ACEP's American Association of Women Emergency Physicians Names Christiana Care's Dr. Erin Watson Outstanding Emergency Department Director of 2017

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Association of Women Emergency Physicians has named Erin Watson, M.D., FACEP, Outstanding Emergency Department Director for 2017 for her impact on medical students and residents through advocacy, leadership and administration.

Dr. Watson is the medical director of Christiana Care Health System's freestanding Middletown Emergency Department.

AAWEP, a section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, awards the annual honor to a department chair or director whose leadership promotes the professional development of female physicians while enhancing the work-life balance of the physicians on her team.

Dr. Watson "is truly a one-of-a-kind physician, outstanding medical director and remarkable role model for female physicians," wrote Morganne Phillips in nominating Dr. Watson for the honor on behalf of the Christiana Care Emergency Medicine Residents.

"She is someone who young physicians in training strive to emulate," Dr. Phillips said.

In addition to encouraging female physicians to seek leadership positions, Dr. Watson provides an admirable example herself of work-life balance.

She and her husband instruct martial arts, and as a 4th degree black belt, Dr. Watson travels and teaches nationally and internationally. She was female Regional Grand Champion in 2005 and part of the World Champion demo team in 2006 and 2008. She is a Master instructor in the Korean World Tang Soo Do Association and also has shared self-defense training with her community and her colleagues.

"I am deeply honored and humbled by this recognition by the American Association of Women Emergency Physicians, a medical society that I hold in high regard," Dr. Watson said. "I am also grateful for the opportunity to help our residents at Christiana Care become physicians so they can serve our neighbors in the Middletown area as respectful, expert, caring partners in their health."

Dr. Watson will receive the award at the American College of Emergency Physicians Annual Scientific Assembly 2017, which runs Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

The Middletown Emergency Department, which opened four years ago, is one of three operated by Christiana Care. It is the only one that is a stand-alone facility, not connected to a hospital on-site. It treats about 27,000 visitors per year. Dr. Watson was appointed to head the facility as medical director in 2016.

She also has served as treasurer for the Delaware ACEP since 2013.

Dr. Watson has been an Emergency Medicine attending physician at Christiana Care since 2012, having graduated from Christiana Care's dual Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine in 2010.

She holds a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College) at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of Delaware.

Dr. Watson lives with her husband and two children in Townsend, Delaware.

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)