MOBILE, Ala. — An internationally respected physician, researcher and educator, Lisa Moreno-Walton, M.D., M.S., MSCR, was recently appointed vice chair of emergency medicine at USA Health and the University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine.

As vice chair, her primary responsibilities are overseeing faculty development and establishing a research program within the department. She intends to involve faculty and residents in building evidence-based best practices to improve patient care.

Edward Panacek, M.D., MPH, chair of emergency medicine, has known Moreno-Walton for over 15 years and has long admired her remarkable career trajectory and her esteemed international reputation in academic emergency medicine.

“Dr. Moreno-Walton represents a historic addition to our faculty in many ways,” Panacek said. She is the first tenured faculty hired in emergency medicine, the first to have previously served as an associate dean, and the first with an extensive track record of extramurally funded research.

“The timing could not be better,” Panacek continued, “as the department has set a goal of developing a quality clinical research program in emergency medicine over the next two years, and she will be leading that effort.”

Moreno-Walton came to USA Health from Greenville, North Carolina, where she was a tenured professor of emergency medicine and associate dean in the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Her passion for emergency medicine stems from its dynamic, multifaceted nature. “In emergency medicine, we get to use everything we learned in medical school – from medicine, surgery, OB, pediatrics, radiology, and psychiatry. We joke that we get the best 15 minutes of every diagnosis known to medicine,” she said. “Every day is stimulating, exciting, and intellectually challenging. We learn something new on every shift.”

For Moreno-Walton, the role of emergency physician goes beyond treating medical conditions — it’s about saving lives and changing lives. “I have the privilege of helping anyone and everyone who presents to the ED,” she said. “I love my patients, and I love being a great doctor to people who may not otherwise have access to excellent medical care.”

As an educator, Moreno-Walton is dedicated to shaping young doctors-in-training. “I have the opportunity to ensure that the next generation of physicians is highly knowledgeable, committed to our patients and to the values of equitable care, best practices, and shared decision-making, lifelong learning, and the sense of privilege of being entrusted with our patients’ lives and health,” she said.

Further, as a prolific researcher, “I am able to ensure that the benefits of research are justly and equitably applied to all patients, regardless of race, faith, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other human condition.”

“I can’t imagine a better way to spend my life,” she added.

Moreno-Walton earned a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed residency training at Jacobi Medical Center, both located in the Bronx, New York. She received a Master of Social Work from New York University and a Master of Science in Clinical Research from Tulane University in New Orleans.

She is board-certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and serves on the organization’s Stakeholders Advisory Board. She is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, and serves on the board of the American College of Academic International Medicine.