Interim Editor-in-Chief

Juan Sanchez, MD, MPA, CPE, FACS, FACHE, East Division Vice President, Graduate Medical Education, HCA Healthcare, Brentwood, TN

Dr. Sanchez is the East Group Vice President of Graduate Medical Education at HCA Healthcare. He joined HCA Healthcare in 2022. Dr. Sanchez earned his medical degree from the University of Florida, completed his residency in surgery at Georgetown University, and his fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery and transplantation at Yale University. Dr. Sanchez received his Master's in Public Administration from Harvard University. He also served as Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Sanchez is widely published, having authored or co-authored more than 120 scientific publications. He actively serves in a variety of editorial and peer-review functions for numerous journals, societies, and associations.

Consultant

Monique Butler, MD, MBA, President, Graduate Medical Education, HCA Healthcare, Brentwood, TN

Dr. Butler joined HCA Healthcare in 2018 as the chief medical officer of Swedish Medical Center and then served as the chief medical officer for the organization’s North Florida Division. Previously, Dr. Butler has held a variety of clinical leadership roles, including chief operating officer at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, chief medical officer at Detroit Receiving Hospital and chief medical officer at Sinai-Grace Hospital. Dr. Butler earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology – Movement Science from the University of Michigan, a Doctor of Medicine from Wayne State University and a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee. Additionally, she maintains faculty assignments at University of Central Florida School of Medicine and University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business. In each of these roles, Dr. Butler has focused on the strategy, development, operations, and quality of GME programs, especially, faculty recruitment, resident advocacy, resident retention, engagement, and communication.

Clinical Co-Editors

Alex Akhondi, MD, FACP, Internal Medicine, Universal Health Services, Las Vegas, NV

Dr. Akhondi is a board-certified internist and hospitalist with an orthopedic background. He worked in the Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins systems in the DC area for a decade before joining HCA Healthcare. He is the Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency at Universal Health Services in Las Vegas, NV, and also a Professor of Medicine for the University of Central Florida and Florida State University. He has a strong academic background with more than 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, 120 lectures, media presentations, and interviews.

Barbara Gracious, MD, Psychiatry, HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital, Orange Park, FL

Dr. Gracious is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is the GME Program Director for Psychiatry at HCA Florida Orange Park Hospital and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Edward Via College of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is in bipolar disorder, women’s mental health, and metabolic side effects and psychotropic-induced weight gain. A past recipient of a KL2 Career Development award, she has conducted independent prospective research in vitamin D and psychosis, bone effects of antidepressants in youth, diet quality and mental illness severity, and micronutrient supplements for ADHD in youth. Her philanthropy interests include homelessness and food insecurity. She is a graduate of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Editorial Board

J. Scott Anderson, MD, Psychiatry, TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville, TN

Dr. Anderson received his medical degree from Indiana University Medical School in Indianapolis, IN, and completed his residency training in psychiatry at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has been a practicing psychiatrist at TriStar Centennial Medical Center since 2014. He is the Program Director for the TriStar Centennial Psychiatric Residency program and Director of Geriatric Services at Parthenon Pavilion. He is Clinical Affiliate Faculty at Belmont University Thomas F. Frist College of Medicine.

Saptarshi Biswas, MD, General Surgery, Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, SC

Dr. Biswas is board-certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and is a nationally recognized trauma surgeon. He is the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency at Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, SC, where he is also the Director for General Surgery Research and Surgical Simulation. An international medical graduate from India, Dr. Biswas is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians in Glasgow (FRCSG), UK. He completed post-doctoral Fellowship training in Traumatology (Hartford, University of Connecticut), Burn and Reconstruction (Johns Hopkins), and Surgical Critical Care (New York Medical College, Westchester University Medical Center). He is a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons (FICS) and the American Critical Care Society (FCCM). Dr. Biswas serves as a Regent for the South Carolina chapter of the International College of Surgeons (ICS) and is presently elected as the secretary of the SCCM chapter. He is also an executive member of the American College of Surgeons Surgical History section. Dr. Biswas has a strong academic background with more than 125 peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters. His academic interests include traumatic brain injury, abdominal and thoracic reconstruction, surgical history, and simulation education.

Jeremy Brooks McKinnon, LMSW, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, HCA Healthcare, Nashville, TN

Jeremy is Director, Equity of Care with HCA Healthcare. In this role, he contributes to the continued development, execution, and oversight of enterprise patient goals, which includes ADA programs, language services, digital/web accessibility, LGBTQ+ patient access to services, and pastoral and spiritual care. Jeremy is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), holding a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California and Bachelor's degrees in psychology and social work from Troy University. He is also a Master of Divinity candidate at Vanderbilt University. As a volunteer, Jeremy serves on the board of directors for Shower the People to provide access to showers, laundry services, and hygiene care for those experiencing homelessness in Nashville, Tennessee.

Steve Carpenter, MD, MACP, Gastroenterology, Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, GA

Dr. Carpenter is a Professor of Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine and the Academic Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, GA. He is the Medical Director of the GI endoscopy unit at Memorial, where he was the internal medicine Program Director from 2006–2012. He has a strong interest in continuing medical education and directs internal medicine grand rounds at Memorial. He is very active with internal medicine maintenance of certification educational activities at Memorial and with the GA ACP chapter. He has prior journal review experience with the American Journal of Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Robert Chait, MD, FACC, FACP, Cardiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL

Dr. Chait is board certified in cardiovascular disease since 1981. He has been the Program Director of the Cardiology Fellowship at HCA Florida JFK Hospital since its inception and is an affiliated Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami, School of Medicine. Dr. Chait was in private practice from 1981-2015. He has multiple publications, several Grand Rounds and conference presentations, and is an active peer reviewer for several different journals.

Jason M. Clark, MD, FACS, General Surgery, Trident Medical Center, Charleston, SC

Dr. Clark is a native of South Carolina and graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his general surgery residency at Orlando Health along with his critical care fellowship. He received further fellowship training in hand surgery at the University of Mississippi through the plastic surgery division. He is board certified in all three. He continues to treat the acutely injured and critically ill patients while enjoying an upper extremity and soft tissue coverage practice. Most importantly, Dr. Clark proudly serves as the General Surgery Program Director at Trident Medical Center and has been training residents since 2017.

Julie Anne Zemaitis DeCesare, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology, HCA Florida West Hospital, Pensacola, FL

Dr. DeCesare was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her RN BSN from the Catholic University of American in 1994 and her MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 1998. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Florida, Pensacola in 2002, where she then joined the faculty. She left the University of Florida in 2019 and transitioned to HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education. She is currently the founding program director for the University of Central Florida-HCA Healthcare obstetrics and gynecology residency program in Pensacola, FL. At HCA Florida West Hospital, she serves as Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Chief, is on the Medical Executive Committee, and is a member of the Board of Directors. She is a full professor at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine and is the academic chair for HCA Healthcare obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. DeCesare is chair elect for ACOG District 12 and is assuming a position on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology Board of Directors in September of 2024. She also serves as a board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is on the editorial board for the SASGOG Pearls of Excellence. Her research interests are varied and focus on postpartum hemorrhage and optimization of contraception in adolescents.

Chi Dola, MD, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA

Dr. Dola is the Warren and Adolf Jacobs Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Section Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. She received her combined MD/MPH degrees from Tulane School of Medicine. She completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane and a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine from the University of California, Irvine. She actively contributes to graduate medical education as the Assistant Designated Institutional Official at Tulane and Residency Program Director for the Tulane Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency program.

Donald Eagerton, MD, Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Grand Strand Medical Center

Dr. Eagerton is a clinical endocrinologist. He received his MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed an internal medicine residency at North Carolina Baptist, Wake Forest University. Dr. Eagerton completed his fellowship in endocrinology at the Medical University of South Carolina. He then was a faculty member there but moved to Myrtle Beach in 1996 where he started working with the Grand Strand Medical Center internal medicine residency at its inception and then as the director of endocrinology in 2015. He has been the Program Director for the Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship at Grand Strand since its inception in 2021.

Julia Fashner, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Family Medicine, HCA Florida Saint Lucie Hospital

Dr. Fashner is a board-certified family physician and Associate Program Director for the Family Medicine Residency at HCA Florida Saint Lucie Hospital. She has over 20 years of GME experience and completed a faculty development fellowship where she developed skills for research and quality improvement. She also has been involved with peer review for several family medicine journals. Dr. Fashner completed her MPH at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she learned how to perform her own statistical analyses. She has presented over 40 times at state and national meetings and has over 40 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Fashner has a passion for teaching evidence-based medicine and infusing curiosity in residents and students in order for them to become lifelong learners.

Scott Gutovitz, MD, FACEP, Emergency Medicine, Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, SC

Dr. Gutovitz is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and core faculty member at the Emergency Medicine residency program in Myrtle Beach, SC. He has completed a research fellowship in Emergency Medicine (2008) and serves as the Research Director of Emergency Medicine and co-director of GME research at Grand Strand Medical Center. He has clinical appointments with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine at Columbia, Mercer University School of Medicine, and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. His research topics include laboratory biomarkers, stroke, and pediatrics. He has completed many projects using the Electronic Data Warehouse at HCA Healthcare, which includes the first ever peer-reviewed publication using its data (March 2020) and a clinical review of all early COVID-19 patients within HCA Healthcare. He has received multiple private research grants, serves as a peer reviewer for many journals, and has mentored multiple residents and students with their scholarly projects.

Joshua D. Hagan, MD, FACS, General and Acute Care Surgery, HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, Fort Pierce, FL

Dr. Hagan is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. He is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine. He was previously at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital where he helped start the general surgery residency program. Additionally, he founded the surgical critical care fellowship at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital and was the program director from 2018-2022. He is now the program director for the new general surgery residency at HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital, which began in 2023. He has a strong academic interest with multiple peer reviewed articles and editorial contributions and a special interest in surgical critical care.

Shaikh A. Hai, MD, FACS, General Surgery/Trauma/Critical Care, HCA Florida Westside Hospital, Plantation, FL

Dr. Hai is a double board-certified General Surgeon with additional training in Trauma/Surgical Critical Care. He currently serves as the general surgery residency program director at HCA Florida Westside Hospital in Plantation, FL. He is also Clinical Professor of Surgery at Nova Southeastern University Medical College. Prior to moving to Florida, he was Associate Professor, DeBakey Department of Surgery and Chief of Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at the Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston TX. His active involvement in numerous professional societies include being a Councilor-at-Large of the Executive Board of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, Fellow of the Southeastern Surgical Congress and a Committee Member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. He has a strong academic background with more than 75 peer-reviewed articles, editorials, and book chapters, and serves as a manuscript peer reviewer for numerous surgical journals. His research interests are in injury prevention strategies, evolving trauma treatments and surgical resident education.

Jon D. Halling, MD, Anesthesiology, Grand Strand Medical Center, Myrtle Beach, SC

Dr. Halling is board-certified in Anesthesiology, and currently serves as the Program Director for the Anesthesiology residency at HCA Grand Strand Medical Center. He received his medical degree from St. Louis University, and completed residency training at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, followed by a fellowship at Duke University. His clinical interests are Cardiothoracic and Perioperative Anesthesia, with an additional interest in operating room efficiency and management. Dr. Halling was one of the founding core faculty for the first Anesthesiology residency in Nevada in 2018, and in 2022 moved to Myrtle Beach where he lives with his wife, son, and daughter.

Andrew W. Hwang, MD, Internal Medicine, Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside, CA

Dr. Hwang is a board-certified internist. He is the Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, CA; where he also completed chief residency and internal medicine residency. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Health Sciences at University of California, Riverside School of Medicine. He received his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.

Julie Jacko, PhD, Population Health Sciences, Usher Institute, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland

Dr. Jacko is Chaired Professor of Health Informatics and Data Science and the Co-Head of the Centre for Medical Informatics in the Usher Institute in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. She is a scholar and innovator in the domains of digital health and smart systems. Her 180 publications have appeared in preeminent scientific journals, and her record of extramurally-funded research awards includes the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). An expert consultant for the healthcare and IT industries, Dr. Jacko has an innate passion for entrepreneurial endeavors and was recognized as a top entrepreneur in Miami, Florida for having created "one of the city’s most prolific businesses."

Amit Khithani, MD, General and Oncologic Surgery, HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, Miami, FL

Dr. Khithani is a board-certified general and oncologic surgeon. He completed his general surgery residency at New York Medical College, Metropolitan Hospital Center in New York and subsequently a fellowship in surgical oncology at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California and a hepatopancreatobiliary surgery fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. He is currently part of the faculty for the general surgery residency program at HCA Florida Kendall Hospital and is the site director at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital in Miami, FL. He also is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine Nova Southeastern University. He focuses on surgical oncology outcomes and innovation in technology and technique in the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. He has published book chapters and reviewed articles on surgical techniques and outcomes and serves on the professional standards committee of the American Hepatopancreaticobiliary Association. He enjoys teaching evidence-based medicine and aims to encourage the curious resident and student to a path of learning and wisdom.

Sindhura Kompella, MD, Psychiatry, HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, Aventura, FL

Dr. Kompella is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist with specialized training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She completed her Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Kompella’ s educational background includes graduating from the HCA Florida Aventura Residency Program, where she held the positions of Chief Resident and Research Scholar. Currently, Dr. Kompella serves as a Psychiatrist and Research Director for the Department of Psychiatry at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. In addition, she holds the position of Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Kompella possesses a diverse range of clinical expertise, with particular emphasis on neuro-developmental disorders, women's mental health, and refractory mood disorders in the pediatric population. Her research interests encompass HIV Psychiatry, Neuro-inflammation, Pediatric Psychopharmacology, and Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Kompella has made significant contributions to multiple research projects in collaboration with esteemed institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, and the University of Michigan.

Joan Kramer, PharmD, DPLA, BCPS, Pharmacy, Inovalon, Bowie, MD

Dr. Kramer is Senior Associate, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) at Inovalon, where she serves as a research leader to deliver real-world insights and health outcomes analyses in collaboration with health systems. She oversees the end-to-end process of multiple HEOR projects, ensuring seamless execution from initiation to delivery. Her research expertise includes leveraging a comprehensive understanding and analysis of clinician workflows, patient journeys, and medication safety to develop data-driven analytics tailored to site-specific and enterprise-level requirements. Dr. Kramer has co-authored 19 peer-reviewed articles, serving as principal investigator for two grant funded medication history and reconciliation awards. In 2023, she was a guest editor for the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine, Advancing Patient Care in Pharmacy Practice Special Issue.

Se Won Lee, MD, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sunrise Graduate Medical Education Consortium, Las Vegas, NV

Dr. Lee is the Program Director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Residency program at Sunrise Graduate Medical Education Consortium in Las Vegas and a Clinical Associate Professor at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Dr. Lee has served as PM&R Sports Medicine Fellowship Director and was Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine prior to joining HCA Healthcare. Dr. Lee has authored a book on the management of chronic musculoskeletal disorder and published numerous peer-reviewed articles in the different areas of PM&R.

Mike K. Liang, MD, General Surgery, HCA Healthcare Kingwood, University of Houston College of Medicine, Kingwood, Houston, Texas

Dr. Liang is a board-certified general surgeon. He also serves as Professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Houston and Program Director for General Surgery at HCA Healthcare Kingwood. He received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas and completed his residency training at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, Colorado. He has a strong academic background with over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His academic interests include minimally invasive surgery, hernia surgery, and foregut surgery.

Abhishek Lunagariya, MD, MHA, Stroke and Vascular Neurology, University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL

Dr. Lunagariya is an assistant professor of Neurology at the University of Central Florida. He is a stroke expert with dual training and board certification in Neurology and Vascular Neurology. He received Stroke and Vascular Neurology training at the University of California, San Diego under the tutelage of world-renowned stroke expert, Dr. Justin Zivin. Dr. Lunagariya is active in stroke research and is a recipient of the prestigious "National Institute of Health StrokeNet-SPOTRIAS" funding award. He is frequently invited to various national and international conferences to share his expertise. He also serves on the editorial board and as a reviewer of multiple neurology/stroke journals. His interests include leadership, healthcare administration, and stroke systems of care.

Andrey Manov, MD, FACP, MSHM, Endocrinology, MountainView Hospital, Las Vegas, NV

Dr. Manov is a board-certified endocrinologist and internist in both the USA and the European Union. He is currently the program director of the Transitional Year Residency and a core faculty member of Internal Medicine Residency at MountainView Hospital/Sunrise Health GME Consortium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dr. Manov is Professor at UNLV and the Touro Medical School of Nevada. He graduated from Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria in 1984 as a Valedictorian and initially worked as an Assistant Professor at the same University in Department of Endocrinology, specialized in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. In 1994, Dr. Manov moved to the USA and completed his internal medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in Bronx, New York. He has 73 scientific publications and 6 books chapters on topics including diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2 treatment, thyroid disorders, male hypogonadism, and glucose monitoring.

Robyn Meadows, MA, Statistics, Graduate Medical Education, HCA Healthcare, Brentwood, TN

Robyn Meadows is a Research Analyst for Graduate Medical Education (GME) at HCA Healthcare. Robyn holds a Master of Arts in Quantitative Psychology along with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. She has always been passionate about research, engaging in projects across multiple topics throughout her time at MTSU. In her current position, she works directly with residents from GME programs across the enterprise to develop study design, extract data from the electronic data warehouse, and perform statistical analysis. Robyn is actively involved in process improvement within GME and enjoys mentoring others in statistical methodology.

Kefah Mokbel, MB,BS MS FRCS, Breast Surgery, The London Breast Institute

Professor Kefah Mokbel is an internationally renowned breast cancer surgeon and researcher with expertise in the multidisciplinary care of breast cancer patients. He currently serves as the Chair of Breast Cancer Surgery and the Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Program at the London Breast Institute, part of HCA Healthcare UK. Additionally, he is the founder and president of the UK cancer charity, Breast Cancer Hope. Professor Mokbel's research centers on molecular biology, clinical breast cancer management, and aesthetic breast surgery. He has an extensive publication record, with over 500 authored or coauthored papers, an H-index of 56, and an I10-index of 200 on Google Scholar. He has also authored 14 textbooks designed for medical students and postgraduate doctors. His current academic focus is on translating clinical trial advancements into everyday surgical practice. Furthermore, he serves on the editorial boards of various international medical journals and has conducted peer reviews for esteemed publications like The Lancet.

Sherri Morgan, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAFP, Family Medicine, HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education

Dr. Morgan is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician who currently serves as the Group Vice President of Graduate Medical Education, West with HCA Healthcare. She also serves as the DIO for the HCA Medical City Healthcare UNT-TCU Graduate Medical Education Consortium which sponsors over 14 residency and fellowship programs. She completed an academic medicine fellowship at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and has over 20 years of experience in graduate medical education. She continues to publish in peer-reviewed journals with her most recent publication in the AAFP FP Essentials. She has served on the AFMRD Board of Directors, AAFP Commission on Education, and continues to serve on several Texas Academy of Family Physicians committees.

Vishwanath Pattan, MD, Endocrinology, SUNY Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY

Dr. Pattan is board certified internist and endocrinologist currently working as Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at SUNY Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY. Prior to this, he served as Medical Director for the Division of Endocrinology at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, WY. He completed medical school at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in his hometown of Hubli, India. He did a residency in pharmacology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi and another in internal medicine at Raritan Bay Medical Center in New Jersey. Dr. Pattan did his endocrinology fellowship at Harbor UCLA/City of Hope in California and was a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. In his down time, he enjoys playing cricket, hiking, and swimming.

Anthony Pearson-Shaver, MD, MHSA, FAAP, FCCM, Pediatrics, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, Loxahatchee, FL

Dr. Pearson-Shaver is the Pediatric Residency Program Director at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. Trained as a pediatric intensivist, Dr. Pearson-Shaver practiced for 26 years at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. He completed a Master of Health Services Administration in May 2000. Dr. Pearson-Shaver retired from the Medical College of Georgia to become the Thomas B. and Doris E. Black Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Mercer University School of Medicine and the Medical Director of the Children’s Hospital Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia. After a successful term as a Department Chair, Dr. Pearson-Shaver moved to South Florida to continue the work of program building, curriculum development, and teaching.

Heather Stewart, MD, Pediatrics, Mercer School of Medicine, Savannah, GA

Dr. Stewart is a quadruple-boarded Med-Peds physician with over 15 years of adult and pediatric transplant nephrology experience. She received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, followed by a combined internal medicine-pediatrics residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Dr. Stewart extended her medical training and education by completing 5 years of subspecialty training in adult, pediatric, and transplant nephrology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. In 2019, Dr. Stewart was recruited to launch the pediatric nephrology service line at the Children’s Hospital of Savannah. With multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, her primary research focus has been on the transition of young adults with chronic kidney disease into adulthood and health care disparities within the chronic kidney disease population. Dr. Stewart currently serves as the Research Director for the Pediatric Residency Program at Mercer School of Medicine. She has a penchant for mentoring, teaching, and inspiring residents and medical students to enjoy the complex field of nephrology.

John Washington IV, MBA, Research Initiatives, HCA Healthcare Graduate Medical Education, Brentwood, TN

John is a healthcare leader with over a decade of experience in both healthcare and higher education. With a strong focus on enhancing communication and improving access to health information, John leverages his expertise in research and education to drive impactful initiatives. In his current role as the East Group Research Director with HCA Healthcare GME, John collaborates closely with resident physicians and GME faculty and staff, fostering a culture of scholarship and elevating HCA Healthcare’s presence in the medical education landscape. His work consistently bridges the gap between academic rigor and practical application, ensuring that research translates into real-world healthcare improvements. John holds an MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration and is on the verge of defending his dissertation for a doctorate in education. Passionate about lifelong learning, John actively seeks opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, partnering with community members and professionals to advance research and education.

Stephen E. Weis, DO, Internal Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, TX

Dr Weis is the program director of the Dermatology residency program at Medical City Fort Worth. He is a board-certified internist and dermatologist. He worked for over two decades doing clinical research work in public health with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention before retraining in dermatology. His career has been spent in patient care, academics, and education. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and has been a journal reviewer for AIDS, JID, ILTLD,AJRCCM, Chest, Diseases of Colon Rectum, Emerging Infectious Diseases, BMC Infectious Diseases, BMC Public Health, Sexual Health, and the HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine. His current areas of research are medical education and measuring skin pigmentation.

Emadeldeen Elgwairi, MD, Cardiology Fellow, HCA Midwest Research Medical Center, Kansas City, MO

Dr. Elgwairi was born and raised in Benghazi, Libya. He graduated from medical school at the University of Benghazi. Dr. Elgwairi did his internal medicine residency in Libya and served as a chief resident. He is also the founding board member of a local hospital in Libya. He has come to the United States to pursue cardiology training. He did an internal medicine residency here in America at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock, TX, and is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Elgwairi is interested in medical writing and has published several articles and served as a peer reviewer for journals.

Diana Diaz, MD, Psychiatry Resident, HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, Aventura, FL

Dr. Diaz is a third-year psychiatry resident at HCA Florida Aventura Hospital. She is originally from Havana, Cuba. She earned her bachelor in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan and completed medical school at Michigan States University. With a strong research background, Dr. Diaz has multiple publications from her involvement in research throughout her undergrad and graduate education. Currently serving as the Research Track Leader in her residency program, Dr. Diaz is dedicated to advancing both clinical practice and scientific understanding. Her interests include community mental health and enhancing mental health accessibility for all populations. Additionally, she aims to contribute not only to medical education but also to the expand of a sense of intellectual community that transcends each one’s spirit of service.

Hamza Naveed, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, HCA Houston Kingwood Hospital, Kingwood, TX

Dr. Naveed is a medical school graduate from Pakistan, who completed his core clerkships at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the Royal College of Physicians in the UK. During his academic journey, he dedicated six months to patient recruitment for clinical trials at a prestigious tertiary care oncology center, igniting in him a profound passion for research. Currently, in his PGY-2 residency at HCA Houston Kingwood Hospital in Internal Medicine and serving as the Educational Chair for the University of Houston, Dr. Naveed’s commitment to research has deepened. His specific research interests encompass cardiology, critical care, and internal medicine, driven by the dynamic nature of these fields, his fascination with minimally invasive procedures, and the continuous evolution of evidence-based guidelines.

Managing Editor

Graig Donini

Production Editors

Jan Haley, MLS

Lindsay Million, MLIS

Lindsay Pate, MLIS

Elanor Pickens, MLIS

Ashton Stahl

Brynna Farris, MLIS

Brandon Bryant

Kaavya Thanigaivelan, MSc