Nancy Auer Meritorious Achievement Award

The Nancy Auer Meritorious Award recognizes WA-ACEP members who have gone above and beyond the norm in emergency medicine to improve the quality of patient care and support the efforts of the chapter.

2023 Nancy Auer Meritorious Achievement Award Recipient: Susan Stern, MD

Susan A. Stern, M.D. is Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA. Dr. Stern received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1987. She completed an Emergency Medicine Residency in 1987 and a Research Fellowship focused in Resuscitation Science in 1991, both at the University of Cincinnati. Following completion of fellowship, she took a faculty position at the University of Michigan (1993-2009) in the Department of Emergency Medicine. At the University of Michigan, she continued her research efforts to develop and evaluate alternative novel resuscitation strategies in the very early period following traumatic hemorrhagic shock. Her laboratory was among the first to establish a large animal polytrauma model of combined TBI and uncontrolled hemorrhage, which several other laboratories have since adopted or used as a framework for investigation. Dr. Stern spent several months as a Visiting Professor at the Naval Medical Research Center in MD and during that time assisted the NMRC research team in the development of a novel model of combined TBI and blunt liver trauma, which they continue to use. While at the University of Michigan, she also served as the Associate Chair for Education (2004-2009), Chair of the University of Michigan Institution Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC), and completed the University of Michigan Health Center / Ross School of Business – Healthcare Leadership Development Program.
Dr. Stern moved to the UW in 2009 where she has led the development of the Department of Emergency Medicine. During her tenure at the University of Washington she has overseen the growth and development of the department from 12 to over 90 full- and part- time faculty to include four thriving Sections, the development of the University of Washington Emergency Medicine Residency program and several fellowship programs, as well as a thriving research program. Her laboratory team continues its research focus on resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock.
Dr. Stern has been active within SAEM and WA-ACEP. Within SAEM she served as Chair of the Program Committee from 1998 -2000, as a member of the Board of Directors from 2000-2005, and currently serves as Co-Director of the AACEM Chair Development Program with Dr. Brian Zink. She served on the WA-ACEP Board of Directors from 2011 through 2022 including as Member at Large, Secretary-Treasurer, President Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. She also served as Chair of the Education committee for several years and continues to enjoy her participation and collaborations on that committee as well as the Anti-Racism Health Justice Committee.

Previous Winners

2022: Cameron Buck, MD, FACEP
2021: Stephen Anderson, MD, FACEP
2019 – Steve Marshall, MD, FACEP
2018 – Mickey Eisenberg, MD, FACEP
2017 – Kathleen Jobe, MD, FACEP
2016 – James Nania, MD, FACEP
2015 – Marv Wayne, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, FAHA
2013 – Ted Walkley, MD, FAAP, FACEP
2012 – Cindy Markus, MD, FACEP