Our Mission
Our mission is to provide emergency medicine providers with timely and accessible peer support after a challenging clinical case or work-related experience.
Support for Peer Experiences in the Emergency Department (SPEED):
In the emergency department (ED), we are uniquely challenged to provide acute care and make critical decisions with limited or incomplete information. Over the course of one’s residency training and career, it is inevitable to have difficult cases and outcomes despite our best efforts. We aim to provide peer support for our emergency medicine providers as they navigate challenging work-related experiences. Our SPEED team is comprised of faculty and residents with representation from each of our clinical sites. Each team member undergoes specialized training through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) in how to provide emotional support to those who may be struggling as well as direct them to appropriate resources in a timely and confidential fashion.
Team Lead

Kaitlin Ray, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Residency Assistant Program Director
Faculty Representatives

Daisy Ciener, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine
Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship

Jeremy S. Boyd, MD
Vice Chair for Faculty Development & Mentorship
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine

Kristen Dettorre, MD
Director, Division Global Emergency Medicine
Global EM Fellowship Program Director
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Joan Henning, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

Michael N. Johnston, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics

Steven Katz, MD
Medical Director, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital
Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

Marla Levine, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Rachel Nelson, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine

Colin O'Shea MD, MPH
Assistant Director of UME, Clinical Electives
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Emily Pauw, MD
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Kurt Smith, MD
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine

Teresa White, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Leslie Burton, DO
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Resident Representatives

Terrence Darcy, MD

Marie Kuzemchak Patten, MD
Peer Support Form
Please fill out this brief confidential form if you would like a member of the SPEED team to reach out to you.