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EMS/Disaster Medicine Current Fellows and Alumni

Current fellows

2023-24

  • Claire Gahm, M.D.

    Claire Gahm, M.D.

    Undergraduate: University of Richmond
    Medical School: Medical School for International Health, Beersheva, Israel
    Residency: Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University
    Fellowship: Pediatric Emergency Medicine & Global Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital

     

     Claire is moving to San Diego from Texas Children's Hospital in Houston where she most recently worked as a Pediatric Emergency Medicine provider with special interests in Global Health, Pre-Hospital Care, and Disaster Medicine. She is originally from Colorado but has moved around the world for her medical training. She is thrilled to finally make it back out West to join the UCSD EMS team. In her free time, she loves to be active outdoors in nature - something you can't do in Houston in the summer, so she's feeling spoiled by the pristine coastal views (and weather) already!

EMS/ Disaster Medicine Alumni

Fellowship Alumni Years Where are they now
Michelle Safferman 2022-2023
  • Clinical Instructor, Department of Emergency Medicine, NYU/Bellevue
Andra Farcas 2021-2022
  • Medical Director, various EMS agencies throughout Colorado 
  • Associate Medical Director, Aurora Fire Rescue  
  • Associate Medical Director, Medical Education on the Delivery of Innovative Care (MEDIC) Program  
  • Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine 
Heidi Hutchison 2020-2021
  • Local Emergency Medical Advisor, Redwoods National Park 
  • Assistant Medical Director, San Luis Obispo (SLO) County Sheriff Special Enforcement Detail 
  • Medical Director, SLO Juvenile Hall 
  • Contractor, NYC Medics  
Stephanie Benjamin 2019-2020
  • Medical Director, National Park Service, Cabrillo National Monument 
  • Medical Director, National Emergency Wildland Service Institute 
Tabitha Cheng 2018-2019 
  • Associate Medical Director, UCLA Center for Prehospital Care 
  • Medical Director, Burbank Fire Department 
  • Faculty, Pediatric Emergency Medicine/EMS, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center  
Jennifer Farah 2017-2018
  • Medical Director, Chula Vista Fire Department 
  • Medical Director, UCSD Base Hospital 
  • Assistant Program Director, UCSD EMS & Disaster Medicine Fellowship 
Kathy Staats 2016-2017
  • Faculty, Department of Emergency Medicine, UCSD
  • EMS Medical Director, Imperial County  
  • President, EMS Directors’ Association of California (EMDAC)  
J. Joelle Donofrio-Ödmann 2015-2016
  • Deputy CMO, City of San Diego/San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFR)  
  • EMS Medical Director, Rady Childrens Hospital 
  • Associate Professor, Clinical Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, UCSD 
Yuko Nakajima 2014-2015
  • Medical Director, Metro Atlanta Ambulance Service 
  • President, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) Japan 
  • Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine 
James Howard 2013-2014
  • Chief Operating Officer, Healthtopia Clinics
 
Adel Al-Marshad 2011-2013
  • Executive Director, Riyadh Health City, Riyadh BioTech City & Riyadh Medical Tourism  
  • Sector Lead, Biotechnology & Healthcare, The Royal Commission for Riyadh City  
Gerard DeMers 2010-2012
  • US Navy
John Serra 2009-2011
  • Medical Director, Palomar College
 
Prasanthi Govindarajan 2006-2008
  • Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy and Systems Researcher, Prehospital and Emergency Care, Stanford Medicine 
Colleen Buono 2004-2006
  • Sharp Reese-Stealy