Healthcare Crisis Management and Preparedness

Matthew Strehlow is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University who has shaped the landscape of global emergency care through his innovative leadership and research. After earning his medical degree from the University of Washington and completing his emergency medicine residency at Stanford-Kaiser, he has built an impressive career combining clinical excellence with international healthcare development. As Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Director of Stanford Emergency Medicine International (SEMI), he leads initiatives to improve emergency care systems worldwide. His research spans critical areas including precision emergency medicine, epidemiology of emergencies in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, and innovative approaches to healthcare worker training. Through partnerships with organizations like OpenWHO, he has developed groundbreaking training programs, including a COVID-19 course that ranked among Coursera's Top 100 in 2020. His work extends beyond traditional emergency medicine to address broader healthcare challenges, including maternal-child health and gender-based violence through emergency care systems. As a Fellow at the Center for Innovation in Global Health and advisor to Stanford's Digital Medic initiative, he collaborates across disciplines to advance global health education. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Emergency Medicine Academy and the Extraordinary Contributions Award from the Society for Ambulance Paramedics, establishing him as a transformative figure in international emergency medicine.

Martha Meredith Masters serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University and holds the distinguished position of Marc and Laura Andreessen Medical Director of Disaster Relief at Stanford Health Care since 2020. After earning her medical degree from the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in 2013, she completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin Emergency Medicine program in 2016, followed by a specialized fellowship in Emergency Medical Services at FDNY Hofstra Northwell in 2017. Her career path includes significant contributions as Emergency Medicine faculty at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and EMS Medical Director for Newark city before joining Stanford. In her current role overseeing the Office of Emergency Management, she leads critical initiatives spanning major event planning, pandemic response, and disaster preparedness for both Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Her research focuses on enhancing hospital disaster preparedness, optimizing prehospital care relationships with emergency departments, and promoting health equity in EMS and disaster management. Board certified in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services, Dr. Masters brings extensive experience in collaborating with government agencies, healthcare organizations, and international partners to advance disaster medicine. Her expertise has been particularly valuable during critical responses to public health challenges, including the Ebola outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic, where she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in maintaining high-quality patient care during crisis situations.