Erik

Hess

MD, MSc

Erik Hess, MD, MSc, was born in New York City and raised in Memphis. When growing up, his parents modeled a love for learning and a strong work ethic. He recalls his dad saying, “Erik, I don’t care if you are a garbage collector or a doctor, but one thing is for sure – you will work really hard at it and be excellent.” 

After attending college in Wheaton, Illinois and graduating Magna Cum Laude with a major in philosophy, he obtained an MD at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and completed residency training in emergency medicine and fellowship training in critical care medicine at the Mayo Clinic. Through these training experiences and relationships with key mentors – Dr. Roger White and Dr. Annie Sadosty – Dr. Hess developed a passion for academic scholarship and subsequently completed a clinical research fellowship and Master of Science in Epidemiology in Ottawa, Canada under the mentorship of Dr. Ian Stiell, one of the top five researchers in emergency medicine. 

While leading the “Chest Pain Choice” trial, a PCORI-funded trial testing the impact of shared decision-making in ED patients with chest pain, Dr. Hess observed participating physicians adapt their patient communication style from directive to inclusive, modifying their phraseology from “this is what we are going to do” to “here are our treatment options,” often altering their position from standing at the head of the bed to sitting by the patient’s side. These experiences were surprising and deeply impactful, fueling a passion for patient-centered leadership. 

Dr. Hess was recruited to the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine as Vice Chair for Research, where his patient-centered focus was galvanized by the need to mitigate healthcare disparities and to treat each patient with dignity and respect, regardless of their personal circumstances. It is these values – patient-centeredness and human dignity – that infuse Dr. Hess’ leadership with purpose, along with a love for scholarship and giving back. 

In his free time, Dr. Hess enjoy spending time with family and friends, staying fit, smoking and grilling meat, and trying out new restaurants in Nashville.