Candidate Statements

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Capital Region (CR/AAEM) Chapter Division Member
AAEM Emergency Medicine Workforce Committee Member
WIEM-AAEM Section Member

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

As the president of an independent democratic EM group, the importance of advocacy for our specialty and within our specialty is greater now than ever before. In the past 5 years as president of Emergency Physicians of Tidewater, I have modernized our practice, brought in valuable new administrative talent, and solidified camaraderie that had been waning just before my inauguration. 

There are multiple threats to EM that AAEM is well suited to tackle. I have a solid understanding of the financial threats to EM, which includes payors using surprise billing legislation to tank reimbursement. Government payors (like that in my state of Virginia) are joining in by utilizing automatic chart downcodes despite the clear violation of the prudent layperson standard. Corporatization of EM and of medicine in general has contributed to burn-out amongst physicians. As community faculty for the EM residents at Eastern Virginia Medical School, the importance of educating our upcoming leaders in the non-clinical side of Emergency Medicine is ever-growing.

My commitment to non-corporate physician practice extends beyond my own group as I fulfill my new role as the Chair of the Emergency Medicine Business Coalition. During the past two years as Chair-elect on the EMBC Board, I sought out ways to support independent physician EM groups in the current market. As an AAEM Board member, I would be able to expand AAEM’s reach to physicians and physician groups like my own. 

I am encouraged by the work that AAEM is doing and am proud to continue to support the organization.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Education Committee
Scientific Assembly Planning Subcommittee Co-Chair
Breve Dulce Subcommittee Chair
Written Board Comprehensive Review Work Group Vice Lead
Scientific Assembly Planning Work Group Member
Breve Dulce Subcommittee Member
Scientific Assembly Speaker
Written Board Review Course Speaker 
Scientific Assembly Abstract Reviewer
WiEM-AAEM Section Member
Oral Board Review Course Examiner
Medical Student Ambassador Mentor
Speaker Development Group Mentor

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

Since my first contact with AAEM, I have been impressed by the educational offerings, advocacy and, most importantly, the members with whom I have interacted.    

As an At-Large Board Member, I will work to help AAEM maintain its relevance by reaching out to, and actively recruiting, residents and new residency graduates practicing in both academic and community settings. Advocating for members of these groups to join committees and workgroups and to participate in AAEM's educational offerings is an opportunity for continued growth within the Academy. A second, equally important, motivation for my candidacy is to maintain AAEM as a leader in EM education while working to extend high quality, relevant learning opportunities to all its members.  

After presenting a track talk at the Scientific Assembly in 2015, I became a member of the Scientific Assembly Planning Sub-Committee then a member of the Breve Dulce Work Group. Through my ongoing involvement, I became Chair of the Breve Dulce Work Group and then served as Co-chair of the Scientific Assembly Planning Committee. I, along with my co-chairs, shepherded the AAEM Scientific Assembly through the turbulent years of the COVID pandemic with social distancing precautions and travel restrictions. This was a major challenge, however, both in-person and virtual attendees were able to enjoy the Scientific Assembly in St. Louis in 2021 and in Baltimore in 2022.   

In 2015, I taught at the AAEM Written Board Review Course and subsequently advanced to become Vice-Chair of the work group, with the anticipated pathway of becoming the Chair. Through my participation, I was honored to receive the AAEM Written Board Review Course Top Speaker Award in 2020. I am an active member of the AAEM Education Committee, an AAEM Oral Board Examiner, a Mentor for the Medical Student Ambassador Program and a member of the Women in EM Section. Additionally, I have represented AAEM to the American Association of Otolaryngology in a guideline development group.  

My background includes medical school then residency at Northwestern University. Thereafter, I was the Associate Program Director for the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency Program then the Program Director for the Yale-New Haven Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Currently I am an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland where I have developed educational programs for medical students and EM residents while also working in faculty development. I am passionate about EM education at all levels--student, resident and practicing physicians.   

Thank you for considering my candidacy. It will be an honor to represent you as a member of your AAEM Board of Directors.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

AAEM Board of Directors
AAEM Foundation Board of Directors
AAEM LEAD-EM Board of Directors
Aging Well in Emergency Medicine Interest Group Board Liaison
Geriatric Committee Board Liaison
International Committee Board Liaison
The Ruby: Gender Diversity WiEM Award
Breve Dulce Work Group Member
Education Committee Member
Tennessee Chapter Division Member
CCMS-AAEM Section Member
EUSS-AAEM Section Member
JEDI-AAEM Section and Work Group Lead
WiEM-AAEM Section Member
YPS-AAEM Section Member
Oral Board Review Course Examiner
MEMC Abstract Reviewer
Scientific Assembly Abstract Reviewer
Common Sense Author
JEDI-AAEM Inclusion Initiative Podcast Host

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

Thank you for your consideration and I would be honored to continue my board and organizational service as a Member at Large. During my brief service on the board, I have dedicated my time to serving on the Leadership Taskforce, revamping our Leadership Academy curriculum and experience.

In addition to serving on the board, I also serve the Academy as a Virtual Oral Board Examiner, a judge for student presentations during Scientific Assembly, and as an active member of the Women in EM, Young Physicians, and JEDI sections. I host of JEDI’s new podcast, the Inclusion Initiative, featuring conversations with members about their lives, careers and passion for the mission of AAEM.

My continued devotion to AAEM comes from the relationships that I have made with you, the incredible members of this organization. I can always find a mentor, sponsor or new connection within this dynamic organization. It is the passion of past-presidents, current and past section and committee leaders, residents and medical students that encourages me to say yes to leadership. 

I am excited to continue to bring my passion for emergency medicine and people to the board of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. I am committed to continuing to work with the board and the membership to continue the Academy's mission. I believe that my leadership skills, strategic thinking, and passion for emergency medicine will make a valuable contribution to the board and the organization as a whole.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Joe Lex Educator of the Year Award Winner
Mitchell Goldman Service Award Winner
Oral Board Review Course National Course Director
Oral Board Review Course Vice Chair
Oral Board Review Course Regional Course Director (Orlando)
Oral Board Review Course Examiner
Education Committee Member
Membership Committee Member
Scientific Assembly Moderator 
Leadership Academy Participant
Common Sense Author

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

Dr. Bob McNamara came to my (military) PGY 2-4 residency program nearly 25 years ago and gave an inspiring talk to the faculty and residents, educating us on how the Academy was formed, what the Academy stands for, and why it was important for us to understand the economics, workforce, and potential of EM as a specialty. Immediately, our program became a 100% faculty and resident member program and I have remained engaged with the Academy ever since.

I am running for an AAEM Board At-Large position to continue to share this message, help drive change, and shape the work of our Academy to benefit our specialty and patients. 

The future of our specialty is our colleagues. I am committed to growing AAEM membership and continuing to provide high quality continuing medical education to help the future generation of EM physicians proudly and confidently achieve and maintain board certification and professional excellence.

After twenty plus years in the active Army, including administrative, operational, clinical, and command assignments both overseas and in the U.S., I retired as a Colonel and joined an independent democratic group. For a few years, I was one of the group’s recruiters and had the opportunity to review the CVs of potential colleagues both coming out of residency and from other practice environments. I usually skipped over the meat of the CV and looked immediately at the listed professional organization memberships. Far more often than not, AAEM was not listed.  When I asked why, the responses frequently amazed me, and I learned that there is much work yet to accomplish.

When you get back to the roots of our founding, as Dr. McNamara told my residency program, you start with the WHY of the Academy. At a recent Membership Committee meeting, it was discussed that AAEM was largely considered “the advocacy society.” I take this as a compliment, as it nests within the Academy’s mission statement and our motto “Champion of the Emergency Physician.”

I’ve had the privilege of spending many years teaching the Oral Board Review Course and have used that platform to talk with new colleagues about the educational, legislative, policy, and personal growth and leadership opportunities the Academy provides to its members. The expansion of the Academy to include the Physician Group, Locums Group, various Chapter Divisions, Sections, Interest Groups and Committee structures enable members to get inspired and work together to impact change and ultimately ensure the highest quality of care for our patients.

The Board serves the Academy via its bedrock — our members. We are only as strong as our collective voices. Less than 10% of the residency-trained, board-certified EM workforce are members of the Academy. If we can continue to look at the tenets of our founding, be the advocate, the Champion, we can serve that EM workforce even more robustly. I look forward to the opportunity to serve the Academy and its members to expand membership, enhance our role, and set a course for a strong future for our specialty.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Joe Lex Educator of the Year Award Winner
Education Committee Chair
Speaker Development Group Chair 
Scientific Assembly Planning Work Group Advisor
Scientific Assembly Planning Work Group Member
Education Committee Member
Scientific Assembly Speaker
Medical Student Ambassador Mentor
Written Board Comprehensive Review Committee
Leadership Academy Participant

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

I joined the Academy in 2002, shortly after completing an Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Maryland Medical System, excited about the opportunity to become part of an organization that shared many common values and ideals. In 2004, I was honored to become a Fellow of the Academy. 

For over 15 years, it has been my privilege to work with truly outstanding educators across the country as a member of the Education Committee. In addition to helping plan many of AAEM’s incredible educational offerings, my particular focus has been on programming for the annual Scientific Assembly and helping to create the one-of-a-kind Speaker Development Group. I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as both Vice-Chair and then Chair of the Education Committee. I was truly honored to be selected for the AAEM Joe Lex Educator of the Year Award in 2017. 

Over the past 10 years, I have held multiple leadership roles within MedStar Health, a large, 10 hospital system in the Mid-Atlantic region. This includes serving as Vice-Chair and Chair at 3 very busy, high acuity Emergency Departments. These roles have provided me with the opportunity to better understand the multi-faceted challenges facing emergency medicine physicians on a daily basis. With ongoing effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, a rapidly changing work-force environment and a shortage of qualified clinical support staff, the challenges our specialty faces have never been greater. 

I believe in the academy’s commitment to its members and to promoting an environment in which we as emergency medicine physicians can provide the highest quality care. I hope to apply a unique perspective gathered from over 20 years of clinical, educational, and administrative experience to help further advance the academy and serve you, its members and most vital asset, over the next 3 years. If elected, I promise to work with the AAEM Board to further advance our shared vision and goals. I will continue to advocate for the personal and professional well-being of every member, support our high quality continuing medical education offerings and provide ongoing support to international EM programs and societies.  

I appreciate your consideration and look forward to speaking with many of you at the upcoming Candidates’ Forum at the Scientific Assembly in New Orleans.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Oral Board Review Course Examiner

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

Greetings!  My name is Scott Kain Rineer and I am a Tampa Bay emergency physician who has worked in a variety of settings. I remain passionate about our great specialty; past, present and future.  Please accept my apologies for not being able to attend New Orleans and yet another fantastic Scientific Assembly for the AAEM.

Over the past 30 years I have worked in large and small; military and civilian; academic and community settings. My employers have been small independent groups and large National contract organizations. What ties all of these together is our patients who rely on our joint abilities for take care of anyone, anytime, anywhere. Changes in our specialty have accelerated rapidly increased influence from Private Equity. Our specialty organization has been and continues to be on the front lines. I am honored to have been an active member for all into three decades, and it has been apparent to me that it is well past time to pay it forward and take my experiences to the board as an active, contributing member. Hope to convince you in my absence for my vote for AAEM At-Large Board of Director.

My personal tipping point has been in receiving a termination for cause three days before Christmas 2022 by a large National Contract group. To date, I have not been told the reason! I have retained counsel for my claim of wrongful termination and lack of due process; Regret that I am unable to share more at this time, but for clear reasons this is not possible.

As background, I graduated from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine in 1990; Operation 'Deep Freeze,’ Antarctica; earning the USN/USMC parachutist designation and Expeditionary Field Medical Badge (EFMB) were side benefits. Naval Hospital San Diego (NHSD) transitional internship (90-91) then preceded my time as assigned General Medical Officer and Flight Surgeon serving many world-wide deployments. Post-graduate Emergency Medicine residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) (5-98) included tactical emergency medicine; urban search and rescue teams (CA USAR TF-8); the USMC Chemical Biological Response Force (CBIRF) and serving as EMS medical director and EMT director at Camp Pendleton. After joining the reserves and serving as a Commanding Officer, I was mobilized back to active duty as Force Surgeon, US Marine Corps Forces Central Command.

Post-graduation Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance was followed by Aerospace Medicine Residency; completion of the USAF Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCAT) training and additional aeromedical training prior to reporting as the Senior Medical Officer aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).

As a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, who has years ago dropped being a Fellow, American Academy of Emergency Physicians, I am hopeful that these two professional organizations will continue to opine together on the needs of our members, specialty and most importance, our patients.

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

Delaware Valley Chapter Division Member
New York Chapter Division Member
Government and National Affairs Committee Vice Chair
Operations Management Committee Vice Chair
Observation Medicine Interest Group Chair
Leadership Academy Participant
Medical Student Ambassador Mentor
CCMS-AAEM Section Member
JEDI-AAEM Section Member
WiEM-AAEM Section Member
Common Sense Author

Candidate Statement for At-Large Board Member

I am honored to accept this nomination for a board of director position in the Academy. Since joining AAEM, I have been continually impressed by the mission and culture of the institution and its people. Emergency medicine relies upon relationships and communication. And more than any other professional society I am a member of, the members of AAEM are a family of people with whom I've been happy to have built relationships. From my very first days in the academy, I have felt welcomed, supported, mentored, and cared for. From members to presidents, in the Academy there is a sense of family and equality, and it is that culture, and a commitment to championing the cause of emergency medicine physicians and our patients, that makes our organization so great.  

Since joining, I have been honored to be able to stand up the Observation Interest Group, which we recently brought under the umbrella of the Operations Management Committee. I most recently served as Vice-Chair of the Operations Management Committee and the Government and National Affairs Committee. As part of those responsibilities, I've been a regular contributor to Common Sense and working with the committee for PPH/Staffing ratios. At Scientific Assembly, I have made it a point to mentor students and to network with outstanding members of our organization. Most recently I have engaged my local program's leadership to support a larger presence from New Jersey Medical School at the AAEM Scientific Assembly.

The Academy stands for emergency physicians. We also stand for our patients. Moreover, we stand for the simple act of taking a stance. And at every turn, our stance has proven to be the correct one — for our specialty, our partners, and our patients. Health systems, and our other societies, have been forced to admit the “correctness” of that stance. Whether it be related to private equity, restrictive covenants, the importance of physician led teams, or the use of learners as a labor source — the AAEM has stood for clarity and common sense. 

I believe that scope of practice and workforce issues, two of our most looming crises, go together. The commoditization of emergency medicine is a major threat to us, and the safety of our patients. I work with and supervise nurse practitioners, and there is a place for them on the emergency medicine team — a team that must be led and managed by a board-certified or board-eligible emergency physician. Moreover, we, emergency physicians, and no one else, must be the ones to decide how many team members we can supervise safely. If chosen for the board, I would focus part of my energy on addressing these pressing issues. More broadly, I would commit to doing what we do best in AAEM: being inclusive, welcoming and building great relationships, and importantly — taking a stance. 

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

AAEM Resident of the Year Award 
AAEM/RSA Committee Member of the Year Award
AAEM Board of Directors
AAEM/RSA Board of Directors
CAL/AAEM Board of Directors
YPS-AAEM Council Member
AAEM/RSA Advocacy Committee
AAEM EM Workforce Committee Member
AAEM Leadership Academy Participant
MEMC Abstract Reviewer
Scientific Assembly Abstract Reviewer
Common Sense Author

Candidate Statement for YPS Director

I'm blessed to have been on the board of AAEM while president of AAEM/RSA for 2 years. During these 2 years, I grew to understand the complex environment and key players that influence our sacred specialty. With my board, I was able to publish numerous well-circulated position statements that helped put AAEM on the map, including on topics related to midlevel providers and CMGs opening up new residencies. Additionally, I helped organize the HPEM symposium for 2 years. These were 2 of the best years of my life. Now that I'm one year into working in the community and in academics, I have an even more enhanced understanding of the issues that plague us. I have found AAEM to be my home since I was in medical school, and I aim to be a member for life. As part of this membership, I know just how important it is to do more than just sit idly by. As I start to have more free time to dedicate to advocacy issues, I want to spend this time improving our specialty and fighting the good fight. With that, I'd love to continue to work with AAEM on the AAEM board of directors, bringing light to our incredible advocacy work and protection of emergency medicine physicians and patients. I humbly ask for your vote and look forward to giving this organization my undivided effort. Thank you!

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

AAEM Board of Directors 
AAEM Foundation Board of Directors 
AAEM LEAD-EM Board of Directors 
AAEM/RSA Board of Directors
Scientific Assembly Abstract Reviewer
Oral Board Review Course Examiner
Common Sense Author
Clinical Practice Committee Board Liaison
Membership Committee Board Liaison
YPS-AAEM Council 
JEDI-AAEM Section Member and Work Group Lead 
WiEM-AAEM Section Member
Scientific Assembly Abstract Reviewer
Simulation Interest Group

Candidate Statement for YPS Director

It would be my honor to serve a third and final year as your Young Physicians Section (YPS) Director. As a member that has served on multiple boards/committees/sections within the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) organization, I have a wealth of knowledge, key, to leading and directing the future of our specialty. In my opinion, young physicians have a unique set of challenges when stepping into the medical arena, of becoming an attending. Whether it is finances, board certification, job searches, malpractice, or geographical differences in practice, I stand ready to assist. It has been my pleasure to be the guiding light already for so many young physicians under my charge. 

As a Military Veteran, I know the importance of being on the front lines to truly enact change and progress in any powerful organization. Continuing to serve as the AAEM YPS Director would give me that opportunity. Over the past two years the AAEM Board and YPS Board have worked hard to bring awareness and programming for our members. Whether it is helping increase membership, developing education tracks for conferences, brand development, or helping increase international awareness, I continually stand ready to help this organization move forward. 

Educating fellow physicians and those in early medicine education training has always been a true passion of mine. From teaching a second-year medical student to write appropriate history and physicals to guiding a fourth-year medical students with placing their first central venous or arterial line, nothing brings me more joy than knowing I’m helping develop the skills and education of our next generation of physicians. 

When I served as a Navy Physician in Africa, I had many opportunities to see international medicine first-hand. The opportunity to see the vast differences in practice and the opportunity to incorporate that into my own niche has been great. I seek the opportunity to continue to spread that passion though AAEM. 

AAEM Activities (Past 5 Years)

WiEM-AAEM Section Member
YPS-AAEM Section Member 

Candidate Statement for YPS Director

I write this letter in self-nomination to serve as an AAEM Young Physicians Section director. I completed my residency training at the University of Louisville in 2018 and have practiced clinically in the community of Louisville, KY since that time. As an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, I now split my time between the community and academics, serving as an Associate Program Director for the ULSOM Department of Emergency Medicine Residency. I am also a Fellow in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM). I am actively involved in both undergraduate and graduate medical education, serving as a faculty advisor for the undergraduate Wilderness Medicine Interest Group, an Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS) lead instructor for medical students and residents, the rotation coordinator for both student and resident community EM rotations, the creator and supervising faculty for a resident wilderness medicine elective, and work in a teaching capacity with didactics, administration of mock oral exams, simulation training, and on shift supervision and teaching of students and residents. 

I would add value as a YPS director as a young, enthusiastic voice that is far enough into my career to have a good grasp of the issues facing our specialty and our residents, but young enough to emphasize with residents and new attending physicians because I was recently in their position. As a female with a strong interest in mentorship of other young females in emergency medicine, this opportunity would enhance my connections to better serve my peers and the next generation. My residents and colleagues would describe me as dedicated to the specialty, outspoken to injustices, and a fierce advocate for patient care and proper medical education. 

Many of my career and academic interests align with the services of the YPS. For several years, I have performed mock interviews with senior medical students pursuing an emergency medicine residency. With this service, I have provided them with feedback and assistance with their CVs and personal statements. I have applied to be an AAEM medical student mentor, and eagerly await my potential match(s). This is something I have found great personal satisfaction in during my opportunities to mentor medical students of all stages at our home institution. 

I have chosen AAEM to be my professional representative organization of choice because I feel their values and mission most closely reflect my own. I was raised in a residency program that has always championed and supported democratic practice groups and is against the corporate practice of medicine. I am a part of a residency leadership team that is actively trying to incorporate DEI initiatives into our program. My program raised me to believe we all have a voice, and our voices will shape the future of medicine, our specialty, and good patient care. It would be an honor to serve as a YPS representative so my voice can be used to help make a difference.