The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
I was born in Sacramento, California, but grew up in Cedar Rapids.
When did you join the University of Iowa faculty?
February, 2007
How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I have always liked science and medicine is something that started to appeal to me in high school. I remember talking to a friend who was a doctor and he told me that being a doctor was a lot like being a mechanic - you use the science that you learn in school to figure out what is broken and how to fix it.
What interested you to pursue a career in Emergency Medicine?
I spent a lot of time in the Emergency Department when I was growing up - I guess that I was clumsy. In medical school I had a hard time deciding between all of the specialties. I actually did a Pediatrics residency first, but started to miss some of the adult medicine that I had learned and forgotten. Emergency Medicine was a great place to use some of my Pediatric skills and add adult medicine to that knowledge base. In the Emergency Department, you have to know a little bit about everything because you never know what is going to come through the doors next, and you don’t always have time to look things up. I’ve heard people say that to be a good Emergency Medicine doctor you have to “know the second-most about everything” and that’s pretty accurate. I’ll never know as much about liver disease as a hepatologist or be on the cutting edge of ovarian cancer treatment. However, when something goes badly wrong, I’ll be able to step in and stabilize the situation while we collect more information and get the experts to weigh in. My real expertise is in all things acute. Whether it’s a heart attack, stroke, car accident, broken bone, popped lung, ruptured vessel, compromised airway, or life-threatening infection, you won’t find a better team than the folks in the UI Emergency Department to handle the problem. I love the pace, the variety and the unpredictability.
Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape you career?
It’s really hard to list just one. I’ve run into a lot of people, both inside and outside of the hospital, that I really admire. My grandfather was really important to me growing up, and really instilled a lot of my values. My parents were great at finding a balance between being supportive and letting me figure things out on my own. Dr. Chuck Jennissen (89R-Pediatrics), who is now one of my colleagues, really turned me on to Pediatric Emergency Medicine as a student. Many of my attendings during residency were great role models of how to deliver compassionate care. Finally, some of the folks that I have the honor of working with in Haiti constantly remind me of how important it is to try and maintain a broad base of knowledge.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa?
There were a lot of reasons that I chose Iowa. I’ve lived in Iowa for the last 27 years and I feel a real connection with the state. Iowans are fantastic people and it is a privilege to work with them. The UI Department of Emergency Medicine is an amazing place to work. I’m still amazed when I stop to think about how much it has improved in the last decade. In the three year interval between when I graduated from medical school and came back, the department had completely transformed. It is constantly improving.
Even though we are busier each month with really sick patients, we have one of the lowest wait times and highest patient satisfaction scores in the country. There is a real sense of mission in the department that is shared by everyone. We are here to provide top-notch care to our patients, provide a fantastic education, and to make the delivery of emergency care across the entire state something that we can all be proud of. We are really a piece of a larger picture here, and it is a tremendous privilege to be a part of it.
The University of Iowa’s faculty members are united to provide exceptional patient care while advancing innovations in research and medical education. How does your work help translate new discoveries into patient centered care and education?
My work mostly involves teaching students and residents. We are constantly trying to improve the educational process to make it more interactive and dynamic, and are doing our best to abolish the traditionally entrenched 60 minute lecture. We are trying to incorporate more simulation, through our simulation labs and live disaster drills, more small group learning and more self-directed data gathering. We’re also working on dynamic ways to deliver information to the bedside, both for students and for patients, to make Iowa one of the best places to deliver and receive care.
What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at an academic medical center provide?
At Iowa I’m able to spend time working with people who are the very best in their field. I have been fortunate enough to do research with one of the luminaries of comparative physiology and I’m able to spend time teaching and working on new ideas. I’m able to hear from some of the best in the business and get advice and guidance when I need it. You only get that sort of support at an academic medical center.
Please describe your professional interests.
I’m interested in pediatric trauma - especially ATV injuries. I also really like toxicology, airway management, pediatric lung disease and teaching.
What are some of your outside interests?
I like running, triathlons, reading, cooking, and spending time with my family.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
I try to treat everyone as if they were a member of my own family.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
I would eliminate the inequalities that divide us.
What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?
I think that more and more people are starting to recognize that the treatment of some diseases is time-sensitive. When I was a student, I don’t think people thought that the Emergency Trauma Center (ETC) was much more than a triage station or after-hours clinic. Now, I think that we are starting to become a real resource for our colleagues to help manage acute illnesses or injuries. We are also exploring new ways that we can work together to treat illnesses more effectively.
What one piece of advice would you give to today's students?
You are the future of health care. I know that school sometimes gets hard, but it is so worth it. You will be responsible for making sure that everyone in this country (and possibly beyond) gets the care that they need. Hang in there.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
I hope to see a day when everyone has access to good basic health care. I also think that we are in the middle of a shift towards more evidence-based and outcome-driven care.
In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public (i.e. population based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagements off campus, etc.)?
I’m involved in a few different activities. I am involved in my church. I am the medical director for a rural EMS system, and I do some speaking at different events for pre-hospital medical providers and other doctors. I also give tours to various groups that are interested in what we do in the ETC. There are a fair number of students that shadow me and some of my partners in the ETC as well. I’m working with the Injury Prevention and Research Center on some research related to ATV trauma in the state. I also am profoundly interested in international health, which has allowed me to meet some fascinating people and exposed me to the wealth of expertise that resides within the University of Iowa.