Christian Arbelaez, MD, MPH, Appointed Chief, Chair of Emergency Medicine

Christian Arbelaez, MD, MPH, has been named the Department of Emergency Medicine Chief at Boston Medical Center and Chair at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Arbelaez will join the Medical Campus on July 15, 2021.

Currently Dr. Arbelaez is Vice Chair of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University with appointments at Rhode Island, Hasbro Children’s, and The Miriam & Newport hospitals.

Dr. Arbelaez completed his medical degree at University of Texas Medical Branch, an emergency medicine residency at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, and fellowships at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (minority health policy) and American College of Emergency Physicians (teaching).

An innovative leader and expert in emergency care delivery systems and public health and policy, Dr. Arbalaez’s has given more than 100 presentations and authored more than 70 publications over his 20-year academic career. His strong clinical leadership and track record developing faculty will advance the mission of our academic medical center and the effectiveness of our Emergency Department.

Thanks to Jon Olshaker, MD, who has served as Chief and Chair of the Emergency Medicine department for the past 19 years, announcing his plans last year to step down from his leadership role once a successor was named. Dr. Olshaker has made many lasting contributions to the Emergency Department, including establishing programs and interventions that have become national models for advocacy, research and teaching.

Also thanks David Greer, MD, MA, who led the search committee, as well as the committee members for their work to develop a very strong national candidate pool.