In a neighborhood known for its significant level of linguistic diversity, I work at New York City Health and Hospitals Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York. This is a busy public hospital and Level 1 trauma center that provides care for patients in an urban working-class and immigrant community. Our shifts include high patient volumes and high acuity, and I feel this is an excellent place to practice emergency medicine. I also am the associate residency director for the Mount Sinai/Elmhurst Emergency Medicine Residency Program.
One patient who sticks in my memory is a young woman with a complex set of symptoms. She had been in the emergency room several times with back pain, and we needed to spend a significant amount of time, talking in Spanish, to elicit the fact that she had some genital numbness. After we learned that and performed a magnetic resonance imaging scan, we established a diagnosis of lymphoma, and she did quite well. That case reinforced for me the importance of asking the right questions and listening carefully to what patients are trying to tell you.
I chose emergency medicine because of the diversity of expertise required. As physicians, we do not need to know every field in its entirety, but we must be able to, among other things, examine a belly; perform ultrasound-guided nerve blocks; diagnose subtle anterior wall myocardial infarctions; manage sepsis, shock and trauma; and counsel patients on how to rehabilitate their sprained ankle.
Practicing emergency medicine requires us to embrace the mystery of the human condition in all its messiness and confusion. Curiosity, skepticism, and tolerance for uncertainty are as important as medical knowledge in providing good health care. While this field is far from perfect, I am thrilled and honored to go to work every day.
Embracing Uncertainty
Lisa Jacobson, MD ’06
Lisa Jacobson
Living in Honolulu, Hawaii, I am the vice president of medical affairs for Hawaii Emergency Physicians Associated, a physician-owned group that staffs 12 hospitals in the state. I primarily practice at Adventist Health Castle in Kailua, Hawaii, where I am the chief of staff.
I work at multiple community emergency departments where we see all comers — from neonates to centenarians; patients with simple cuts and bruises to massive trauma injuries and mental health conditions; and those with anything else you can imagine.
On an overnight shift, I assisted with the delivery of twin babies at 26 weeks of gestation. The way the department came together to rally behind these newborns was incredible. The nurses, technicians, respiratory therapists, and department secretary all worked seamlessly as a team to help this family. It was a scary moment for the family and the department, but we were able to resuscitate the babies and transfer them to the Kapiolani Children’s Hospital.
In my first and second years of medical school, I had the opportunity to rotate as an observer in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and I realized I felt at home. I wanted to be able to care for anyone and work as part of a team. I liked the uncertainty of not knowing what types of patients would walk through the door. After medical school, I completed an emergency medicine residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.
I am a member of the Hawaii College of Emergency Physicians and the American College of Emergency Physicians, and a past member of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Those of us in emergency medicine face challenges, including the need to navigate the crossroads between mental health, drug addiction, and health comorbidities, but we get to work side by side with amazing health care teammates.
Stepping Into Leadership
Sharon Swencki, MD ’02
Sharon Swencki
I work for MedStar Emergency Physicians, primarily at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. This is an urban hospital with specialties in hand surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, and vascular surgery.
A few weeks ago, I quickly established a diagnosis for a young patient who presented with an acute onset of chest pain. He had a large Type A aortic dissection, and we were able to get him into the operating room in less than 90 minutes from registration.
When I was a medical student, I did not receive significant exposure to this field because the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health did not yet have an emergency medicine residency. The internal medicine course director steered me toward emergency medicine based on a list of factors I had liked in various rotations. I completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of Maryland.
My 20 years in emergency medicine have provided me with a diverse, invaluable knowledge base; honed my conflict-resolution skills; and deepened my understanding of team dynamics.
I have recently taken on a leadership position as the physician advisor for my hospital. In this unique role, I act as a bridge between hospital administration, clinical staff, and case managers. I ensure regulatory compliance, advise physicians on medical necessity, and support the leadership team in achieving organizational goals around efficient health care utilization.
Outside my practice, I am a member of the Clinical Practice Committee for the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. I also serve as the race medical director for the Baltimore Running Festival and the Baltimore Ten-Miler; as such, I collaborate with the Sports Medicine Department to coordinate event medicine responses and ensure medical preparedness for races.
I find emergency medicine to be an incredible field. It also can be a springboard for a variety of career opportunities, such as leadership roles and specialized niches.
Class Notes
Class of 2018
Sean Golden and his colleague Matthew Niemeyer, MD, performed the first known thyroid artery embolization for thyroid goiter in Wisconsin, at UW Health. Golden completed a surgical internship in Chicago and an integrated interventional radiology residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 2024, he joined the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health’s (SMPH) Department of Radiology as an assistant professor of radiology. He has been accepted into the 2025 Association of Academic Radiology Faculty Development Program, which brings together physician faculty members early in their academic careers for a day of education, mentorship, and networking.
Class of 2013
Melissa Villegas is serving a one-year term as chair of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Advocacy Committee. The committee is charged with educating academy members to be effective advocates for topics important to professionals and families of children with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Villegas is an assistant professor in the SMPH Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine.
Class of 2011
Michael Hartung collaborated with Radiopaedia to launch a continuing medical education course, Abdominal CT Essentials, which covers acute abdominal and cancer imaging. Through interactive cases and video lessons, Hartung addresses diagnoses ranging from appendicitis and pancreatitis to liver tumors and cancer mimics. He is an associate professor in the SMPH Department of Radiology.
Class of 2009
Brigitte Smith received the Distinguished Mid-Career Educator Award from the Association of Surgical Education. In the SMPH Department of Surgery, she is the vice chair of education and an associate professor, Division of Vascular Surgery.
Class of 2000
Charles Leys was named surgeon-in-chief for American Family Children’s Hospital and UW Health Kids, effective in February 2025. Leys is a professor in the SMPH Department of Surgery and has been on the faculty since 2013.
Brian Hoerneman and Tanya Kausch Hoerneman have worked at the Marshfield Clinic for over 20 years. Recently Brian Hoerneman transitioned from interim CEO of the Marshfield Clinic to president and CEO of the Marshfield Clinic Region for Sanford Health. In addition, he practices in the Emergency Department at Marshfield Medical Center – Marshfield. Tanya Kausch Hoerneman provides rural family medicine at the Colby-Abbotsford Center of the Marshfield Clinic.
Class of 1987
Jonathan Temte and his colleagues Shari Barlow and Marlon Mundt, PhD ’07, have been awarded the 2025 Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Research Paper of the Year. “Rapid Detection of Influenza Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Facilities Reduces Emergency Room Visits and Hospitalizations: A Randomized Trial” was published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association and the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Temte is SMPH’s associate dean for public health and community engagement and a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
