Stanford Emergency Medicine Podcast

A trauma center is more than a trauma bay — it's a coordinated system that begins at the scene of an injury and extends through emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and recovery. But that system is under new pressure: serious injuries among older adults are rising, and e-bikes and electric scooters are reshaping what shows up in the trauma bay. Peter D'Souza, MD, joins host Matthew Strehlow, M...

Crowding, boarding, repeat visits, difficult discharges; many challenges emergency physicians face begin long before a patient reaches the ED. Dr. Italo Brown, a nationally recognized leader in social emergency medicine and health equity, joins host Dr. Matthew Strehlow to explore what can be learned by looking upstream and listening to communities. Drawing on his community-based work, Brown discu...

Most conversations about AI ask what the technology can do. Dr. Matthew Strehlow and Dr. Rana Kabeer ask a different question: how should physicians think? From shadowing computer scientists to looking beyond diagnostics, they explore why curiosity, not technical expertise, may become medicine's most valuable clinical skill.  And they discuss practical ways clinicians can begin using AI today, why...

After a patient with a life-threatening heart attack waited hours in an emergency department before anyone recognized the crisis, Dr. Maya Yiadom began asking a different question: Are we measuring what matters most? In this conversation with Dr. Matthew Strehlow , she explores the gap between healthcare metrics and patient outcomes, and how data, analytics, and AI can help identify missed opportu...

Dr. Andra Blomkalns, Chair of Stanford Department of Emergency Medicine, discusses how emergency physicians can turn everyday clinical frustrations into meaningful healthcare innovation through the biodesign process. Drawing on stories from the emergency department, she explores how needs-finding, iterative problem-solving, and multidisciplinary collaboration can transform bedside insights into re...

Emergency departments are becoming a frontline for addiction treatment. In this episode of the Stanford Emergency Medicine podcast, treatment pioneer Dr. Gail D’Onofrio of Yale University talks with guest host Dr. Manish Shah about how ED-initiated buprenorphine is transforming care, challenging stigma, and redefining the role of emergency medicine in addressing substance use disorders. Learn more...

In this episode, we examine emerging trends in pediatric emergency medicine, including improving pediatric readiness and integrating care across systems. Drs. Deborah Hsu and Manish Shah highlight how innovation, data, and clinical mindsets are shaping practice while addressing ongoing challenges in caring for children. Topics include: * Where most children actually receive emergency care—and why...

What would it actually take to make emergency care more affordable, more accessible, and less tied to the walls of the ED? In this episode, Dr. Ryan Ribeira and host Dr. Matthew Strehlow discuss where emerging technologies like AI, remote monitoring, and new care models are already reshaping acute care—drawing on insights from the Stanford Emergency Medicine Innovation Symposium (StEMI X)—and wher...

What does it take to build a research career in emergency medicine amid rapid innovation and persistent funding challenges? In this episode, Dr. Chris Bennett shares his journey as a clinician–scientist and offers insight into navigating the EM research pipeline, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating discovery into patient impact. Key topics Navigating the emergency medicine research pi...

What does it really take to innovate in emergency medicine? In this second episode of our Innovation in EM series, Dr. Matthew Strehlow talks with Dr. Dev Dash and Dr. Andy Chu about how to make innovation, AI, and technology truly work in the complex, high-stakes world of acute care. They discuss what separates great ideas from successful implementation, the keys to effective collaboration betwee...

Emergency Medicine physicians are being asked to juggle more complexity than ever, and the tools designed to help often add new layers of burden. AI offers real hope — but also real risk. Before we embrace it fully, we need an honest discussion about where the dangers may lie. Host Dr. Matthew Strehlow sits down with Dr. Christian Rose, emergency physician, assistant professor, and clinical inform...

Emergency medicine is one of the most high-pressure fields in healthcare, making physician wellness both critical and challenging. In this episode, host Dr. Matthew Strehlow talks with Dr. Al’ai Alvarez about the realities of physician well-being today — and practical strategies every clinician can use to thrive. What You’ll Learn: Recognize how moral injury shows up in emergency medicine Understa...