Yale EM has prodigious showing at SAEM24

The Yale Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) shone brightly at the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) 2024 Annual Meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona. More than 45 Yale EM faculty, fellows and residents participated in the largest national and international forum for the presentation of original education and research in academic emergency medicine, offering innovative didactic sessions, oral presentations, E-posters, and leading workshops. DEM faculty and fellows received an unprecedented number of awards from SAEM, a testament to the incredible talent and expertise in the department.

DEM faculty member Karen Jubanyik, MD, was honored with the prestigious Hal Jayne Excellence in Education Award, recognizing her significant contributions to EM education; Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, received the Public Health Leadership Award for her outstanding work in advancing public health through emergency medicine, and Cameron Gettel, MD, MHS, received the Early Investigator Award for his substantial research contributions. David Yang, MD, MHS, was recognized with the Fellow Award in EMS, highlighting his contributions to emergency medical services.

With over 50 presentations, topics spanned a wide scope of leading research in every aspect of the field of EM ranging from patient safety and quality, to geriatrics, to health equity and disparities. To highlight a few: Gail D’Onofrio, MD, MS, discussed the safety and tolerability of using extended-release, seven-day injectable buprenorphine for minimal opioid withdrawal in the emergency department (ED). Je Ryong Im, BS, a post graduate associate working with Cristiana Baloescu MD, MPH, and Chris Moore, MD, presented on the association between B-line severity at initial presentation and subsequent readmissions for heart failure. Douglas Taylor Barber, MD, explored the feasibility of venous excess ultrasound in the ED. Doreen Agboh, MD, examined clinical practice patterns of the emergency physician workforce before and after attrition from clinical medicine. Caitlin Ryus, MD, MPH, delved into the complexity of homelessness in emergency medicine by dissecting myths, discussing evidence, and identifying solutions to address multifaceted challenges. Mina Hesami, MD, discussed the use of natural language processing to identify which incidental lung nodules found on ED chest CT require follow-up. Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS, shared his expertise on leveraging large language models, artificial intelligence, and natural language processing in multiple clinical environments.

The Academy of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM) recognized Pooja Agrawal, MD, MPH, for her exceptional support and influence on the recruitment, promotion, retention, and advancement of women in academic EM, with the inaugural AWAEM Mentor Award; Rebekah Heckmann, MD, MPH, MPA, was awarded the AWAEM Early Career Research Award, and Alina Tsyrulnik, MD, received the Momentum Award for her extraordinary service to AWAEM. Sarah Perman, MD, MSCE, was recognized for her outstanding editorial and perspective contributions as the First Author of the article ‘Dissecting the Complex Association Between Age and Sex in Cardiac Arrest Outcomes – Age Disparity, Sex Disparity, or All of the Above?’.

Jessica Bod, MD, was awarded the CDEM Clerkship Director of the Year for her exceptional leadership in medical education and Raphael Sherak, MD, MPH, won the SAEM Resident Research Award for his study 'Azithromycin is More Cost-Effect Than Doxycycline to Treat Women with Chlamydia in the Emergency Department'.

Yale’s Ultrasound Section swept the research awards from the Academy of Emergency Ultrasound (AEUS), showcasing their excellence in the field. Christopher L. Moore, MD, received the AEUS Titan in Research Award, Cristiana Baloescu, MD, MPH, was honored with the AEUS Powerhouse in Research Award, and Zachary Boivin, MD, received the AEUS Fellow Research Award.

The Yale DEM’s presence was further highlighted by the SonoGames, where the team "Formal Echos," consisting of Madison Nashu, MD, MS, Douglas Barber, MD, and Jorge Zaldivar, MD, placed in the top six out of over 70 teams. The SonoGames is an exciting and educational ultrasound competition organized by Rachel Liu, BAO, MBBCh, drawing hundreds of EM residents to showcase their mastery of point-of-care ultrasound skills.

“SAEM24 epitomized the success and breadth of the Yale Emergency Medicine family”, said DEM Chair, Arjun Venkatesh, MD, MBA, MHS. “I was touched to see faculty and trainees of past and present connect and share wisdom and camaraderie at the annual Yale EM Alumni Association event, and I was beyond proud of the numerous awards, scientific presentations and program contributions of our family to the broader national academic emergency medicine community”.

The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the improvement of care for the acutely ill and injured patients by leading the advancement of academic emergency medicine through education, research, advocacy, and professional development. To learn more, visit saem.org.