With more than 10 years in graduate medical education (GME) leadership, I’ve led committees and teams whose objectives span across several different emergency medicine organizations. I’m a strong advocate for collaborative work and will promote the skills and strengths we bring as a team. As a national speaker for ACEP, I have learned to effectively communicate, engage my audience, and promote our message to advocate for our specialty and our patients. I will fight to preserve GME funding and support residency training.

As an engineer, I was trained to problem-solve. As an emergency physician, I have spent hours on the phone trying to get a patient’s medical records and have struggled with the inefficiency of my EMR system. My vision is to create a national information exchange. We need systems and processes that support our workflow, not disrupt them. We should be able to access discharge summaries from other hospitals and view recent CT results rather than repeat unnecessary tests, drive up costs, and prolong wait times.

I will support physicians undergoing litigation stress and fight for malpractice reform. As YPS chair and a member of the Medical-Legal Committee, I created a series of podcasts on medical malpractice issues. I created online resources and lectured at ACEP and across the country to educate physicians about preparing for depositions, understanding the lawsuit process, avoiding plaintiff attorney traps, and coping with litigation stress.

ACEP is what energizes me and gives me a sense of purpose. The College has invested so much in me, and now is the time for me to give back.

Matthew J. Watson, MD, FACEP (Georgia)

Current Professional Positions: medical director, staff physician, and customer service coordinator, Northside Hospital Forsyth, Cumming, Georgia
Internships and Residency: emergency medicine, Geisinger Medical Center
Medical Degree: Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia (1998)

Candidate Question Response: I am uniquely qualified to be an effective Board member because my entire career, every stage thus far, has been dedicated to service within and for our College.

I first joined the College as a medical student and later served as a member of the EMRA Board of Directors. I continued my involvement at the state level, serving as president of the Georgia chapter from 2011 to 2013. I have also served on several national College committees and have been active with advocacy at state and national levels. After serving as the chair of the Georgia PAC, I was selected to the NEMPAC Board of Trustees and the Emergency Medicine Action Fund (EMAF) Board of Governors.