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Evaluation

Scientific Assembly

Panel Discussion

Session: Session 104

The Cost of Bearing Witness: Confronting Secondary Trauma in EM

Sunday, April 12, 2026
4:00 PM - 4:50 PM PT
Location: Grand III - 4th Floor
CE: 0.75 CME Credit
Wellness

    Panel Moderator(s)

  • Suchismita Datta, MD, MHPE

    Attending Physician and Director of EM Research
    NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
    Manhasset Hills, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

    • Panelist(s)

  • Kathleen Stephanos, MD, FAAEM (she/her/hers)

    Assistant Professor of EM and Peds
    University of Maryland Medical Center
    Baltimore, Maryland

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

  • Harman S. Gill, MD FAAEM (he/him/his)

    Director of Education and Academic Development
    NYU - GLISOM
    Mineola, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

  • Amil Badoolah, DO FAAEM

    Clinical Assistant Professor
    NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine
    Mineola, New York

    Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Disclosure(s):
Suchismita Datta, MD, MHPE: No financial relationships to disclose
Kathleen Stephanos, MD, FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Harman S. Gill, MD FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Amil Badoolah, DO FAAEM: No financial relationships to disclose
Being a silent witness to tragedy is sadly a daily part of our routine as emergency medicine physicians. This can take a toll on our sense of well-being as physicians and impact our mental health as well as our clinical practice. This panel introduces the concept of secondary traumatic stress (STS), its connection to moral injury, and its relevance to our practice as EM physicians. Panelists discuss their own experiences with STS and explain practical strategies they use to process it.

1. Introduction to secondary trauma (8 minutes)
What is secondary traumatic stress (STS)? (Definition, Symptoms)
Discuss the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress in EM (15–30% per Steinkopf, 2021).
What makes EM physicians especially vulnerable?
How is STS connected to moral injury?

2. Story-Driven Panel Discussion (8 min per speaker, 24 minutes total)
Facilitated dialogue around:
“How did you first realize you were carrying secondary trauma?”
“What STS signs do we tend to ignore in ourselves or others?”
“What has helped you cope or recover?” (e.g., writing, therapy, peer debriefs, art, exercise, time off)
“What needs to change about EM culture so that we can talk about it more?”

3. Audience participation and Q&A (8 minutes)
End the session with a 2-minute reflective prompt, such as:
“Write down one story that was heavier to carry than you wanted it to be.”
Invite audience to share what they wrote, questions, and reflections.

Panelists:
1. ICU/ED attending
2. ED Nocturnist
3. PEM attending

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the signs and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress.
  • Apply strategies to help process secondary traumatic stress.