I consider my most significant accomplishment to be co-founding the non-profit organization, Mission 34, established in memory of my brother, Sean Bonner Jr. Our mission is to eliminate the stigma around mental illness through awareness, education, and advocacy. My brother, his life and his struggles, inspired me to be more proactive in mental health and wellness, both in and outside of medicine. I am the New York City liaison for Mission 34 and help organize our local events and major annual events back in North Carolina. I am also developing my research work in Secondary Traumatic Stress in medical education.

To be considered for re-election is a vote of confidence in the incredible work the RAMS Board has done so far this year and I am excited to see what such a strong group of people can do in the future.

Taylor Diederich, MD

President

University of Kansas

Emily (Ly) Anne Cloessner, MD, MSPH

President

Washington University in Saint Louis

I originally came to Emergency Medicine through a career in public health and public service. I fundamentally believe in giving back to my community, so it is no surprise that I found a love for emergency medicine--we are the only physicians who care for anyone in our communities, for any condition, at any time.

My belief in service led to my involvement with leadership in SAEM. I went to my first SAEM meeting as a PGY-1, and, at that meeting, I found mentorship, networking opportunities, education, and career guidance that have been invaluable as I have progressed through residency and prepared myself for fellowship. To give back to the SAEM community, I became involved in planning the Global Emergency Medicine Academy's educational offerings at the annual SAEM meetings, and I was elected to the RAMS board as a Member-at-Large last year. This year, I am running for the position of RAMS Board President.

As a board member, I have worked hard to connect other RAMS members to resources, mentorship, and opportunities for career growth like those that I found in SAEM. Additionally, I have been a champion of greater involvement from RAMS members in the SAEM subcommittees. Most importantly, I have worked hard alongside my fellow board members this year to create the newest RAMS strategic plan, which will go into effect this year. I'm so proud of our plan, which aims to increase RAMS member engagement, expands our educational offerings, and promotes diversity in our field. As president, I will make sure that the strategic plan starts on strong footing. In addition to spearheading the measures outlined in the strategic plan, I will increase our efforts to support RAMS members as they begin their careers. Given that Emergency Medicine as a specialty faces uncertainty after recent job projections and upheaval in the Match, I will work with the board to advocate for limits on inappropriate program expansion and on other measures, such as prioritization of resident learning in environments that increasingly face encroachment from non-physician providers. It is more important than ever that our academic societies protect and promote physicians in the early stages of their careers, and I will ensure that the RAMS board continues this important work.

Benjamin Herron

Medical Student Representative

Emory University School of Medicine

Education: current M3 at Emory University School of Medicine. B.A. from Yale University (2016).

Qualifications and SAEM experience: Member of SAEM’s Education and Workforce Committees–currently working on multiple projects regarding recruitment of medical students into EM. Also collaborated on multiple didactics that have been submitted to SAEM’s 2024 conference. Currently serving as President of Emory’s Pediatric Emergency Medicine Interest Group and Vice President of Emory’s EMIG. Prior to entering medical school, I worked as a scribe for three years in both the Mt. Sinai and Ascension St. Thomas hospital systems as well as maintained my EMT-B certification.

Why I’m running:

If elected, I intend to advocate not only for my fellow trainees' interests, but to fight to preserve Emergency Medicine as a whole.

As a medical student intent on entering an EM residency in the near future, I’m very cognizant about recent discourse regarding the numerous changes to the emergency medicine workforce. Between the continued effects of COVID-19, increased burnout, mid level encroachment, and rapid residency expansion left unchecked, the future of emergency medicine faces significant obstacles. As trainees, I believe that the most important issue at hand today is advancing policies that will preserve the health of emergency medicine as a specialty for decades to come.

Now more than ever, there is a significant need for medical students and residents to take an active role in advocacy and leadership within Emergency Medicine. Serving on the RAMS committee as a medical student representative offers a phenomenal opportunity to advocate for the interests of future EM physicians as we seek to secure improved educational opportunities at every level of EM training as well as protect the health of the best medical specialty that exists. SAEM has a responsibility to its student and resident members, and I would use my role within RAMS to demand that the broader academic EM community address the issues that matter to us the most.

Stephanie A. Balint

Medical Student Representative

Quinnipiac University

My name is Stephanie Balint, and I am an M3 at Quinnipiac University. Prior to medical school I developed a passion for EM on my journey as an EMT, National Guard Healthcare Specialist, ED RN, and then APRN. My clinical experience before medical school was in community centers. I always enjoyed the cohesive team, how we could anticipate one another’s needs, and feel supported. Working with SAEM and RAMS was my first experience working on research with ED physicians from academic centers and I found the cohesion and support was no different. In addition to supporting one another, I have found this role to be an amazing way to help connect students with projects, mentors, and committee work. I was able to contribute to didactics on the Post-Roe Landscape of EM, Management of APP’s in the ED, Moral Injury, work on research regarding workforce, contribute to 4 pulse articles among other things. However my favorite parts were the time I got to connect people to research if they did not have access or just had an interest. I truly believe that the people I have met along the way would still be supportive and mentors for new medical students even if I do not get elected again, but I would definitely be excited to continue this work with the official title.

Christopher D. Thom, MD, RDMS

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

University of Virginia Health Sciences Center

My educational background includes undergraduate and medical school studies at the University of Virginia, followed by emergency medicine residency at Virginia Commonwealth University. I then completed a one year clinical ultrasound fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University. Following this, I returned back to University of Virginia as a faculty member in the Department of Emergency Medicine. I have served on the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound Executive Committee within SAEM since 2020. This includes a 2 year term as Treasurer, 2020-2022, followed by a one year term as President-elect (2022-2023), one year as President (current), and one upcoming year as past-President (2024-2025). Notable roles I have held at the University of Virginia include associate residency director (2019-current), Director of Emergency Ultrasound (2019-current), Director of Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship (2019-current), departmental diversity facilitator (2017-2023), coding/billing liaison to the University Physicians Group (2021-current), School of Medicine Admissions member (2018-2021), and School of Medicine Curriculum Committee member (2021-current).

Contributing to SAEM through AEUS has been a highly instructive and rewarding component of my academic work. Over time, I’ve come to learn that our membership is quite often our greatest asset. When we have properly oriented ourselves to effectively harnessing members’ interests and talents, we have been able to develop quality content and programming for our Academy. It is with this sense that I hope to serve on the Bylaws Committee. Engaging with membership at all levels is critical for the health and vitality of SAEM and this extends to the Bylaws Committee as well. The October 2023 webinar focusing on the Bylaws Committee was a tangible example of demonstrating the scope of the committee to membership at large. My goal would be to find additional avenues for member communication and involvement within the scope of the Bylaws Committee’s work. This could include direct communication with SAEM members about our work, such as in submissions to the SAEM Pulse. This could also include updating members on our efforts and our determinations as we work through the SAEM bylaws and make recommendations to the SAEM board. As bylaws can often seem nebulous to the outsider, it would be interesting to create a quick guide for members to easily get a sense of what the key bylaws are and how they support SAEM’s work. One could also envision occasional ‘bylaw highlight’ communications to members, wherein we seek to highlight a particular bylaw’s scope and importance.

In addition to the above, I certainly appreciate that the Bylaws Committee is one that requires a critical eye and close attention to detail. This is work to be undertaken in a serious and scrutinizing fashion, as the wording and content of the bylaws will undoubtedly have ongoing effects on SAEM’s missions and functions. My goal would be to provide clarity and visibility of the SAEM bylaws, particularly those that might be subject to introduction or amendment. All potential impacts of a bylaw addition or amendment should be thoroughly considered. Ensuring clarity of communication of these impacts to the Board of Directors and other relevant parties would be an ongoing focus of these efforts. Through this work, I would hope to assist the committee in working through each individual bylaw to assess its history, current status, relevance, and appropriateness into the future. The objective would be to not rest on the assumption that the current bylaws are the correct ones into the future, but rather to assess each one for current applicability and long term viability.

Michael Gottlieb, MD

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

Rush University Medical Center

As an educator, researcher, and long-standing active member of SAEM, I am honored to be considered for the SAEM Bylaws Committee. Over the past decade, my commitment to SAEM has been evident through my involvement in various committees, including the Program Committee, Research Committee, Abstracts Subcommittee, Faculty Development Committee, and Digital Innovation Task Force. I am also a regular contributor to the annual SAEM Strategic Planning sessions. I have served as Chair of the Education Summit, an annual education-focused conference within the Scientific Assembly, and currently serve as the Director of Learner Assessment and Program Evaluation for the SAEM Advanced Research Methodology, Evaluation and Design in Medical Education (ARMED MedEd) program. Based upon these efforts, I was honored to receive the SAEM Program Committee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advance the Specialty of Academic Emergency Medicine.

My commitment extends beyond SAEM, where I have held national leadership positions in AAEM, ACEP, CORD, ICEP, and SCUF. These roles have provided me with a detailed understanding of organizational bylaws and their pivotal role. As the ACEP EUS section chair, I successfully led the revision of several key policies, including the ultrasound use and transesophageal echocardiography policy statements. Serving as the Publication Committee Chair for the CDC-funded INSPIRE program, I collaborated with a geographically-dispersed group to develop robust guidelines and charters guiding collaborative publications and design.

 If selected for the Bylaws Committee, I will leverage this experience and my robust network to provide thorough and thoughtful recommendations to the Board. I will focus on improving collaboration across groups and ensuring the delivery of excellent, evidence-based, and equitable care to the communities we serve. I am excited about the prospect of contributing my skills and insights to the Bylaws Committee and look forward to the opportunity to play a meaningful role in advancing the mission of SAEM. Thank you for considering my candidacy.

Michael D. Brown, MD, MSc

SAEM Bylaws Committee Member

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

As professor and chair of the Department of EM at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, I have continued to be an active member of SAEM and AACEM. Over the last 3 decades, I have served in a variety of roles including the Governmental Affairs Committee, External Collaboration Committee (Chair), Finance Committee, Foundation Board of Trustees, and Chair of the Evidenced Based Healthcare and Implementation Interest Group. Having recently completed 5 years of service on the AACEM Executive Committee which included one year as President, I understand the critical importance of organizational bylaws. It was pointed out by one of my fellow Executive Committee members that I have an eye for detail which is critical when reviewing bylaws for proposed changes.

Daniel N. Jourdan, MD, NRP

Resident Member

Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit

Emergency Medicine has always been my calling – four years as a special operations soldier, five as a street paramedic and now my fourth year of residency – I knew I wanted to do EM and continue operating on the frontlines of medicine even before starting undergrad. As such, it has been my pleasure to serve as President of the RAMS Board. Prior to that, I spent three years as a RAMS Board Member-at-Large. My involvement has enabled participation in a multitude of projects from starting an online residency fair in response to COVID travel restrictions to advocating for better understanding of and guidelines for Advance Practice Providers in Academic Emergency Departments. As Board President, I have focused on improving the efficiency and efficacy of a maturing board; specifically on professionalizing the efforts of the Board with focus on measures to increase the boards potential success in their selected efforts via increased use of online voting, task forces and dedicated agenda setting. This has freed up board members times to enable them to better focus on their respective interests.


However, the challenges facing the specialty continue to grow: an uncertain future job market, unchecked growth of residency training slots, prolonged boarding, diminishing psychiatric resources and continued mid-level encroachment. All factors which certainly contributed to the precipitous drop in EM applicants over the past few years. Yet, these challenges are not insurmountable. I am running for Resident Member to the SAEM Board because I believe we need to do more in the face of these challenges. My prior experience as a leader of RAMS will allow me to effectively voice Resident and Medical Student concerns to the SAEM Board and advocate for my constituents. With the avalanche of challenges facing the profession, I think it more important than ever that the elected leaders of SAEM focus their efforts on meeting the needs of its members with strategic efforts and goal driven advocacy.


As the Resident Member to the SAEM Board, I believe you occupy a crucial position to advise the SAEM Board on RAMS Members' concerns. My years of experience on the RAMS Board enables me to bring a seasoned and experienced voice to speak for Residents and Medical Students to the SAEM Board. I will ensure our RAMS Members have a spot at the table where decisions regarding their future are being made and ensure solutions incorporate our input. I will continue to advocate for limits on mid-level encroachment, stricter guidelines on residency program growth and against the further corporatization of medicine. Most important, I will ensure SAEM continues to meet its RAMS members where they are – providing resources, opportunities and advocacy in line with our members’ needs.

James H. Paxton, MD, MBA

Member-at-Large

Wayne State University School of Medicine

I have been active within SAEM since 2008, serving on the SAEM Awards, By-Laws, Grants, Program, and Research Committees. For the last three years, I have served as Chair of the Research Committee and a member of the SAEM Bylaws Committee. The overarching theme of my work with SAEM has been to seek out novel ways to combine research and teaching. Within the Research Committee, I led the development of the inaugural Advanced Research Methodology, Evaluation and Design (ARMED) course, grew the Research Learning Series (RLS) from an abandoned concept into a monthly webinar series, prioritized the development of ARMED MedEd, led efforts to improve communication with federal funding agencies, formed initiatives to promote female and URiM EM researchers, and advocated for improved access to federal funding for acute care and medical education research. As Chair of the Bylaws Committee, I have learned to balance respect for our legacy and rich history as an organization representing academic EM physicians with the need to periodically review our mission as a modern organization. Since SAEM’s birth in 1989, we have grown and developed into a mature organization with different needs and priorities than our founders could have anticipated. Board members are charged with guiding the continued evolution of SAEM to ensure that our organization remains relevant in the modern world and continues to address the needs of our current members without losing sight of our mission to advance academic EM. If elected to the Board of Directors, I will continue to seek out novel ways to bring researchers and educators together. I will advocate for unity and collaboration within our organization, recognizing that each member of SAEM brings something valuable to our organization.

My educational background is fairly straightforward. I received my MD (2004) and MBA (2005) degrees from the University of Cincinnati, and completed EM residency at Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, Michigan). Since completing residency, I have worked clinically in the EDs at Detroit Receiving Hospital (DRH) and Sinai-Grace Hospital (SGH). I am currently an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine and DRH Director of Clinical Research. I recently completed a five-year term as Chair of the WSU MP2 Institutional Review Board (IRB), and am an active clinical researcher. I believe that my experiences in business administration, regulatory policy, and research administration will make me a well-rounded and valuable member of the Board.

If elected, I will continue to advocate for those who don’t yet feel represented within our SAEM membership and the broader EM community. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given to serve SAEM, and feel that these experiences have helped me to develop the confidence and competency that I needed as a clinician, scholar, and leader. But not everyone has had the same opportunities that I have had. As a Board member, I would work towards improving that situation by helping to create new leadership opportunities for individuals from a broad range of backgrounds, including those currently under-represented within our organization’s leadership, and empowering them to lead in their own way. SAEM has many incredible, talented and valuable members who currently feel marginalized or excluded from realizing their true potential within SAEM. As a member of the Board, I would prioritize finding and engaging those who want to help but have not yet been given the chance.

Navdeep Sekhon, MD

Associate Professor & Clerkship Director

Baylor College of Medicine

Navdeep Sekhon, MD, is an Associate Professor and Clerkship Director (EM Clerkship) at the Baylor College of Medicine Henry J. N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine. Sekhon did medical school at the University of California at San Diego and residency at East Carolina University. He has been advising medical students interested in emergency medicine since 2016. Sekhon is currently a Member-at-Large for the Executive Committee of Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine (CDEM).

Joseph House, MD

Bylaws Committee Member

University of Michigan Medical School

Joseph House, MD attended medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, MI. He completed residency at East Carolina University/Brody School of Medicine. During residency He realized he enjoyed education and Pediatrics and completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at University of Michigan. After fellowship he joined the faculty at University of Michigan working in both the Adult and Children’s Emergency Department. Currently Dr. House is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics and has served as Director of Medical Student Education in the Department of Emergency Medicine for the last 12 years.

For the last 5 years, he has served as a member of the Executive Committee for Clerkship Directors in Emergency Medicine and is currently completing his Immediate Past President role in May 2025. During his tenure as Clerkship Director and on the CDEM EC, He has seen many changes in Emergency Medicine. He has been involved in revision to the Standardized Letter of Evaluation and currently is a member of the SAEM Workforce Committee looking into why there has been a decrease in applicants to Emergency Medicine. He has always prioritized the sharing of knowledge and for the last several years has presented at SAEM “Clerkship Director Bootcamp” sharing his experience and several other clerkship directors experiences and trying to improve medical student education. He has also been the Co-Director for the Medical Student Symposium trying to make students are ready to apply to Emergency Medicine.

Dr. House is interested in running for SAEM Bylaws Committee as he has seen the importance of SAEM as a member and as CDEM EC. He wants to see SAEM continue to support its members research interests with grants and mentorship. He would also like to continue seeing SAEM sponsor the Workforce Committee and encourage it to look at the next steps, ie how can SAEM work to improve the working environment of academic medical centers, how can we continue to show the value of an academic provider, and how can we help to train and interact with Advanced Practice Providers; we know there will continue to be more APPs working in academic EDs. SAEM has sponsored work looking into why the drop of applicants, but now needs to look into how to increase the number, quality, and diversity of applicants into the specialty.

Jody A. Vogel, MD, MSc, MSW

President-Elect

Stanford University

It is an honor to be considered for SAEM President-Elect. It is an exciting and transformative time in our specialty with challenges and opportunities in our workforce, crowding within the healthcare system, ensuring a strong researcher pipeline, promoting provider well-being, and the evolution of our practice across acute care medicine. In this era, thoughtful and strategic leadership is necessary. As a long-standing leader in the Society, I have led multiple successful initiatives and would be honored to serve you as President-Elect engaging and supporting members while advancing the mission of the Society and our specialty.

I am Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University. I completed residency training at the Denver Health Medical Center, and a research fellowship at the Denver Health Medical Center and University of Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine.

Over the course of my career, I have been an active contributor and leader within the Society. As a resident, I served as the Resident Member of the Board of Directors. As a faculty member, I have had the privilege of serving in many leadership roles, including my current service as Secretary-Treasurer on the Board of Directors and four years as Member-at-Large on the Board of Directors. Additional highlights of my contributions to the Society include eleven years of dedicated service on the SAEM Program Committee, including two years as SAEM Program Committee Chair, service as a member and leader within numerous committees, academies, and task forces, and leader of multiple national-level initiatives and strategic planning sessions to enhance emergency care education and research. I am also a member of the Academic Emergency Medicine Editorial Board. Through these excellent experiences and multiple leadership roles, I came to understand the essential role of the Society in advancing academic emergency medicine through education, innovation, and research. Moreover, I came to fully appreciate the benefits of the collaborative relationships developed through the Society which foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas that help improve patient care.

My goals for supporting members and advancing the Society and specialty are multifaceted. The first goal is to ensure high-quality education, networking, and faculty development for all members to help facilitate the leadership skills necessary to advance our specialty. The second goal is to increase research opportunities for investigators with the intent of increasing competitive, successful applications for federal research grants. I would advocate for expanded research training opportunities (R38, T32, K12), and actively engage as President-Elect with the National Institutes of Health and other federal funding agencies to increase funding for emergency care research. Third, I would continue to encourage active participation by junior faculty, residents, and students within the Society so they may benefit from the Society’s valuable resources as they become the future leaders in our specialty. Early mentorship through the Society is vital for the development of these future academicians who will carry forth the Society’s mission. Finally, I would work to continue to strengthen our relationships and engagement with other emergency medicine organizations as collegiality and collaboration is key to our specialty’s success.

The Society has played an integral role in my development as an academician, and as President-Elect, I would encourage and foster opportunities for this same development for others so they may also benefit from the Society’s rich resources. My overall goal would be to strengthen the role of the Society as an influential leader in providing and advocating for emergency care research, education, and grants. I fully appreciate the many outstanding opportunities afforded by the Society, and it would be an honor to serve you as President-Elect.

Michelle D. Lall, MD, MHS

President-Elect

Emory University

As SAEM continues to grow and evolve, my involvement in various capacities within the organization provides valuable insights and a deep understanding of its inner workings. In alignment with SAEM's mission promoting high-quality research and educational innovation in emergency care, my aspiration to facilitate increased member engagement is crucial for advancing the field and promoting positive change within academic Emergency Medicine. My continued dedication to SAEM and desire to serve as its President is a testament to my commitment to the organization and its mission. My extensive experience as a Member-At-Large on the Board of Directors, along with my current role as Secretary/Treasurer, positions me as a highly qualified candidate to take on the role of President. Continuing my work on the executive committee as President is a natural next step in my journey to advance SAEM and academic Emergency Medicine as a whole.

Within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, I have made significant professional impact. Through my leadership and involvement in various committees, task forces, and academies I have contributed to the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the specialty, as well as the promotion of scientific discovery, education, and professional development. My service as the Inaugural Chair of the All Emergency Medicine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, as well as my past role as the board representative to the Industry Advisory Council, underscores my commitment to fostering collaboration and driving positive change in the field. My leadership within the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) and recognition through awards such as the AWAEM Momentum Award and Outstanding Research Publication Award further highlight my dedication to advancing the role of women in academic emergency medicine. Moreover, my involvement with the Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine and the SAEM Research Equity Task Force Equity demonstrates my commitment to promoting inclusivity and addressing disparities within the field. I have significantly contributed to the organization’s mission and vision, through participation in various SAEM committees, including the Education Committee, Wellness Committee, and Equity and Inclusion Committee. My dedication to SAEM and my opportunities for leadership within the organization has made a meaningful impact on my professional development and the organization.

My background and experience as a Professor, Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, former Associate Residency Director and Medical Education Fellowship Director in Emergency Medicine at Emory University demonstrates my deep commitment to academic emergency medicine. The emphasis on fostering increased inclusion, bridging the generational gap, and addressing the evolving needs of the EM workforce reflects a forward-thinking approach to leadership in the field. I recognize the importance of thoughtful and deliberate leadership in academia, especially in the context of the ever-changing landscape of emergency medicine. Pushing the envelope of innovation, education, research, and scholarship is crucial to advance the specialty and meet the challenges and opportunities it presents.

My passion and experience position me well to contribute to the continued growth and success of SAEM. Through collaborative leadership and a long-standing commitment to the organization, I am well suited for the role of President. It would be my privilege to continue serving on the Executive Committee of the SAEM Board of Directors as President. In this role, it would be my honor to lead our members in making a significant impact on the field of emergency medicine.

Sara Engel, MBA

AAAEM Member-at-Large Candidate

Medical College of Wisconsin

It is my honor to be considered to serve on the AAAEM Executive Committee as member-at-large. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my career so far to be part of this group and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting my colleagues, learning as part of the CAEMA program, and serving on both the benchmark and the education committees over the last few months. I believe my combination of education (MBA), healthcare industry experience ( and leadership experience (12 years, 10 of which in management roles) have equipped me well to serve this great organization as we continue to grow and expand. I hope to be able to bring useful outside perspective as I am new to Emergency Medicine, but have worked in the department of medicine and especially in internal medicine prior to joining emergency medicine. My goal would be to help further the goals of the board and especially continue to engage current and future members. I would hope to engage organizations that are not currently members, showcasing the benefits of membership as I have experienced them. Thank you for your consideration.

Diane C. Lee, DBA, MBA

Member-at-Large

Jefferson Einstein Hospital

I am the Administrator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Einstein Hospital, a safety net healthcare hospital serving over 120,000 patients annually at emergency departments in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania. In addition to providing leadership for strategic planning, financial oversight, program development, and business opportunities, my administrative responsibilities extend to support for the department divisions and management of emergency medical services contracts, ultrasound sonography, toxicology services, clinical research studies, and medical education programs. In addition, revenue cycle management has been a keen operational initiative focusing on billing education and high-quality documentation. The successful partnership with our external coding company has served as a model strategy to adopt for emergency medicine clinical shared services in the larger health system.

Civic engagement is paramount for an academic community medical center situated in North Philadelphia, serving one of the most diverse and disadvantaged communities in the US. Our work with Vot-ER, a nonpartisan organization committed to bringing voter registration into health care settings, has galvanized the patients to be active participants on policies impacting their lives.

Our Emergency Dept is also impacted by the considerable number of trauma patients we treat, especially young adults. As a Level 1 Trauma Center, we care for nearly 2000 trauma victims each year with a broad range of mechanisms including gunshot wounds, falls, blunt trauma, and penetrating injuries. To address these needs in providing a support system, a Trauma Intervention Program was established to provide intensive follow-up care to young people aged 14-30 who have been treated for violence related injuries. The program aims to help these patients recover from the substantial social and psychological effects of violence. Driving innovative health solutions for underserved populations has also involved supporting community health opioid use disorder programs.

With over 20 years’ experience in diverse healthcare environments including primary and specialty care services, community health centers, academic hospital based ambulatory sites and private practices, I led key organizational initiatives involving implementation of system processes to optimize operational and financial performance with a continued focus on employed population health management to impact health outcomes. However, it has been the complexity of emergency medicine healthcare management that has afforded the most rewarding experience in the coordination of delivery of services, quality and safety, people, volume/growth, finance, and academics.

I earned a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

My doctoral research that focused on the adoption of medical patient portals for an underserved population utilizing the emergency department for medical care and medical information provided insight for the daily work of the clinical team to promote a positive patient experience.

My active AAAEM membership for the past seven years and part of the Executive Committee as a Member-at Large has shaped my professional trajectory in emergency medicine tremendously. Working in the discipline lends itself to immeasurable professional opportunities, but it is the work of the Executive Committee leading the organizational team with cross boundary group collaboration that is most illuminating. Planning for the annual retreats, setting operational guidelines and standards, seeking to make the Academy stronger through Committee initiatives are all benefits of serving on the Leadership team. Further, my participation on the IDEA Committee reinforces the Academy’s priority as an inclusive supportive organization for professionals in emergency medicine. I am honored to have served and feel even more prepared to leverage my experience and contribute to ideas and strategies for garnering engagement in furthering the goals that align with the Academy’s mission.

Frank Jurkiewicz, MBA

Secretary

University of Florida, College of Medicine - Gainesville

I am grateful for the opportunity to be considered for the executive committee. With over 15 years of experience in leadership roles within academic and community healthcare, especially in emergency medicine, I am committed to supporting AAAEM’s mission through strategic initiatives that elevate clinical care, education, and research while ensuring financial and operational integrity. My background includes an MBA and an Academic Emergency Medicine Administration Certification, and in my current role as Executive Administrator/Vice Chair for Administrative Affairs, I work closely with department and system leaders to foster a thriving healthcare environment.

As the chair of AAAEM’s Education and Professional Development Committee, I focus on promoting knowledge-sharing through “hot topic” sessions that address current challenges and opportunities. My service on the Benchmark Committee, as well as previous experience chairing the Communication Committee, has helped me understand the value of data-driven insights and effective communication in strengthening our collective efforts. Outside of AAAEM, I am deeply committed to mentoring future leaders and was involved in creating a 2-year Healthcare Administrative Fellowship at the University of Florida.

If elected, my goal is to contribute to a dynamic, forward-thinking AAAEM that remains supportive, engaging, and welcoming to all members, especially newcomers. By continually enhancing our events and fostering a sense of connection, we can inspire excitement and a feeling of belonging across our membership. It would be a privilege to bring new perspectives and work alongside colleagues to uphold and advance our shared mission.

Thank you for considering my nomination.

Brendan Russell, MBA

Treasurer

Mass General Brigham

​Brendan Russell serves as the enterprise vice president of emergency medicine for the Mass General Brigham health system in Boston, Massachusetts. In this role, he oversees an integrated emergency medicine service comprising two academic medical center emergency departments (EDs), seven community hospital EDs, and one specialty hospital ED. ​

Russell earned his Master of Business Administration from Boston College in 2015 and graduated from the AAAEM Certificate in Academic Emergency Medicine Administration (CAEMA) program in 2021. ​

Russell has actively contributed to AAAEM, serving as secretary, and a member-at-large on the executive committee, participating in the finance and benchmark committees, and acting as vice chair of the education committee.