Yale emergency medicine physicians Arjun K. Venkatesh, M.D., and Edward R. Melnick, M.D., were awarded two of four Young Investigator Awards this year by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. This national honor is presented to investigators who have demonstrated commitment and achievement in research during the early stages of their academic careers.
Venkatesh and Melnick fit the bill. Venkatesh is nationally known for his development of performance measures designed to improve emergency department, hospital, and health system outcomes. His research focuses on studying variation in emergency physician decision making on hospital admission from the Emergency Department.
Melnick's research focuses on the role of empathy in clinical care, electronic health record usability, and the treatment of concussions. Melnick aims to improve clinical decisions around mild traumatic brain injuries by shifting the paradigm for concussion care in the emergency department from unnecessary diagnostic imaging to better aftercare.
“We are honored to have not one, but two of our faculty recognized for this prestigious award," said Gail D’Onofrio, M.D., M.S., chair of emergency medicine. “It’s a reflection of their outstanding commitment to emergency care research and achievement, as well as to the advancement of excellence in quality and patient safety.”
The awards were officially presented to Venkatesh and Melnick at the society's annual meeting in Orlando on May 17.