EMRA Board of Directors, EMRA Spotlight

New Board: President Dr. Hannah Hughes

Hannah Hughes, MD, MBA
University of Cincinnati

@hrh_approved

What are your 2 key goals as an EMRA board member?
I ran for EMRA President committed to do everything in my power to improve the diversity of our specialty in terms of gender, race/ethnicity, and orientation. While ambitious, this is desperately needed, as the rate of females entering emergency medicine declines and when less than 1% of emergency medicine leaders are underrepresented minorities. Diversity and inclusion has and will continue to be the main focus of my presidency.

How will you support EMRA members - and how can they support the specialty?
We all have different backgrounds, perspectives, and niches - and we all have at least one thing in common. We picked the best specialty in the world! I’ll support members by being available and staying true to our joint mission, to be “the voice of emergency medicine physicians-in-training and the future of our specialty.” If you ever need anything, please reach out! Email: president@emra.org; Twitter: @hrh_approved.

Why is serving in a leadership role important to you?
Leadership isn’t about title to me. It’s about making meaningful change in relation to a problem that needs to be solved. We need leaders who are passionate, emphatic, and industrious - all of which were qualities I saw firsthand in EMRA leaders. I was inspired by the work that was being done by EMRA and wanted to be a part of it.

What do you see as the biggest challenge for the specialty in the next 5 years?
Scope of practice in relation to the EM workforce will be our biggest challenge in the near future. The founders of our incredible specialty made huge strides in what it means to be an EM doc. (There are still plenty of attendings across the country who remember the days of not being able to push paralytics for airway management in the ED.) But our work is not done. As the future of EM, it’s our job to ensure that the only path to independent practice of emergency medicine is being a residency trained, board certified physician.

Reason you chose emergency medicine:
What other specialty can you simultaneously intubate an ACE-induced angioedema, push tPA, and massively transfuse a patient in hemorrhagic shock from a GI bleed - all irrespective of ability to pay, citizenship status, or demographics? The critical care and safety net aspects of emergency medicine are why I am proud to be an EM doc.

Favorite procedure (to date):
Emergent subclavian trauma line

Most-used app on your phone:
Slack, both for EMRA business and my residency’s asynchronous learning, followed by MobilEM and Twitter.

Beach or mountains?
Both? I spent my entire life in California until I left for residency, so I never had to choose. Within an hour and a half drive, I could be at either. There’s something so peaceful about running on the beach, hearing the waves and looking at the seemingly endless ocean. But who could give up fresh snow and skiing?!

Last song stuck in your head:
“The Man” by Taylor Swift

What goes on pizza?
Skip the pizza; let’s get tacos!

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