Dr. Patricia Bayless
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Residency Program: Texas Tech UHSC, El Paso, TX
Areas of Interest: Bioethics, Wellness, Professionalism (and dabbling In Informatics)
Bio: Master’s in international health management (MIHM) at Thunderbird School of Global Management (now at Arizona State University), Board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM), Chief Wellness Officer for District Medical Group (DMG), Clinical Assistant Professor in Emergency Medicine and Part-time Doctoring faculty at University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, facilitator in Medical Humanities and Ethics class for first year medical students in Phoenix with an appointment as Assistant Professor/Affiliate Faculty, Creighton University School of Medicine. Certified as a HealthCare Ethics Consultant (HEC-C) sponsored by the American Society for Bioethics & Humanities.
Attending in Emergency Department at Valleywise Health Medical Center (VHMC) and serves on the VHMC Ethics committee after acting as chair for 18 years. Participates on the Ethics Committee of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM).
Attending in Emergency Department at Valleywise Health Medical Center (VHMC) and serves on the VHMC Ethics committee after acting as chair for 18 years. Participates on the Ethics Committee of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM).
Dr. Paul Blackburn
Medical School: AT Still University (formerly Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine)
Residency Program: Michigan State University – Lansing
Additional Training and Experience: MUS Navy Flight Surgery
Areas of Interest: Medical Humanities, Ophtho, Hand, Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Emergencies, EM Education in all Facets
Bio: Following Osteopathic medical school I completed a Transitional Internship at Tulsa Regional Medical Center, then Navy Flight Surgery training at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida. Next, on to the Fleet with deployments for five years. Back into civilian medicine and EM residency at Michigan State in Lansing. Onward to Valleywise (then Maricopa Medical Center) EM residency where I held various positions, among them: Internship Director, Education Coordinator, Residency Director, and Nocturnist. Now I am just a Pit Doctor.
Dr. Christopher Borowy
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency Program: Henry Ford Macomb
Fellowship Program: Emergency Ultrasound at Valleywise
Areas of Interest: Pain Management, Ultrasound, Resiliency, & Patient Advocacy
Bio: Born in Michigan and grew up in Phoenix. When I’m not in the ED, you’ll find me spending time with my wife, two daughters, playing ultimate frisbee or pickleball.
Dr. Aubri Carman
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship: Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Areas of Interest: Pediatric readiness, global EM, clinical operations and throughput
Bio: Dr. Carman is from Phoenix, AZ, and headed south to Tucson to complete her undergraduate and medical school studies at the University of Arizona (Bear Down!). After her third year of medical school she completed a year-long research fellowship sponsored by the Doris Duke Foundation working on a project in pediatric sickle cell disease in Kampala, Uganda. She returned to Phoenix for residency training at Maricopa Medial Center/Valleywise Health where she was able to explore passions in global emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine by working at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, and Muhimbili Medical Center in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. After graduation, she completed fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas. Currently she is the pediatric ED Medical Director at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird. She works clinically for North Valley Emergency Specialists seeing patients in both the pediatric and adult ED, and directs a pediatric ED rotation for the residents. She also works part time at Valleywise Health Medical Center. Outside of the hospital she enjoys traveling, cooking, baking, and getting outside with her dog, Hallie.
Dr. Geoff Comp
Medical School: Kansas City University Medical College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency Program: Doctors Hospital/OhioHealth
Areas of Interest: Wilderness Medicine, Medical Education, Wellness, Mentorship
Bio: Dr. Comp participates as a leader, mentor, and advocate for wilderness medicine and EM medical education with experience lecturing and teaching locally, regionally, and nationally. His professional and research focus includes wilderness and environmental medicine, physician wellness, mentorship, and innovation in medical education. He constantly seeks opportunities to combine his interests through collaboration with others and outdoor exploration. Outside of medicine, Geoff can be found running or road biking, head-banging at local heavy metal concerts, trying to find the best Mexican food in Arizona, or chasing his twin boys (Austin and Carter) with his wife, Mackenzie.
Dr. Tim Davie
Medical School: University of California- San Diego
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Areas of Interest: Efficiency, documentation, education, administration
Bio: I’m a husband, father of four, a Christian, and an emergency physician. Born and raised in Las Vegas. My wife and I met at Brigham Young University in Provo. Medical school in San Diego (she learned to surf better than I did), then moved to Phoenix in 2012 for residency. We’ve been here since! I stayed on at Maricopa / Valleywise after residency and worked as Assistant Program Director for a few years, before moving to full-time at our Maryvale site in 2019. I’m currently working as Medical Director there, physician scheduler for both sites, and as leader of our departmental peer review process. I enjoy time with my family, reading, hiking, and dabble in Spanish.
Dr. Levi Filler
Medical School: Midwestern University
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship Program: Emergency Ultrasound
Areas of Interest: Point-of-care Ultrasound, Curriculum development, Resident education
Bio: My name is Levi Filler and I am the ultrasound fellowship director at CopaEM. I grew up in Montana and came to Arizona in 2011 for medical school and residency. I was lucky enough to meet my wife here and we now are raising two beautiful girls together. I trained here and have a passion for point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency department and resident education. I have been grateful to be a part of the growth our program has made over the years and I am looking forward to what the future has in store.
Dr. Reynaldo Hernandez
Medical School: University of Illinois
Residency Program: Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Fellowship Program: Medical Toxicology – The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Areas of Interest: Wellness, Envenomations, Overdoses, Public Health
Bio: My name is Reynaldo Hernandez, I was raised in Phoenix fo rmost of my life but traveled to the midwest and east coast for training where I ultimately met my beautiful wife Sarah. I completed my fellowship training in Phoenix and am enjoying being back in Arizona. I enjoy hanging out with friends, lounging in the pool, swimming, hiking, running and playing with our orange, Cheddar. I look forward to the future whatever that may hold!
Dr. Kenneth Jackimczyk
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Residency Program: Denver General Hospital Emergency Medicine
Areas of Interest: Emergency Medical Services, Medical Education
Bio: Ken Jackimczyk completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Denver General Hospital. He came to ValleyWise (then Maricopa Medical Center) in 1982 to establish an Emergency Medicine residency and was it’s first program director.. He is a professor of Emegency Medicine at The University of Arizona College of Medicine and Creighton University College of Medicine, Phoenix. His current focus is on Air-medicine and wellness. He serves as medical director for Native Air Arizona/New Mexico and Careflight Arizona. He and his wife Kendra enjoy hiking, running and traveling.
Dr. Lilya Kraynov
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix
Residency Program: University of Missouri Kansas City/Truman Medical Center
Fellowship Program: Clinical Research, Oregon Health & Science University
Areas of Interest: Social and societal drivers of health, health policy, public health, healthcare reform, refugee and migrant health
Bio: Dr. Kraynov was born in a country that no longer exists, frequently confuses the Ukrainian and Russian words for “onion,” will talk about her cat (Cosmo the Kitten) for days, loves organizing chaotic messes, is a fan of taking deep, centering breaths, and takes inspiration from Leslie Knope, Samantha Power, that one kid in school who always outsmarted her, and her grandfather. She was first introduced to clinical research during undergrad and has held an intense love/hate relationship with it ever since.
Dr. Megan McElhinny
Medical School: University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine and Public Health
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship Program: Valleywise Medical Center/Mayo Clinic Phoenix Research Fellowship
Areas of Interest: Intersection of public health and emergency medicine, related illness, opioid use disorder
Bio: Dr. Megan McElhinny is an early career emergency physician with additional training in urban medicine and public health. After completing her emergency medicine residency in Phoenix Arizona, she completed a master of public health at Johns Hopkins. A “Badger” transplant, Megan shares research interests in heat-related illness and substance use disorder. She is uniquely trained in applying a public health approach to population level problems that are apparent daily in her emergency medicine practice.
Dr. Carl Mitchell
Medical School: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Residency Program: Kern Medical Center Emergency Medicine
Fellowship Program: Emergency Ultrasound Valleywise Health
Areas of Interest: Emergency Ultrasound
Bio: Carl Mitchell is Emergency Ultrasound Director of Creighton University School of Medicine/Maricopa Emergency Medicine program. He completed his medical school education at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He, then, completed residency at Kern Medical Center. After residency, he completed his fellowship at Creighton University School of Medicine/Maricopa Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship when it was called MIHS. He stayed on as faculty and within two years was made Ultrasound Director. In the ten years, since he as worked at Valleywise, Creighton Emergency Ultrasound program has become a world-class Ultrasound program taking two fellows a year. He has a passion for learning and sharing. He has countless hobbies and knows multiple languages. He values his family and religious commitments above all else. He, also, loves to laugh daily.
Dr. Benjamin Pirotte
Medical School: Keck School of Medicine, USC
Residency Program: Aventura Hospital
Fellowship Program: Medical Education and Simulation – UC Davis
Areas of Interest: MedEd, Simulation, In Situ Training
Bio: Dr. Pirotte was born and raised in the desert of Cave Creek, Arizona. He attended ASU for his undeergraduate degree before completeing medical school at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and attending EM residency at Aventura Hospital just north of Miami Florida. Throughout medical school and residency he developed a passion for teaching, and elected to formalize his training with a Medical Education and Simulation Fellowship at UC Davis. He is particularly interested in Multi-Disciplinary simulation and in situ training. He is ecstatic to be back home in the desert at Valleywise Health, teaching and practicing Emergency Medicine. In his free time he loves reading fantasy novels, hiking the desert with his dogs, and playing a variety of sports/board games.
Dr. Paul Pugsley
Medical School: Albany Medical College
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship Program: Emergency Department Administration – VHMC-Mayo Clinic Arizona
Areas of Interest: Clinical Operations, Quality and Safety, Heat Related Illness, Orthopedic Injuries, Stroke Management
Bio: Dr. Pugsley was born and raised in San Diego, California. After completing his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley he worked for five years in healthcare consulting. He then attended Albany Medical College in upstate New York where he earned his medical degree before coming to Phoenix for graduate training. His Emergency Medicine residency and fellowship training were both done here at Valleywise Health Medical Center. He then joined the department as an attending physician and core faculty member. Previously he served as the department’s Director for Quality and Patient Safety and currently her serves as the Medical Director of the VHMC Main Emergency Department. He works clinically at both the main campus and Maryvale Emergency Departments.
Dr. David Sklar
Medical School: Stanford University
Residency Program: University of New Mexico
Fellowship: Emergency Medicine at University of California San Francisco
Areas of Interest: Emergency Medicine
Bio: David Sklar, MD is an Emergency Physician and Professor at Arizona State University. He teaches Health Humanities & History, and High-Value Healthcare Patient Centered Care. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Academic Medicine, the leading medical education journal in the US, from 2013-2020. In 2011-12 as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow, he served on the Senate Finance Committee where he worked on the Affordable Care Act, physician payment and workforce issues. He has authored or co-authored over 200 articles in the fields of medical education, quality of care, global health, disaster medicine and health services and written three books. He was a Fulbright Scholar where he did research and work on educational projects as part of curricular reform at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical School in Dublin, focusing on case-based learning, high-value healthcare, global and population health and health humanities.
Dr. Jeff Stowell
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Residency Program: The University of Texas Health Science Center At Houston (UTHealth)
Fellowship: Emergency Ultrasound, Denver Health Medical Center
Areas of Interest: Emergency Medicine Administration and Operations, Point of Care Ultrasound
Bio: Dr. Jeffrey Stowell completed graduate medical education at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Emergency Medicine residency training at the University of Texas in Houston and Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship with Denver Health. Since joining the Department of Emergency Medicine at Valleywise Health, Dr. Stowell has focused on resident and fellow education, clinical operations, and Emergency Medicine administration. Dr. Stowell has served as the Associate Ultrasound Director and developed both the Emergency Ultrasound and Administrative Fellowships at Valleywise Health, successfully recruiting and mentoring fellows. Dr. Stowell has also served in operational and administrative leadership roles within the department of emergency medicine including as the Medical Director for both the Valleywise Health Medical Center and Maryvale Emergency Departments and as the Vice Chair for the Department of Emergency Medicine prior to becoming Chair.
Dr. Brendan Tarzia
Medical School: New York Institute of Technology, New York
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship: Medical Education – Cooper University, Camden, New Jersey
Areas of Interest:
Medical Education, Simulation, Adult Learning Theory, Faculty Development, Resident Remediation and Coaching
Medical Education, Simulation, Adult Learning Theory, Faculty Development, Resident Remediation and Coaching
Bio: Dr. Tarzia was born in Connecticut and completed his undergraduate studies at Syracuse University (go Cuse!) before attending medical school at NYIT on Long Island, New York. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Maricopa Medical Center, now Valleywise Health Medical Center, followed by a Medical Education Fellowship at Cooper University. Following fellowship, he returned to his Copa’ family to join the education team. His professional interests include medical education, adult learning theory, simulation, resident remediation, mentorship and coaching, and sideline coverage for sporting events. Outside of medicine, he can be found on his lifelong quest to become a respectably mediocre endurance athlete, perfecting his barbecue technique, hiking, snowboarding or relaxing with his wife, Tamlyn, and their two dogs.
Dr. Josie Valenzuela
Medical School: Harvard Medical School
Residency Program: UCSF with transfer to U of Arizona
Fellowship: Emergency Ultrasound at University of Arizona (Tucson)
Areas of Interest: POCUS
Bio: I grew up in Arizona and always hoped to return to serve. After spending several years as a community ultrasound director, it is my pleasure to return to a mission-based hospital with a wonderful residency. Apart my medicine my interests are indoorsie: DND, board games, sci fi, chess.
Dr. Dillon Warr
Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
Residency Program: Temple University Hospital Emergency Medicine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education, Mentorship, EM Physician Advocacy
Bio: Dr. Warr is an emergency physician at Valleywise Health in Phoenix and core faculty with the Creighton University Emergency Medicine Residency–Phoenix. A graduate of Temple University’s EM program, his professional focus now centers on resident education, bedside teaching, and delivering high-impact, learner-centered conference lectures. When not in the hospital, you can find him swimming laps, latin dancing, or being walked by his dog.
Dr. Thomas Whiting
Medical School: Midwestern University
Residency Program: Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Fellowship Program: Ultrasound at Maricopa County Emergency Medicine
Areas of Interest: Medical Education, POCUS
Dr. Karl Yousef
Medical School: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Residency Program: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Health System
Areas of Interest: Critical Care
Bio: Dr. Karl Yousef is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician with a focus on critical care medicine. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he completed his undergraduate studies at UCLA before heading to the University of Arizona – Tucson for medical school, where he also met his wife, now a psychiatrist—strategically securing his future mental health support. He then trained in South Florida at Jackson Memorial Hospital, the University of Miami, and Holy Cross Hospital during residency, gaining experience in some of the busiest and most complex emergency environments in the country.
He currently serves as an attending physician and professor of Emergency Medicine at Valleywise Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Yousef leads a busy life as the full-time caregiver to his and his wife’s 45-pound dog, Elsa, who ensures he never forgets the true meaning of responsibility.
He currently serves as an attending physician and professor of Emergency Medicine at Valleywise Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. Outside of the hospital, Dr. Yousef leads a busy life as the full-time caregiver to his and his wife’s 45-pound dog, Elsa, who ensures he never forgets the true meaning of responsibility.