Not displaying correctly? View online.

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE NEWSLETTER

FALL 2024

As we head into the holiday season, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our EM family. Yet another extraordinary year of growth and expanded opportunities. Through your collective effort, dedication, and passion, we continue to surpass all expectations and create positive impacts within our department, organization, and broader community. It is only through your commitment to excellence, team collaboration, and relentless effort that we have been able to achieve such remarkable success. Thank you so much for all your hard work! 

As we reflect on our achievements, please join me in celebrating some of the highlights of the last few months:

Our education team welcomes Dr. Allison Beaulieu as the new Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency, and Dr. TJ Hartridge joins the APD team. We also recognize Dr. Susan Stroud’s immense contributions to the past success of the residency program. We now have a full-fledged residency program with 36 residents, offering broader experiences for our trainees. The EM core clerkship in Emergency Medicine has kicked off its second year, led by Dr. Alyrene Dorey and Dr. Christine Raps. This rotation provides all our medical students the opportunity to learn from the broad field of Emergency Medicine. Our fellowships are going strong, having just completed another successful round of recruitments with amazing candidates. 

On the research front, we wholeheartedly welcome three new tenure-track faculty members: Drs. Helen Palatinus, Jason Tanner, and Patrick Hughes. We celebrate the inaugural university-wide RAC challenge, which brought together innovators from both health sciences and the main campus. This event was a huge success for the university and was spearheaded by our own Dr. Austin Johnson, with three of our faculty winning seed funding! Renovations to our translational resuscitation research lab are underway, with planned completion in early 2025. This renovation will allow for expanded research opportunities and collaborative efforts with other internal and external research groups. 

Our clinical team has continued to refine the Rapid Assessment Zone and the staffing matrix to ensure we meet patient demands and maximize growth and exposure opportunities for our learners. The team continues to work hard to meet the demands of an increasing census and explore innovative ways to manage our ever-growing community. We also welcome two new Section Chiefs to our leadership group: Dr. Chris Kelly (US Section Chief) and Dr. Ryan Ernst (Global EM Section Chief). 

Please see below for more details on all the amazing work of our teams! 

Dr. Christy Hopkins

West Valley City: 25-bed Emergency Department, expected groundbreaking early 2025, with anticipated opening in 2028. 

Faculty FARA Workshop: February 5, 2025. Time to collaborate and update your FARA materials just ahead of Faculty Check-in’s. 

Future Faculty Meeting Dates:

November 18th - 10 am-11:30 am

December 16th – 10 am-11:30 am

January 13th – 10 am- 11:30 am

February 24th – 10am-11:30 am

March 24th – 10am- 11:30 am

April 21st – 10a – 11:30 am 

2024 Faculty Promotions: Congratulations!! 

2025 Faculty Promotion: On Deck -- Dr. Chris Kelly

DOEM Operations Innovation Award: 

Dr. Micah Ownbey

DOEM Residency Rockstar Award: 

Dr. Christine Raps

DOEM Informatics Award:     

Dr. Keaton Morgan

DOEM Educational Excellence Award: 

Dr. Jamal Jones

DOEM Early Investigator Award: 

Dr. Helen Palatinus

DOEM Community Faculty MVP Award: 

Dr. Gerry Doyle

Dr. Ryan Ernst: Global Health Section Chief - joining DOEM in November 2024

Dr. Ernst completed his training at Sinai Grace in Detroit, Michigan, and previously worked as faculty at the University of California San Francisco Fresno. He served as the Director of the Global EM Education fellowship at UCSF Fresno, which focused on teaching EM in countries where it is not a well-developed specialty, with collaborations in Vietnam, Guatemala, and Kenya. He also serves as the Director of Education for EM:RAP Global Outreach and is the creator and director of a global scholar’s program, which mentors international junior EM faculty. He has a strong clinical interest in trauma resuscitation and was the co-creator and co-director of the EM:RAP Trauma Fundamentals conference. He was recently an instructor for trauma care for the Diploma in Mountain Medicine in Nepal. He enjoys many of the common outdoor pursuits such as skiing, climbing, and mountain biking, and is currently working on his surfing and tomato growing.

Felicia Gutierrez PA

I recently moved to SLC from Philadelphia in June and have been loving it! I moved here for the mountains because I love to hike, camp, and snowboard. My family lives an hour north of Philadelphia in a town called Doylestown and they have been visiting me pretty frequently, so I haven’t been too home sick yet. I have a younger sister who is in her third year of law school at Penn and currently studying abroad in Spain (luckily I was able to visit her while she was there!). My dad loves climbing and snowboarding so he’s beyond happy I moved here and although my mom doesn't love the outdoors, she’s happy to visit as well.

Congratulations to Dr. Allison Beaulieu who has accepted the position of EM Residency Program Director! Since joining the faculty at the University of Utah, Dr. Beaulieu has started a medical education fellowship, helped to initiate and implement a standardized residency interview and recruitment tool, and represented our Residency Program at a national level. Her enthusiasm for medical education and vision for residency program will serve to bolster and elevate our already amazing residency.

Dr. TJ Hartridge has accepted the position of Assistant Program Director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program! TJ graduated from the University of Utah EM Residency Program and then went on to complete his EM fellowship in Wilderness Medicine. He has been serving as the assistant Wilderness Medicine Fellowship Director and as one of the Learning Community Coaches for the School of Medicine. Dr. Hartridge will be a strong addition to our amazing residency leadership team. Welcome TJ!! 

CORD 2025: Congratulations to all our faculty and fellows who will be presenting at the upcoming CORD conference! Accepted speakers include: Drs. Brian Merritt, Rowan Kelner and Christine Raps.  Drs. Megan Fix and Allie Beaulieu will be running the New Programs and Leaders Track for CORD. 

 

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Morgan: Awarded a HRSA grant to initiate a street Medicine experience for the School of Medicine!

 

 

 

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Evola: Accepted into the Anesthesia Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Utah, our first UU resident from EM to match in this program!

 

 

Wilderness Medicine Fellows: 

Dr. Brendan Lutz

Dr. David Cabaniss

Medical Education Fellow: 

Dr. Julia Ruggieri

Global Health Fellow: 

Dr. Alex Gallaer

EM Ultrasound Fellow: 

Dr. Matthew Suzor

EMS Fellows: 

Dr. Seth Illu

Dr. William Pau

Research Fellow: 

Dr. Caitlin Roake

Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellow: 

TBD spring 2025

Sports Medicine Fellow: 

TBD spring 2025

 

The heart and soul of our residency program began with one remarkable individual—Dr. Susan Stroud. From the very start, she uplifted those around her, dedicating herself to the success and growth of her residents.

When asked about the secret to our residency’s success…the answer is clear: it is the culture of community and belonging that Susan so passionately fostered and fiercely protected.

Her legacy forms the bedrock of our residency and radiates through all our trainees, who now hail from all corners of the world. As we look forward to the new adventures that retirement will bring for Dr. Stroud, we also take a moment to reflect on the countless lives she has touched and the indelible mark she has left behind!

“Susan took a chance on me as a resident and changed the trajectory of my life. She saw something in me, and allowed me the chance to prove my worth here at the U.”

“Your made residency one of the best experiences of my life. I still follow your rules of never letting trainees pay and bringing food to the night shift!”

“Susan Stroud is my guardian angel. After hitting rock bottom in life, I reached out to Susan for a life, career, and location change. I was asking Susan to take a huge chance on me and to give me a second chance. She honestly just showed me love, acceptance and understanding. Thank you, Susan, for seeing the good in all people.”

“Susan has worked tirelessly for the residency program over the past 15 years. I will always appreciate what she has done for me and for all other residents whose lives she has changed for the better.”

“I still remember showing up to the residency retreat and really feeling for the first time, ‘these are my people.’ Susan was a huge part of that feeling.”

 “Residency is really hard, but with a leader like Susan, we always knew we would reach the finish line.”

 “From our very first interaction during my residency interview, you have always helped me prioritize my family and self. You looked at my interview packet and then at me and told me to prioritize my bad a** wife and family.”

 “Thank you for always advocating for me and my fellow residents and always having our backs!”

Dr. Robert Stephen:   

ACEP National Emergency Medicine Excellence in Bedside Teaching Award

 

 

Dr. Megan Fix: 

ACEP teaching awesomeness! 

 

ACEP Airway Lab: 

Great work Megan Fix, Allison Beaulieu, Patrick Hughes, Graham Brant-Zawadzki, and Brian Merritt! 

 

 

Class of 2025 - ACEP Las Vegas! 

Dr. Morgan Ketterling

Dr. Alex Gallaer

Dr. Chris Evola

Dr. Julia Ruggieri

Residency Leadership Positions: Way to Represent!

Josh Berko - EMRA representative, UCEP Board Member

Christopher Evola - UCEP Board Member

Ashlynn Felker - Air National Guard Member

Alex Gallaer- EMRA Representative, UCEP Board Member, Global EM Leadership Program Board Member

Harsh Singh - ACEOP Conference Chair, EMRA Program Representative

Maiya Smith - EMRA*Cast Fellow, U of U Undergrad EMS Medical Director

Julia Ruggieri - CORD Board of Directors

Lindsey Fell- Wilderness Medicine track co-lead 

Tierra Lynch - Wilderness Medicine track co-lead 

Maiya Smith will be publishing an episode on EMRA*Cast on Weight Loss Drugs, coming Nov 1st! You can listen on Spotify! 

Alex Gallaer & Julia Ruggieri are working with Chris Kelly, Cole Sloan & Khalil Ford and just got IRB approval on their pilot project studying the feasibility of a direct oral challenge for mild penicillin allergies in the ED

Tierra Lynch & Lindsey Fell are working with TJ Hartridge & MS2 Sarah on a resident introduction to heuristics and biases and their implication on clinical decision making in the backcountry

Lindsey Fell published: A Survey of Ski Patrols in the United States Comparing Medical Direction, Patroller Training, and Patient Care (1st author, Wilderness and Environmental Medicine)

Hello everyone, and Happy November (aka ski season)! 

It has been a busy fall, and as you all know, the residents have been working super hard in the department! We are always so grateful for the amazing educators and mentors we have the opportunity to work with at the U, and have loved working with new and old attendings and fellows so far this year. We wanted to take a moment to honor one amazing faculty member with the EM Clinical Educator of the Quarter! This is a resident driven initiative that was previously done intermittently last year, and we are now aiming to do this once a quarter. All of the EM residents were asked to vote a few weeks ago for one faculty member who they felt has been an awesome educator in the department the past couple of months. We wanted to take a second to honor and thank this person for their amazing mentorship and teaching. 

We are honored to award Dr. Rowan Kelner with the EM Clinical Educator of the Quarter! 

Please enjoy comments below from our residents:

"Rowan has acted as a role model as long as I have known him. As a senior resident I looked up to his expansive medical knowledge and confidence in the department. Now as an attending, he is one of my favorite people to work with. Rowan encourages you to ask “why” you make decisions. He is always up to date on the latest and greatest in evidence based medicine and he is incredibly dedicated to mentorship of learners. He is always willing to go above and beyond for residents in his role as an educator and as a friend. We are so lucky to have him! " - PGY3 Resident

"Rowan is an amazing on shift clinical educator - he has this unshakeable calm and collected demeanor, which gives us as residents the confidence and latitude to stretch ourselves to take on more responsibility and ownership of our patients while knowing we have the safety rails of an excellent attending backing us up.  He never hesitates to be available for on or off shift mentoring, and is an educator to the core - always having a teaching pearl in his back pocket. He’s encouraging, empathetic, and has “seasoned attending” vibes despite being easy in his career. He’s an awesome asset to our department, an advocate for residents, and an excellent educator. " - PGY2 Resident

"He's a legend" - PGY3 Resident

Amazing work from our research team! 11% increase in funding, 16 more grant proposals submitted this year, and a 47% increase in publications! Thanks to all the faculty and research team for all their hard work! 

Dr. Guillaume Hoareau, PhD, DVM: Freeze-Dried Mitochondria: Next Gen Trauma Care in Remote and Austere Settings. Award: 100k

Dr. Scott McIntosh, MD, MPH: FrostByte: A Wearable Temperature Monitoring System for Frostbite Prevention and Research. Award 100k

Dr. TJ Hartridge, DO: Development of a Venturi Field Suction Device. Award 100k

 

Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Tonna!

Named Department of Surgery Vice Chair of Research

Congratulations Dr. Palatinus! SIREN HONE-IT Scholar Training Program

“Impact of Intramuscular Epinephrine Injection Site on the Pharmacokinetics and Rate of Return of Spontaneous Circulation in a Swine Model of Cardiac Arrest”

$38,500 over 2 years

Congratulations Dr. Youngquist! Awarded Northwestern University R01 Subaward

 ”A Multi-Site Feasibility Trial of Embedded Emergency Department Physical Therapy for Back Pain” (FEED-PT)

$589,829 over 3 years

We're thrilled to welcome Kate Flynn as the new Research Program Coordinator in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Utah. This unique role will serve as a vital resource for faculty by supporting their mentorship of undergraduate, graduate, and resident trainees in research. Kate will bridge the gap between faculty and trainee researchers by streamlining project onboarding, organizing research opportunities, and managing a structured application and matching process.

The West Valley City Fire Department and the Salt Lake City Fire Department are now offering entry to the bridge program for opioid recovery in the field. In conjunction with USARA, paramedics in both service districts offer buprenorphine acutely for treatment of moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms and arrange for USARA to meet the patient on scene to enroll.

This week, Dr. Eric Swanson, Chief Medical Officer for AirMed, announced that Dr. Anna Ciullo has accepted the appointment of assistant AirMed medical director. Dr. Ciullo will be responsible for oversight of mechanical circulatory support, iSTAT, and critical care. 

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Ryba, who has accepted the position of Medical Director for Event and Disaster Medicine under the Section of EMS!

Dr. Ryba completed his EM training at the University of Wisconsin and then finished his EMS Fellowship here at the University of Utah. He is currently serving as the Associate Medical Director for the SLC Fire Department, where he leads the Fire Department’s QI/QA initiatives. Dr. Ryba has also been serving as Event Medicine Medical Director and has been instrumental in expanding this program to major venues, including the Delta Center and Maverick Center. Additionally, Dr. Ryba has been involved in the disaster response for the DOEM and broader disaster preparedness across in the Wasatch Front.

We are grateful to have Dr. Ryba expertise and look forward to him joining the DOEM faculty in July of 2024! 

 

New patches and uniforms for EMS faculty and fellows to wear in the field have been approved by Marketing.

 

The NHL has officially started! Our EMS teams are being trained and we appreciate all the faculty support!

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Kelly named US Section Chief!!

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Christopher Kelly as the new US Section Chief for Emergency Medicine. Dr. Kelly completed his residency and ultrasound fellowship at the University of Utah and has previously served as the Ultrasound Fellowship Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is a dedicated educator, enhancing both resident and fellow education in emergency medicine and ultrasound. Dr. Kelly has been honored with the University of Utah Medical Center Faculty Award for Outstanding Contribution to Resident Education.

His research focuses on resuscitative medicine, ultrasonography (particularly point-of-care echocardiography), and pulmonary embolism. In addition to his numerous publications in these areas, he serves as a journal article reviewer for several esteemed journals and has presented at international echocardiography summits. We are grateful for his significant contributions to the field of Emergency Medicine and look forward to his leadership taking our US Section to new heights!

Mountain Medicine Symposium 2024 - Silverton, CO :

Every year, our Wilderness Medicine Fellowship team heads to Silverton for the Mountain Medicine Symposium—a gathering dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, rescue techniques, and education in challenging mountain environments.

This year, our Director, Dr. Scott McIntosh, delivered an outstanding presentation on Avalanche Rescue & Resuscitation, sharing life-saving insights for avalanche incidents. Fellow Dr. Molly Enenbach also led an essential Cervical Spine Management lecture, providing critical knowledge for handling spine injuries in remote settings.

We're proud to be part of this incredible learning experience, growing our skills to better serve in the wilderness.

 

Congratulations to Dr. Hartridge who has authored a section in Accidents in North American Climbing 2024 which details first aid and psychological first aid following an Avalanche event.  

Diploma in Mountain Medicine - 2024 

This fall, our Wilderness Medicine Fellows took on the *Rock Skills and Rescue* session of the Diploma in Mountain Medicine, taught by Remote Rescue Training, part of the University of Utah’s Center for Emergency Programs. Set against the dramatic backdrop of Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range, this course was designed specifically for healthcare professionals—doctors, nurses, and paramedics—pursuing their WMS Diploma in Mountain Medicine. 

During this intensive, field-based course, our fellows tackled the unique challenges of rocky, technical terrain. They honed critical individual on-rope skills, perfect for creating personal safety systems, and developed advanced team rescue techniques. From single and double rope systems to managing patients with and without litters, our fellows trained for environments ranging from low-angle slopes to vertical cliffs. 

Rope system principles were woven throughout the curriculum, ensuring participants could safely assess and navigate various terrains. The course also highlighted the vital role of medical personnel in mountain rescues—directing patient care, supporting technical rescues, and unifying these efforts into one coordinated response.

These essential skills are applicable to rocky landscapes around the world, and we’re proud of our fellows for their dedication to mastering these life-saving techniques!

The start of the new academic year has been a fun and busy one for the Global Health section. The group's first trip of the year was to Vietnam in September. Our first trip this year was attending the annual Critical Care and Emergency Medicine Conference in Danang, Vietnam. Jamal Jones and Scott Berndt were able to teach POCUS workshops which has been a growing training need in the country. Anisha Tailor, our current fellow, gave her first international lecture. Ryan Ernst and Jane Yee also gave lectures as well. It was great to rendezvous with Dr. Ernst before he officially joins us as Global Health Section Chief in November!

The Global Health team then headed over to Ho Chi Minh City where we reunited with our colleagues at Cho Ray Hospital and University Medical Center to graduate the most recent Diploma in Emergency Medicine Graduates and welcomed this year's learners. We are excited to announce an even bigger program with learners from Hanoi joining the group for the first time.

This was followed by a week of hands-on teaching for the former and new learners. If faculty are ever interested in teaching a topic for our virtual lectures that we hold throughout the year, please reach out to Dr. Jane Yee.

On the home front, the global health group is continuing to grow their footprint and care for the Navajo (Diné) people by extending our presence in other Indian Health Service Hospitals. We are currently working on forming a partnership at Chinle hospital. If you are looking for a place where emergency medicine is a need, serving a wonderful patient population, great medicine, fantastic co-workers - whether faculty or fellow please reach out with any questions.

Lastly, Dr. Claudia Bouvier has been teaching in the medical school on how to prepare for a career in global health. Claudia will also be going to India this November to work on a disaster medicine conference and curriculum. Looking forward to hearing her updates when she is back!

Until next time!

-Dr. Jane Yee

Dr. Michael Moss had been showcased in national lectures around the country and featured in some media spotlights:

Grand Rounds for University of Wisconsin Emergency Medicine “Novel Psychoactive Substances: The Golden Age of Designer Drugs”

Panelist for the Critical Care Case Symposium on Diquat and Barium Toxicity at the annual North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology meeting in Denver, CO

Panelist for a CDC Webinar – Poison Center and Public Health Collaborations – Diamond Shruumz Outbreak

NPR – "Mushroom edibles are making people sick, scientists still don't know why"

Ars Technica - "Medical toxicologist walks us through microdosing candy illness"

U of U Health Social Media - "FDA Recall of Diamond Shruumz"

Dr. Alyrene Dorey’s proposal for a new Advanced Integrated Science Course in the inaugural medical school curriculum was accepted! The Poisoning and Overdose course will be an intensive 4-week rotation combining clinical work and basic science teaching for third year med students starting in 2025.