Council Vice Speaker

The following are candidates for ACEP Council Vice Speaker.

Sabina Braithwaite, MD, MPH, FACEP (Kansas)

Current Professional Positions: associate medical director, Medical Control Board, EMS System for Metropolitan Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma (part time); clinical educator, Teleflex; EMS system medical director, Wichita-Sedgwick County EMS System, Kansas; attending emergency physician, Green Country Emergency Physicians, Hillcrest Medical Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Internships and Residency: medical internship, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond; emergency medicine residency, Medical College of Hampton Roads, Norfolk
Medical Degree: MD, Medical College of Virginia (1991)

I believe the most critical skill to successfully running a Council meeting is the ability to actively listen. Critically listening to the tenor and content of information shared by the Council will facilitate shaping the will of the Council into specific, achievable guidance for the Board. While other skills I possess are also important, I am confident that these must be rooted first in the ability to listen. I feel strongly that the Speaker’s role is not to push forward their own opinion but rather to fully evoke and articulate the voice of the Council—and to keep the meeting productive, on time, and reflective of the diverse and engaging individuals who make up our profession.

Gary R. Katz, MD, MBA, FACEP (Ohio)

Current Professional Positions: system medical officer, The Schumacher Group; vice president, clinical quality and service excellence, Premier Physician Services; facility medical director, Memorial Health, Marysville, Ohio
Internships and Residency: emergency medicine residency, Summa Health System; emergency medicine internship, Summa Health System
Medical Degree: MD, Medical College of Ohio (1998)

Our Council is similar to work in the ED. Many wish to speak, often with competing wants. The effective leader must form order from chaos, help create solutions, and get participants feeling their efforts were time well spent. Helping others to “find their voice” is a skill that I can bring as Vice Speaker.

I have experience as Speaker, having served as Chair of the American Medical Association Young Physicians Section. There, physicians from all specialties represented an array of interests, making collaboration essential. Execution of fair and efficient meetings was critical to achieve success. I served two terms as Ohio Chapter ACEP President, where balancing organizational goals with the governance of a varied board was a necessity. Through these experiences, I have proven my skills for the office of Vice Speaker.

Facilitating fair debate is important. For some, public speaking is a barrier, while others struggle in the other direction. The Speaker must work to uplift those who need support and encourage balance from others.