Educators, Veterans, Academics, Advocates: Meet VACEP’s 2025-2026 Leadership & Advocacy Fellows
Each year, VACEP selects one or several early career emergency physicians to take part in our Leadership & Advocacy Fellowship. This one-year program pairs rising emergency physicians with senior attendings, with the goal of taking on projects or experiencing the non-clinical parts of the job — like advocacy, education, and training.
This year, we selected four Fellows. Meet them.
Atilio Atencio, MD
U.S. Acute Care Solutions/Inova Fairfax Hospital
“In emergency medicine we are exposed to many of the failings of society,” writes Atilio Atencio, MD, citing key systemic challenges like homelessness, addiction, and preventable disease. Yet amid these daily realities, he finds pride in his work. “But I recognize my limits,” he says.
Dr. Atencio sees emergency medicine as a field that often “slaps a Band-Aid” on larger systemic issues. “I am at the point in my career where I would like to be part of a more permanent fix,” he says. Through VACEP, he wants to learn and develop more leadership skills with the goal of implementing long-lasting change.
One of his biggest daily challenges is patient communication, especially around expectations and education. “This can drain resources and time for more critical patients,” he says, “but education is a passion of mine.”
If he had a magic wand, he’d deemphasize metrics that, while intended to improve care, have become burdensome criteria that detract from both patient care and physician well-being.
Dr. Atencio earned his medical degree at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia and served as chief resident during his University of Chicago Hospital residency. He has been a leader in organizations such as MedCEEP, Puentes de Salud health clinics in Philadelphia, and the Medical Justice Alliance, which protects the right to healthcare for incarcerated persons.
AMANDA C. MATHEWS, MD
Inova Fairfax Hospital, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Dr. Amanda Mathews brings thoughtfulness and a clear-eyed perspective to the challenges facing her field. “Less than a year after leaving the sheltered cocoon of emergency medicine residency at an academic institution,” she writes in her fellowship application, “I feel like I’ve gotten a crash course in how EM is practiced, billed, reimbursed, and commoditized.”
During residency, she observed an “idyllic picture” of the specialty focused on academics, research, GME, and administrative work, but found little discussion about real-world practice.
“I wish there had been more discussion of the practice models outside of academic institutions,” she says. That wish drove her to apply to the VACEP fellowship. “I don’t believe there is much to be gained by talking and complaining to others who already feel the same way as I do. Instead, it is much more productive to learn more about the system and find ways to influence and reform decision makers. I hope in this way to help represent other EM providers who feel similarly but have other financial and personal pressures that prevent them from feeling comfortable having their voices heard.”
Her biggest challenge? Maintaining focus on the good: “It often feels like everyone wants something from me. All those small stressors add up.”
If she had a magic wand, she would create “a better general health curriculum for adults and children,” believing it would empower patients and improve communication.
Dr. Mathews earned her medical degree at the Duke University School of Medicine. In addition to practicing at Inova Fairfax, she is an assistant professor with the University of Virginia School of Medicine, serving at U.Va’s Prince William and Haymarket hospitals. She served in the U.S. Army as a medical services corps officer, which included a deployment to Afghanistan. She is a Bronze Star Medal recipient for exceptionally meritorious service.
meet the fellowship director
VACEP’s Leadership & Advocacy Fellowship is led by James Humble, MD, an emergency physician at Carilion Clinic. Dr. Humble (at left in photo during our 2025 EM Advocacy Day in Richmond) was himself a VACEP fellow for 2021-2022.
W. BURKE BEST, MD
U.S. Acute Care Solutions/Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center and VCU Health
W. Burke Best, MD practices across two hospital systems (primarily at Bon Secours in Hanover, and moonlighting in Richmond at VCU Health) and frequently hears frustration from colleagues.
One recent comment struck a chord: “What is the point in trying when nothing changes and matters are only getting worse?”
For Dr. Best, that’s a bleak attitude that only contributes to further frustration and burnout — and with VACEP, he wants to be part of the solution.
The dual-trained emergency and internal medicine physician wants to expand his focus beyond care of individual patients. “I have learned how to best navigate a lot of these roadblocks, but honestly I have not focused as much on knocking them down,” he says. Through the VACEP Leadership & Advocacy Fellowship, he hopes to learn how to eliminate or prevent issues rather than sidestep them.
He believes the biggest challenge in emergency medicine is trying to take care of a patient when resources are not available, like delays from transport companies, lack of specialty coverage, and overcrowding.
If given a magic wand, he would ensure patients could be seen immediately in unburdened EDs, saying a real-world fix is likely policy-driven.
Dr. Best completed his dual degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he also served as chief resident. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. He is active in medical education, research, and quality improvement, with research focused on vascular surgery, virtual post-emergency care, and clinical guidelines.
KATIE Mayes, MD, Ph.D.
Carilion Clinic, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Before attending medical school, Katie Mayes worked as a construction worker in Jonesville, Va., where she fell in love with Southwest Virginia and Central Appalachian culture.
After medical school training at Stanford University and completing residency at the Harvard University-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, she returned to the Roanoke region to serve its unique healthcare needs and has kept her commitment to advocating for her community.
Her research and teaching have centered on the social determinants of health, and she’s eager to translate her work into effective policy advocacy. Dr. Mayes has been active in organized medicine, serving as a delegate to the American Medical Association, a committee member for Massachusetts ACEP, and participating in national ACEP committees focused on social emergency medicine and research. “These experiences have honed my ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations,” she says.
Her greatest challenge: improving follow-up care from the ED, especially for patients who face barriers like insurance status, transportation issues, and long wait times.
If she could wave a magic wand, she would eliminate the disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. She sees the VACEP Leadership & Advocacy Fellowship as a way to be a voice for Southwest Virginia and drive informed and passionate advocacy.
In addition to her medical degree, Dr. Mayes holds a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of St. Andrews and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on emergency care, health equity, and social determinants of health. Her work integrates clinical excellence with public health research, social advocacy, and medical education.
