Over the month of December, we had 135 patients admitted to our observation unit. This was our record! During 2025, there were 1037 patients treated in obs.
In 2025, the most common procedure in our ED was intubation (288), followed by arterial line, central line, and cardioversion.
Chair’s Corner
The holiday season is always a meaningful time in our department as a period marked by shared moments with colleagues, reflection on the year behind us, and the predictable rise in influenza and patient volumes. It is truly a season that calls for both reflection and resilience.
Despite ongoing challenges related to space and resources, the extraordinary dedication and professionalism of our team has translated into excellent care for our patients. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I am deeply grateful for all that you do. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to a highly successful interview season (for residents, fellows, and faculty). We were fortunate to meet an outstanding group of applicants, and this would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of our faculty, administrative staff, and residents.
As we look ahead, the arrival of spring serves as a reminder that change is constant and that our strength as a department lies in how we adapt, support one another, and continue to move forward together. Thank you for all you do, each and every day.
Our team is committed to creating a healthcare environment that respects, understands, and serves the unique needs of all individuals. We embrace a multitude of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences and believe that this fosters empathy and excellence in emergency care for our community.
New Spanish Interpreter Joins
the Team: Maria Martin
Where are you originally from?
I was born in Harrisonburg, VA and grew up there in an English-speaking family. I was always very interested in spoken languages, and I started studying Spanish in 8th grade. I went on to major in it in college and spent three semesters in Guatemala. My time there really helped refine my language skills and cultural understanding, and also taught me that I really enjoy being around Latin American people.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love to read, bake things to share, go hiking and camping, and get together with friends and family.
In The Family
Do you have an exciting announcement that you would like to share?
Here is a perfect place to announce an engagement, wedding, adoption, or birth. We look forward to sharing your news!
Favorite food or restaurant in the area?
Indian food is probably my favorite, and the MarieBette Bakery is another favorite spot in Charlottesville. I’m still getting to know the restaurant options in Charlottesville, so I’d love to hear any recommendations!
How long have you been working as a medical interpreter? I began working in 2014 as a contract interpreter in the Harrisonburg area and did that for a little over six years, interpreting in medical appointments, school meetings, and community services offices. Then I took two years off from interpreting and lived in Bolivia while working with a community development and sustainable agriculture project before coming back to Virginia. I’ve been working as an interpreter at UVA for almost two years now.
One thing you wish clinicians knew about working with interpreters?
When we ask clinicians and patients to speak directly to each other, it helps if they look directly at each other also – it helps the conversation to feel as similar as possible to a normal conversation between two people who are speaking the same language. One of the best ways to get that good smooth flow of conversation is to act as if the interpreter isn’t even there; we won’t be offended at all by you not looking at us or speaking to us directly during the encounter. It makes our job easier!
“When we ask clinicians and patients to speak directly to each other, it helps if they look directly at each other also...”
Alexandra Kolenich
Born May 20, 2025 to Joran Sequeira & Eric Kolenich
Paolo Thiago Torres-Cordero
Born December 19, 2025 to P. Cordero-Colón & P. Torres-Gutierrez
Meet Ups
Our faculty and residents regularly attend state, national, and international conferences. Colleagues and alumni can find them at various upcoming confererences -- including CORD Academic Assembly, AACEM/AAAEM Annual Retreat, ACMT Annual Scientific Meeting & Symposium, AAEM Scientific Assembly, SAEM’s Annual Meeting, and the 46th Congress of EAPCCT.
Journal Club
Our monthly Journal Club continues the tradition of attending hosted evenings, but has been freshly re-energized under Dr. Tom Hartka’s guidance. Each session now kicks off with a short, focused didactic on a research topic, setting the stage for lively discussion of related articles. This year, we have seen record attendance, with more than 50 participants at multiple recent sessions, possibly helped along by the fantastic cooking of our faculty hosts.
The discussions are wide-ranging, bringing faculty and trainees together to discuss current evidence and its clinical implications. We have been delighted to welcome faculty from other departments and visiting alumni, whose perspectives have significantly deepened the conversation and enriched the debate. These evenings showcase the breadth of expertise within (and beyond) our department.
Journal Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., and local and visiting alumni are always welcome. Sponsorship opportunities for Journal Club events are also available for those interested in supporting ongoing education and community within the department.
Grand Rounds
Kimberly Chernoby, MD, JD, MA
UVA was honored to recently host Dr. Chernoby, the nation’s only board-certified emergency physician and reproductive rights attorney, and the current Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer of The FeminEM Foundation. She led a casebased discussion on reproductive care in the emergency department, with particular attention to Virginia-specific policies and legal considerations. Through real-world clinical scenarios, Dr. Chernoby illustrated how evolving reproductive health laws directly intersect with emergency care, shaping clinical decision-making at the bedside. The session thoughtfully balanced practical guidance on patient-centered care with an exploration of the broader policy landscape, equipping emergency clinicians with tools to navigate complex, high-stakes situations while remaining compliant with current regulations.
Contact
If you would like to be added to the Journal Club email list, please contact Paige Vinoski (NNG3PS@uvahealth.org).
To learn more about Grand Rounds, please contact Dr. Nardos Makonnen (NM3WA@uvahealth.org).
Research Updates
Recent Grant Submissions
Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS: Thelma R. Swortzel Collaborative Research Grant
Andrew Muck, MD, MBA: Ivy Biomedical Grant; Letter of Intent - Gun Violence Solutions Project 2026 Grant Program
• Thomas Hartka, MD, MS, MSDS: Emergency Medicine Foundation Pilot Research Grant
• Matthew Trowbridge, MD, MPH: Emergency Medicine Foundation Pilot Research Grant
Upcoming Grant Submissions
Drs. Hartka, Muck, Smith, and Taylor & Joshua Gazzeta (Surgery): 3Cavaliers Program Grant
• Andrew Taylor, MD, MHS: R21 NIH Grant & two R01 NIH Grants
Featured Research Studies
Caretaker Study Update (PI: Andrew Muck, MD)
The Caretaker Study is moving full speed ahead, with 244 patients enrolled and counting! The Caretaker device, an FDA-approved wireless wearable, continuously tracks key vital signs in realtime. We’re testing its superpowers in the ED’s under-monitored areas to see whether continuous monitoring in waiting and observation spaces can boost patient safety. The device measures heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate (plus temperature if we’re feeling fancy). If you spot one on a patient heading for discharge, please help it “find its way home” by removing it and returning it to the EMRO team. No device left behind!
KESETT Study: Gearing Up for Launch! (PI: Thomas Hartka, MD)
Get ready — the KESETT Study (NCT06907173) is expected to begin enrolling patients as early as February! This Phase III, multicenter, randomized trial will test whether adding ketamine (1 mg/kg or 3 mg/kg) to levetiracetam can more effectively stop benzodiazepine refractory status epilepticus compared to levetiracetam alone. We’re aiming for a smooth and speedy launch, and that means we need as many MDs as possible cleared to enroll patients. If you haven’t yet, please complete CITI
Human Subjects Research (HSR) and CITI Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training. Think of it as powering up before the big mission, because this study could have a major impact on emergency seizure care.
ARK ER Cohort Study: Breathing New Life Into Respiratory Monitoring! (PI: Shrirang Gadrey, MD)
Enrollment is officially open! Using small motion sensors placed on the chest and abdomen, the ARK ER Cohort Study will capture detailed breathing patterns in adults with respiratory symptoms. This data will help us better detect early respiratory deterioration and fuel the next generation of predictive analytics. Big things are in the works and we’re breathing easier already!
Partner with our Research Office!
Email our lead Clinical Research Coordinator, Ashley Simpson: ashley.simpson@virginia.edu
New
Hire Spotlight
Yohan Sumathipala, MD, MS
Dr. Sumathipala will join our team in July as our new Research and Innovation Fellow. He is a PGY-3 Emergency Medicine resident at Allegheny General Hospital with an MS in Biotechnology (Bioinformatics) from Johns Hopkins and a graduate certificate in Biomedical Informatics from Stanford.
Yohan has led Epic-enabled operational improvements to streamline ED-to-inpatient admissions and is developing and evaluating AI tools to strengthen triage and reduce ED wait times. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Operations Subcommittee for ACEP’s Artificial Intelligence Committee.
AI, Motor Vehicle Crashes, and Golf: A Sabbatical in Scotland
Dr. Tom Hartka spent a recent sabbatical in Scotland as a visiting scholar with the Department of Population and Behavioral Health at the University of St. Andrews. During his time there, he explored how AI can be used to enhance population-level health research, including work examining potential links between dementia and motor vehicle collisions (not accidents). He also had the opportunity to shadow clinicians in Scottish emergency departments. In addition, he observed classes in the University’s Master’s in Healthcare Data program, which is helping in the design of his own AI in Healthcare elective for medical students.
Outside of work, Dr. Hartka made the most of his time in Scotland by traveling through the Highlands, sampling Scottish whisky, swimming in Loch Ness, and visiting castles. And while he is not a golfer, he still found a way onto the Old Course with a round of miniature golf.
Alumni Spotlight
Dr. Kripalani currently works full-time with US Acute Care Solutions at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital as a full-time Staff Physician and Physician Lead, Residency Relations. He also works part-time at UVA as a part-time clinical instructor.
Favorite memory of residency?
Pulling an arrow out of someone’s leg with Dr. G, and building great friendships with fellow residents and nursing staff!
Most useful thing you learned in residency?
How to figure things out, and if I didn’t know, who to ask.
What do you wish residency had taught you?
The training I received at UVA really prepared me clinically for everything. If I could add anything, it would be more education on the business and administrative side of being an EM physician, such as financial management, billing, throughput, and the non-clinical aspects of medicine.
Current non-work obsession?
Playing with my 3 year old, Sona!
Sanjay Kripalani, MD (left)
Be a Part of Our Story
For more than 20 years, generous community donations have fueled the impactful initiatives of UVA Emergency Medicine. Your support has played a vital role in advancing medical education, fostering groundbreaking research, and enhancing technological innovation. Thanks to contributions like yours, we’ve also expanded our international partnerships, allowing us to make a difference on a global scale.
Join us in continuing this important work and help us transform lives through exceptional emergency care.
Spreading Holiday Cheer
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the vibe is so delightful, And since we’ve no place to go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Happy New Year to our EM family!
Stay in the Loop
Join Our Team: We are Hiring!
UVA Department of Emergency Medicine, led by Andrew E. Muck, MD, MBA, provides exceptional adult care, pediatric care, and active air and ground transport programs. Our department is home to a thriving Emergency Medicine Residency and offers fellowships in Medical Toxicology, EMS, Cardiovascular Emergencies, Ultrasound, Research, Administration, Global Health, and Education.
As part of UVA Health medical center, the #1 hospital in Virginia and a Level 1 trauma center, we care for more than 75,000 patients each year. Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia, we’re proud to be part of a community that combines natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture. It’s no wonder Charlottesville is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the United States.
