03/01/2019

Ohio ACEP Announces 2019 Annual Awards Recipients

Ohio ACEP is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Bill Hall Award for Service, Emergency Medicine Physician of the Year Award, Outstanding Emergency Medicine Resident of the Year Award, Emergency Physician Advocacy Award, Emergency Physician Medical Education Award, and the Emergency Physician Leadership Award. This year, the recipient of the Bill Hall Award is Daniel R. Martin, MD, MBA, FACEP; the recipient of the Emergency Medicine Physician of the Year Award is Daniel J. Bachmann, MD, FACEP; the recipient of the Outstanding Emergency Medicine Resident of the Year Award is Kaitlin M. Bowers, DO; the recipient of the Emergency Physician Advocacy Award is Michael J. McCrea, MD, FACEP; the recipient of the Emergency Physician Medical Education Award is Brad D. Gable, MD, MS. FACEP; and the recipient of the Emergency Physician Leadership Award is Baruch Fertel, MD, FACEP.

Dr. William Hall served as Chapter President from 1974 to 1975 and as Treasurer from 1979 to 1985. The award that bears his name, the Bill Hall Award for Service to Ohio Chapter ACEP, is the highest honor Ohio ACEP bestows, and it has been presented 29 times to Ohio ACEP members who have served the Chapter with distinction. Physicians who have received the Bill Hall Award have made a significant contribution to emergency medicine and to Ohio Chapter ACEP and reflect the character of Dr. Hall, such as selfless giving of time and enthusiasm for patient care.

Dr. Daniel Martin embodies these qualities perfectly. He has served Ohio ACEP in multiple leadership roles, including service as a Board Member, member of the Medical Education and Government Affairs Committees, and, since 1995, as a Councillor representing Ohio ACEP on ACEP Council, the national College’s primary deliberative body.

As Professor and Vice-Chair of Education at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Director of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine Combined Residency, Dr. Martin has a keen interest in both the clinical education and mentoring of medical students and EM residents. Dr. Martin has received several accolades for his teaching and mentoring, including the “Courage to Teach Award,” the “Douglas A. Rund Distinguished Faculty Award,” and, for his leadership of Ohio State’s Emergency Medicine Residency, the “Emergency Medicine Distinguished Service Award.” Several physicians who trained under Dr. Martin are now active in Ohio ACEP leadership roles and educational courses, a testament to his passion for mentoring and his belief in the importance of Ohio ACEP’s mission.

In his letter nominating Dr. Martin for the Bill Hall Award, Dr. Howard Werman, Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University, commended his colleague as a dedicated educator, a strong patient advocate, and a physician known for his excellent patient care and vast clinical knowledge.

The Emergency Physician of the Year Award was created to recognize clinicians of unusual merit and celebrate physicians who encourage members to pursue the ideals of emergency medicine. Recipients of this award serve as outstanding physician role models, maintain high professional standards, provide high-quality care, and demonstrate dedication to emergency medicine.

The Emergency Physician of the Year Award was created to recognize clinicians of unusual merit and celebrate physicians who encourage members to pursue the ideals of emergency medicine. Recipients of this award serve as outstanding physician role models, maintain high professional standards, provide high-quality care, and demonstrate dedication to emergency medicine.

Dr. Daniel Bachmann, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, truly embodies each of these traits. Highly respected by both his students and attending physician colleagues, Dr. Bachmann is known as a dedicated physician leader with a wide breadth of expertise. In 2016, Dr. Bachmann’s colleagues presented him with the Exceptional Physician Peer Award.

Aside from his excellence in clinical emergency medicine, Dr. Bachmann is widely recognized as an expert in disaster medicine. He current serves as Director of Disaster Preparedness for OSU Wexner Medical Center, helps to lead local and regional disaster exercises, and, at a national level, has been deployed multiple times in areas devastated by hurricanes as part of his responsibilities as a medical team manager with FEMA Urban Search & Rescue (Ohio Task Force 1). His extensive work in the arena of disaster medicine has resulted in numerous publications, presentations, and invited lectures at a number of institutions.

Dr. Bachmann was nominated as Emergency Physician of the Year by his colleague, Dr. Nicholas Kman (Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, OSU Wexner Medical Center). In his letter, Dr. Kman describes Dr. Bachmann as the “epitome of a multi-talented, clinically excellent, and compassionate emergency physician.” In addition to his accomplishments in emergency medicine, Dr. Kman says, Dr. Bachmann has also served as a U.S. Navy Physician and as captain of the Ohio State University Emergency Medicine Pelotonia team.

The Outstanding Emergency Medicine Resident of the Year Award was established to recognize a resident of outstanding merit who exhibits exemplary clinical promise, leadership, and commitment to their patients and emergency medicine.

Dr. Kaitlin Bowers, a third-year resident at OhioHealth-Doctors Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency, epitomizes the qualities this award was created to celebrate. She regularly demonstrates an unyielding dedication to education, excellence in clinical work, and quality patient care. Dr. Bowers has quickly gained the trust and respect of her teammates, colleagues, and faculty, who know they can rely on her high technical skills and expertise to manage a busy emergency department and supervise junior residents and interns.

Dr. Bowers is Chief Resident at OhioHealth-Doctors Hospital EM Residency and is active with the program’s medical education track and on multiple hospital committees. She is also active at the national level, having served as the President of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) Resident Student Organization. She has worked extensively with Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) as well, where she developed educational airway simulation models in addition to serving as the EMRA Board of Directors’ Liaison to ACOEP.

In his letter nominating Dr. Bowers for Outstanding EM Resident of the Year, Dr. John Casey (Associate Residency Program Director at OhioHealth-Doctors Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency) praised her as an “amazing resident physician, well respected by her peers, nursing colleagues, students, and faculty.” Dr. Casey says she “demonstrates the very best we expect from a leader” and, despite her many responsibilities and commitments, never falters in her high-quality care and dedication to teaching medical students and other residents.

Ohio ACEP established the Emergency Physician Advocacy Award to celebrate leadership in legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of emergency medicine. Recipients of the award advocate for their specialty, their communities, and their patients.

Dr. Michael McCrea—an attending emergency physician at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo and Assistant Program Director of the Mercy St. Vincent Emergency Medicine Residency—perfectly embodies each of these qualities. Dr. McCrea has been active in advocacy activities with Ohio ACEP for years and championed the recently enacted House Bill 7 (132nd General Assembly), a liability reform bill to strengthen Ohio’s “I’m Sorry” law and promote open and honest communication between physicians and patients.

Dr. McCrea took it upon himself to champion HB 7, dedicating many hours to interested party meetings, testifying before legislative committees, and working with legislators and stakeholders. Dr. McCrea’s interest in the legislation was deeply personal, and he testified to House and Senate committees about a difficult case that illustrated the need to strengthen the state’s “I’m Sorry” law. Following the death of a 20-month old burn victim for whom Dr. McCrea and his team provided care, Dr. McCrea wished he could speak to the child’s mother about the difficult case, though his attorneys advised strongly against any contact. Dr. McCrea’s story profoundly demonstrated that, after an adverse medical event, no healthcare provider should have to consider their own legal protection before reaching out to patients and family members to discuss the case, express sympathy, or even offer comfort and support. Thanks in part to Dr. McCrea’s efforts over the course of two years, HB 7 passed both the Ohio House and Senate and was signed into law by then-Gov. John Kasich in late 2018.

Dr. McCrea was nominated collectively by the Ohio ACEP Executive Committee: Drs. John Queen, Purva Grover, Bradley Raetzke, Ryan Squier, and Nicole Veitinger. In their nomination letter, they praised Dr. McCrea’s tireless work, calling it the “perfect illustration of the power of an emergency physician committed to making a difference.”

The Emergency Physician Medical Education Award was established to recognize contributions to education in the field of emergency medicine. The honor is bestowed upon emergency physicians who have exhibited exemplary teaching skills, implemented an exceptional education program, or developed an innovative teaching model.

Dr. Brad Gable—an attending physician with Mid-Ohio Emergency Services and Medical Director of Simulation for the OhioHealth System—meets and exceeds these criteria. As an instructor and clinician, he is greatly admired and respected by his students and his peers. He was twice recognized by his colleagues and nursing staff as Physician of the Year at Riverside Methodist Hospital and was selected twice by residents of Riverside Methodist Hospital as Emergency Medicine Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Gable educates residents, medical students, emergency medical personnel, and other physicians using traditional lecture, bedside teaching, problem-based learning, simulation cases, deliberate practice, and large-scale disaster drills. He is tireless in his dedication to medical education and eagerly serves as a role model to his students while also chairing the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Gable has developed innovative, multidisciplinary simulation training in the emergency department including scenarios to teach de-escalation of agitated patients, obstetric emergencies, trauma, and resuscitative techniques. These initiatives have shown improved patient outcomes, enhanced teamwork, and increased staff satisfaction.

Dr. Gable was nominated by Ohio ACEP President-Elect, Dr. Bradley Raetzke, who is a colleague of Dr. Gable’s at Mid-Ohio Emergency Services. Dr. Raetzke praised Dr. Gable’s commitment to his students and described Dr. Gable as a nationally recognized expert in medical simulation-based education.

The Emergency Physician Leadership Award was established to recognize outstanding leadership in emergency medicine. Recipients of this award have served as role models to colleagues and/or chapter members, and his or her personal leadership attributes include, but are not limited to: inspiration, innovation, teamwork, and service.

Dr. Baruch Fertel—an attending emergency physician at Cleveland Clinic and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University—is a remarkable physician who embodies each of these qualities.

Dr. Fertel has a wide variety of leadership roles, showing the breadth and depth of his expertise. He has led Cleveland Clinic’s response to the opioid epidemic and helped to operationalize the use of opioid alternatives. He also developed a course for providers to speak with patients about opioids and helping providers find the language to “say no” in a healthy, patient-centric way. His multi-disciplinary and data-driven efforts have been instrumental in reducing inappropriate opioid prescriptions at Cleveland Clinic.

As Information Technology Medical Director for Emergency Services, Dr. Fertel has worked to streamline electronic medical records for Cleveland Clinic, making the records easier to use and helping to reduce the documentation burden for emergency physicians, which is often cited as a major cause of burnout.

Dr. Fertel is committed to emerging physician leaders and has promoted a mentorship program in which physicians in their first years of practice can pair up with an experienced physician for coaching and support. He has also developed a number of awards programs to recognize provider excellence.

Dr. Fertel was nominated for the Leadership Award by his Cleveland Clinic colleague, Dr. Judith Welsh. In her nomination letter, Dr. Welsh praised Dr. Fertel as an outstanding clinician, a role model for all providers, a true leader in emergency medicine, and “one of the brightest, hardest-working physicians I know.”

The 2019 Ohio ACEP Annual Awards will be presented to honorees on March 20, 2019, at the Ohio ACEP Emergency Medicine Assembly in Columbus. Congratulations to Drs. Daniel Martin, Daniel Bachmann, Bowers, McCrea, Gable, and Fertel on their well-deserved honors!