Emergency Medicine

Emergency Medicine

The People Behind these Projects

Meet the peds readiness team

Investigative Team

We have brought together a highly accomplished, inter-disciplinary investigators with a track record of success in multi-site emergency care research. 

Principal Investigator, Director of the Statistical Analysis Center: Dr. Craig Newgard (OHSU) is an emergency physician and physician scientist with extensive research background in trauma systems, EMS, large data analysis, and advanced statistics. Dr. Newgard was a member of the 2011 National Expert Panel on Field Triage (including 5 studies cited in the guidelines), has led multiple federally-funded, multi-site projects on EMS and trauma care, and has had continuous funding for emergency care research for 19 years.

Co-Investigator & Director of the Data Coordinator Center: Dr. Clay Mann (Univ Utah/NEMSIS TAC) is a national leader in emergency care data standards and trauma research, expert in probabilistic linkage, and has collaborated with Dr. Newgard on previous projects. He will direct the Data Coordinating Center.

Dr. Nathan Kuppermann (UC Davis) is an expert in pediatric trauma, has collaborated with Dr. Newgard on multiple trauma studies, and was one of the original leaders of the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Dr. Kuppermann will provide content and methodologic expertise, insight into the EMSC and pediatric readiness programs, and facilitate collaboration with national pediatric organizations.

Dr. Avery Nathens (Univ Toronto/ACS) is a trauma surgeon, national expert in trauma systems, and directs the ACS Trauma Quality Improvement Program to improve national trauma care. He worked with Drs. Newgard and Mann to develop the TQIP risk-adjustment models, will serve as liaison to the ACS, facilitate use of NTDB data, and provide content expertise.

Dr. John McConnell  (OHSU) is a health economist, an expert in emergency care cost analyses, and study of health systems. He has collaborated extensively with Dr. Newgard and will provide oversight for the hospital cost survey and all cost analyses.

Dr. Marianne Gausche-Hill (LA County EMS) is a national leader in pediatric emergency care, ED preparedness for children,the NPRP, and IOM committee member on pediatric emergency care. She will provide content expertise, connection to national pediatric organizations, and help translate study results into health policy. 

Dr. Jeremy Goldhaber-Fiebert (Stanford) is a decision scientist at Stanford University and an expert in cost-effectiveness analyses related to complex health policy decisions. 

Dr. Kate Remick, MD(UT Austin) is a pediatric emergency physician at the University of Texas at Austin, Co-Director of the NPRP, leads the National EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center, and led the 2018 ED pediatric guidelines. Dr. Remick was closely involved in the 2013 and 2021 NPRP assessments (including development of the wPRS) and is on the Advisory Council for Dr. Newgard’s ED readiness grants.

Xubo Song, PhD (OHSU) is a computer scientist at OHSU with over 25 years of experience teaching and using ML. Dr. Song conducted the R24 pilot study using ML models for ED pediatric readiness, is a Co-Investigator on a NICHD grant using ML for pediatric firearm injury risk prediction (#R01 HD108017, PI Newgard)

Sara Golden, PhD (Portland VA) is a qualitative methodologist with expertise in qualitative research, positive deviance methods (with Dr. Vranas), and identifying modifiable health system characteristics for improvement.

Kelly Vranas, MD, MCR (OHSU) is an intensivist, is experienced in qualitative methods, and has studied the influence of organizational factors on survival, including use of positive deviance methods in critical care. Dr. Vranas has collaborated with Dr. Golden on multiple qualitative studies, including an ongoing positive deviance study in the national VA system.

Dr. Ran Wei (UC Riverside) is a GIS expert, including spatial analysis and use of geospatial methods to inform public policy decision-making. Dr. Wei is using GIS methods in the R24 project to geocode and analyze NEMSIS, NTDB, and ED data to assess proximity to high-readiness EDs

Rachel Ford is the Oregon EMSC Program Coordinator. She works in the Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division, Office of EMS and Trauma Systems. We have integrated Ms. Ford into multiple aspects of this proposal. She will serve as a member of the Advisory Council, the Study Network Group, and will assist with the dissemination of study findings to key EMSC groups and state committees.

We are also collaborating with the following early- to mid- stage investigators, who are an integral part of our grant team.

  • Dr. Peter Jenkins (Indiana U)
  • Dr. Matthew Hansen (OHSU)
  • Dr. Jennifer Marin (Pittsburgh)
  • Dr. Nina Glass (Rutgers)
  • Dr. Brooke Lerner (U. Buffalo)*
  • Dr. Caroline Stephens (UCSF)
  • Dr. Carl Ericksson (OHSU)
  • Dr. M. Kit Delgado (U Penn)
  • Dr Juan Piantino (OHSU)

*Oct 2023 - It is with heavy hearts that we learned of Dr. Brooke Lerner's death. Her research contributions to emergency medicine and pediatrics were enormous, and we honor and thank her for her collaboration and contributions. Here is a link to her obituary if you would like to learn more about her legacy and life. E. Brooke Lerner, PhD, FAEMS Obituary

Firearms Injury Prevention Team

In addition to the core team above, we are collaborating with some additional experts in firearm injury prevention and specialized statistical methodology to achieve the aims of this project.

Co-Investigator Dr. Patrick Carter, Director of the CDC-funded University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, and a practicing board-certified emergency physician at the University of Michigan. He is PI of two R01s related to
firearm violence prevention. On this project, Dr. Carter provides expertise on firearm injury recidivism, tracking longitudinal cohorts of children after violence, related clinical care, and firearm outcomes. 

Co-Investigator Dr. Jason Goldstick. Dr. Goldstick is a Research Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Behavior and Health Education, and the Director of Statistics & Methods at the CDC-Funded University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center. He is a statistician and firearm injury researcher, including 16 peer reviewed publications on firearm violence and is Co-I or PI on three current federally funded projects on firearm injury prevention. On this project, Dr. Goldstick will provide expertise on risk prediction for firearm injuries, machine learning, and risk score development and related analytic issues.

NICHD R24 Advisory Council

The Council includes 3 multi-disciplinary experts to oversee the project and data use, advise on study challenges and assist with the dissemination of study results:

  • Brendan Carr, MD, MS, Director of the Federal Emergency Care Coordination Center and an expert in regionalized emergency care, health policy, and trauma systems
  • Ryan Mutter, Ph.D., head of the Health Economics and Financing Team at the federal agency SAMHSA, and expert in the use of HCUP data for emergency care research on the role of quality in emergency care systems and regionalized emergency care
  • Lenora Olson, Ph.D., MA, a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah, PI of NEDARC, and leader of the National Pediatric Readiness Project

HRSA Advisory Council

The advisory council guides program performance and evaluation through semi-annual conference calls with the study team. The Council is comprised of 5 multi-disciplinary experts to oversee the project, advise on study challenges, track time-specific benchmarks and evaluation measures, and adherence to the work plan. The Council will also help interpret study results and assist with dissemination.

  • Dr. Brendan Carr, Director of the Federal Emergency Care Coordination Center and expert in regionalized emergency care systems
  • Dr. Randall Burd, Chief of Pediatric Trauma Surgery at Children’s National Health System in Washington, DC and national expert on pediatric trauma care;
  • Dr. Hilary Hewes, Associate Professor, National EMSC Data Analysis Resource Center (NEDARC) helped lead the 2021 national pediatric readiness survey project.
  • Ms. Rachel Ford, Oregon EMSC Program Coordinator
  • Dr. Kate Remick, pediatric emergency physician, Executive Lead of the National EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center, and leader in the NPRP.

We would also like to thank and acknowledge Dr. Lenora Olson, Retired Director of NEDARC, who served as a council member for the first 2 years of this project. 

Pediatric Firearms Prevention Council

The Pediatric Advisory Council will meet quarterly to oversee this project, advise on study challenges, track progress, and interpret results.

Council members include:

  • Peter Jenkins, MD, MS, a trauma surgeon at Indiana University and expert in trauma systems research and related methodology;
  • Mary Fallat, MD, pediatric surgeon and Surgeon-in-Chief at Norton Children’s Hospital (University of Louisville), is an international leader in pediatric trauma care and pediatric health policy
  • Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, is an expert in pediatric trauma research, multicenter pediatric emergency care networks, the EMSC program, and a national leader in pediatric health policy.

  • Marianne Gausche-Hill, MD, a pediatric emergency physician, Medical Director of Los Angeles County EMS, member of NPRP Steering Committee, and national leader in ED pediatric readiness
  • Hilary Hewes, MD, a pediatric emergency physician, PI of the EMSC Data Center at the University of Utah, and lead of the 2021 NPRP readiness assessment
  • Anais Tuepker, PhD, an experienced qualitative social scientist at the Portland VA and expert in the use of mixed methods for evaluation and redesign of healthcare systems 
  • Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH, Chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of California at Davis, expert in pediatric trauma research, long-standing PI in PECARN and national leader in pediatric health policy
  • Randall Burd, MD, PhD, Chief of Trauma Surgery at Children’s National Medical Center, active member of the ACS, and expert in risk adjustment models.

Data Agencies & National Partners

The Pediatric Readiness Grant projects would not be possible without the assistance of our data agency and national partners.  We would like to thank and acknowledge the following partners

  • NEDARC (National Pediatric Readiness Survey Data)
  • ACS (NTDB data; Co-Investigator - Nathens)
  • Emergency Care Translational Research Collaborative (a national 53-site inter-CTSA emergency care research network providing in-state contacts for the 13 states; PI and Chair - Newgard)
  • Federal Emergency Care Coordination Center (Advisory Council - Carr)
  • EMSC Pediatric Readiness Quality Collaborative (Advisory Council – Remick)
  • State EMSC Program Administrators (Advisory Council – Ford; Study Network Group for the 13 participating states).
  • Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (Hospital Discharge Data for MN & WI)

Data Stewards for Hospital Discharge Data (Emergency Department and inpatient) and Mortality data in the 12-state cohort

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Florida
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Rhode Island
  • Utah
  • Wisconsin