The UC San Francisco Department of Emergency Medicine demonstrated its leadership and commitment to advancing emergency care at the 2025 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Annual Meeting. The event took place from May 13 – 16 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
There, our members delivered a total of 20 presentations (full list below), featuring numerous presenters and co-authors from within our department. Additionally, several were credited as co-authors on eight presentations led by collaborators from other institutions, highlighting UCSF’s strong relationships across academic emergency medicine.
Two department faculty members received prestigious awards during the meeting:
- Robert Rodriguez, MD, (pictured, left) was honored with the 2025 Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM) Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH Legacy Award, recognizing his impactful work and advocacy during his tenure at UCSF. This award is presented annually to "an individual who has demonstrated a sustained, long-term commitment to the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through scholarship, mentorship, and leadership." Dr. Rodriguez departed UCSF in April to become associate dean for clinical research at the UC Riverside School of Medicine.
- Theresa Cheng, MD, JD, (pictured, right) received the 2025 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award at the SAEM awards ceremony, acknowledging her dedication to humanistic care in emergency medicine. This award honors "a practicing emergency medicine physician who exemplifies compassionate, patient-centered care." Read our department's profile on Dr. Cheng celebrating her award and the work that precipitated it.
The annual SAEM meeting gathers leading emergency medicine researchers and health care professionals to share the latest research findings and innovations in emergency medicine.
Congratulations to all UCSF presenters, co-authors, and award recipients for their exceptional contributions and achievements!
DEM Presentations at SAEM25
A full list of the Department of Emergency Medicine's (DEM's) activities at the annual meeting appears below.
Tuesday, May 13
1. Figuring out the Fiberscope
DEM participant: Kayla Enriquez
Wednesday, May 14
2.Didactics Session: Faculty Development Through the Career Spectrum: Effective Mentorship at Every Stage (Sponsored by AACEM)
DEM participant: Robert Rodriguez
3. Didactics Session: The Future is Now: Impacts of AI on ED Operations
DEM participant: Nick Stark
4. Didactics Session: Design and Delivery of an EM Residency Geriatrics Curriculum (Sponsored by AGEM)
DEM presenters: Nida Degesys, Jim Hardy, Eric Isaacs
Thursday, May 15
5. Didactics Session: Integrating Equity: Strategies to Address Race in Emergency Medicine Research (ADIEM- and Social EM and Population Health Interest Group-Sponsored)
DEM presenter: Melanie Molina
6. The Humanistic Charting Tool: Incorporating Person-Centered Care into the Electronic Medical Record
DEM presenter: Omid Boozarpour
DEM co-authors: Namrata Garg, Ivy Tran, Nicholas Stark, Jose Alaras
7. Development of artificial intelligence-based organ segmentation for abdominal ultrasound in injured children
DEM presenter: Aaron Kornblith
DEM co-authors: Newton Addo, Ritik Sinha, Nina Sabbineni, Shabir Din, Wilson Huang, Margaret Lin-Martore, Maytal Firnberg
8. Lightning Oral: Cardiovascular 2 Session: Validation of the Naloxone Cardiac Arrest Decision Instrument for Identifying Opioid-Associated Cardiac Arrests
DEM presenter: David Dillon
DEM co-authors: Juan Carlos Montoy, Robert Rodriguez, Ralph Wang
9. Abstract: Lightning Oral Session: Infectious Diseases 1 Session: COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness, Uptake, and Emergency Department Vaccination Potential: A Multicenter Study
DEM presenter: Tiffany Chen
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
10. Abstract: Lightning Oral Session: Infectious Diseases 1 Session: Substantial Gaps in Knowledge and Receipt of Age-Recommended Vaccines in Emergency Department Patients
DEM presenter: Robert Rodriguez
DEM co-authors: Christopher Alvarez, Francesco Sergi,
11. Abstract: Lightning Oral Session: Infectious Diseases 1: Effect of COVID-19 Booster Vaccine Messaging Platforms in Emergency Departments on Vaccine Acceptance and Uptake
DEM presenter: Melanie Molina
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
12. Innovation Interest Group Meeting: Innovation Rapid Talks
DEM participant: Nick Stark
13. SAEM Lion’s Den 2025: Mental health outcomes after early pregnancy loss: does initial care setting matter?
DEM presenter: Emily Ager
Friday, May 16
14. Fentanyl as a Primary Driver of Drug Overdose-Related Cardiac Arrest in San Francisco
DEM presenter: B. Shepard Blue
DEM co-authors: Brielle Kinkead, Jelix Tsan, Juan-Carlos Montoy, Zian Tseng, Debbie Madhok
15. Exploring the Impact of Disparities in Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Dispatcher Instructions on Patient Outcomes
DEM presenter: Lydia Wilson
DEM co-authors: B. Shepard Blue, Jason Abbas, Brielle Kinkead, Kosuke Nakasuka, Jelix Tsan, Matthew Yee, Juan Carlos Montoy, Zian Tseng, Debbie Madhok
16. Top Medical Education Articles of 2024 Didactic
DEM presenter: Esther Chen
DEM co-authors: N/A
17. Lightning Oral Trauma 2 Session: Prevalence of Abdominopelvic Bleeding in Abdominal Trauma Patients With and Without Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Use
DEM presenter: Robert Rodriguez
DEM co-authors: Mireya Arreguin
18. Homelessness Following Jail Incarceration for Previously Housed Individuals
DEM presenter: Emily Ager
DEM co-authors: Meghan M. Hewlett, Eve Perry, Hemal K. Kanzaria, Kenneth Perez, Jacob Izenberg, Maria C. Raven
19. Practice-Changing Research in Pediatric Emergency Medicine: Highlights From the Best New Papers of 2024–2025
DEM presenter: Margaret Lin-Martore
20. Empowering Academic EM Physicians: Coaching Skills for Effective Mentoring and Advising
DEM presenter: Eric Isaacs
SAEM25 Presentations Involving DEM Co-Authors
The following presentations were given by presenters outside DEM but feature co-authors from our department:
1. Oral Abstract: Infectious Diseases Session: Awareness and Interest in Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Emergency Department Patients.
Presenter: Jesus Ricardo Torres
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
2. Homelessness Following Jail Incarceration for Previously Housed Individuals
Presenter: C. Hsuan
DEM co-authors: Renee Hsia
3. Disease/Injury Prevention Session: Rates of Recommended Shingles Vaccination and Interest Among Emergency Department Patients: A Multicenter Study
Presenter: Michael Gottlieb
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
4. Lightning Oral Infectious Diseases 2 Session: Gaps in Knowledge and Receipt of Influenza Vaccination in Emergency Department Patients
Presenter: Efrat R. Kean
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
5. Lightning Oral Infectious Diseases 2 Session: Awareness and Interest of the Pneumococcal Vaccine Among Emergency Department Patients: A Multicenter Study
Presenter: Jesus Ricardo Torres
DEM co-authors: Robert Rodriguez
6. Lightning Oral Session: Legal Needs Assessment of Emergency Department Patients at San Francisco General Hospital
Presenter: Tzelzin Hernandez
DEM co-authors: Kristy Blackwood, Theresa Cheng
7. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department (ED) Transfers Within Hospital Systems
Presenter: C. Hsuan
DEM co-authors: Renee Hsia
8. Lightning Oral Infectious Diseases 4 Session: Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Awareness, Uptake, and Emergency Department Vaccination Potential: A Multicenter Study
Presenter: Leyla S. Farshidpour
DEM co-authors: Francesco Sergi, Robert Rodriguez