Dr. Nicole Braxley Announced as 2020 Outstanding ED Director

Vituity is pleased to announce that Nicole Braxley, MD, MPH, Medical Director of Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, CA, was recognized by the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians (AAWEP) with the 2020 Outstanding Emergency Department (ED) Director Award. This honor recognizes her achievements as a clinical leader and her dedication to advancing workplace equity for women in emergency medicine.

“She fights tirelessly for the ED patients—who are some of the most forgotten patients in the community—all while mentoring young female physicians. She’s living proof that you can be a fantastic leader in emergency medicine without having to sacrifice your family life.”

Kamara Graham, MD
Vituity Medical Director

“When I heard about this award, I could think of no one else but Nicki Braxley,” says Kamara Graham, MD, a mentee of Braxley’s who now serves as a Vituity medical director. “She fights tirelessly for the ED patients—who are some of the most forgotten patients in the community—all while mentoring young female physicians. She’s living proof that you can be a fantastic leader in emergency medicine without having to sacrifice your family life.”

Dr. Nicole Braxley

Dr. Braxley attended the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and completed her residency training in emergency medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. She joined Vituity in 2013 as an emergency physician at Emory Decatur Hospital. In 2014-2015, she spent a year practicing in Rwanda, where she helped establish the nation’s first emergency medicine residency.

After returning from Africa, Dr. Braxley rose rapidly through Vituity’s leadership ranks. In 2016, she was promoted to medical director at Mercy San Juan Medical Center’s ED, which sees 80,000 visits a year. In this role, she led the development of a crisis stabilization unit for acute behavioral health patients and secured a California Bridge Grant to fund more effective treatments for people with opioid use disorder.

In addition to her clinical duties, Dr. Braxley currently serves on Vituity’s board of directors and is a member of the Administrative Fellowship faculty. As a mother of two, she appreciates the challenges women face when balancing a medical career with family. “For mentees, she is a constant reminder of why we went into medicine and how we can move forward as strong female leaders in our specialty,” says Graham.

Most recently, Dr. Braxley was featured on KFBK – AM Afternoon News, sharing statistics surrounding reductions in ER volume due to the pandemic and increasing patterns of patients coming in with higher acuity. She also explained how important it is for people to get their flu shot this year and how the flu vaccine works. Earlier this year, Dr. Braxley appeared on FOX40 Morning News, encouraging patients to come into the emergency room if they are experiencing emergent symptoms while emphasizing that hospitals are safe.

The AAWEP Outstanding ED Director Award is presented during the annual American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly. Honorees are chosen by AAWEP’s awards committee.

Vituity is participating in the ACEP20 Virtual event on October 26-29, 2020. Connect with us and meet the team that transforming healthcare. Learn how we empower physicians to build meaningful careers with local autonomy backed by national support.

About Vituity

For nearly 50 years, Vituity has been a catalyst for positive change in healthcare. As a physician-led and -owned multispecialty partnership, our nearly 5,000 doctors and clinicians care for 6.5 million patients each year across 400 practice locations and nine acute care specialties.

Vituity’s acute focus and compassionate care are the driving forces that place us at the heart of better care. Our clinicians and practice management leaders develop front-line solutions for healthcare challenges that improve quality and have a direct positive impact on millions of lives nationwide.

Our services span the entire Acute Care Continuum, integrating emergency medicine, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, acute psychiatry, neurology, acute care surgery, telehealth, post-acute care, and outpatient medicine. Partnering with hospitals, health systems, clinics, payers, employers, and state and local government, our footprint continues to rapidly expand. Learn more at vituity.com.

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Vituity Partner Dr. Nicole Braxley Receives AAWEP 2020 Outstanding ED Director Award

“She fights tirelessly for the ED patients—who are some of the most forgotten patients in the community—all while mentoring young female physicians. She’s living proof that you can be a fantastic leader in emergency medicine without having to sacrifice your family life.”

About Vituity

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