We’re proud to share in the careers of so many incredible healthcare professionals who are not only experts in their field but also dedicated to the health and vitality of their communities.
Meet Dr. Ian Doten, Divisional Chief Medical Officer for Sound Emergency Medicine (EM). Overseeing the operations and strategies for a network of Sound EM teams, Dr. Doten’s leadership is defined by a passion for improving care, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency. Here, he shares how Sound’s commitment to positive emergency department (ED) culture and clinician support motivates his patient-centered leadership.
How has your role evolved since you first joined Sound, and what key moments shaped your path to becoming a Divisional Chief Medical Officer (CMO)?
When I first joined Sound, I collaborated with teams in both hospital medicine and emergency medicine as a Regional Medical Director (RMD). It was a fantastic opportunity for me, as an ED doctor, to dig into other parts of a patient’s journey through their hospitalization. Working with Sound teams to implement practices that speed patient throughput out of the ED and into the inpatient side of the house was an opportunity to integrate patient care with the cultures of the respective teams.
That said, my home has always been the ED. When Sound Emergency Medicine CEO Dr. Tony Briningstool offered me the opportunity to lead within our EM specialty, it was music to my ears. Supporting the work of physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) is truly meaningful to me. Working alongside our medical directors and clinicians to make their days easier and more rewarding is an opportunity for which I’m profoundly grateful.
How would you describe the culture within Sound Emergency Medicine, and how does that show up day to day for clinicians?
Our culture is about taking great care of patients and our team. We focus on being intentional team leaders within the EDs, hospitals, and communities we serve. In EM leadership, it’s about ensuring that our teams have a great place to practice. For individual clinicians, that means feeling confident in Sound’s support. It’s our responsibility as an organization to demonstrate our commitment to them, their value, and the demanding work they do every day— and nights, and weekends, and holidays—to care for our patients.
What sets Sound apart from other EM organizations when it comes to clinician support and development?
We do the basic things well to make Sound EM a practice our physicians and APPs will want to stay in. We also offer leadership and training opportunities to help clinicians grow their skills, apply their expertise, and drive improvements in outcomes. Whether they’re working at the bedside or as leaders within the hospital, support for our clinicians aims to nurture growth within their local teams, the hospital where they practice, and Sound as an organization.
What values or experiences from your early career still influence how you lead today?
Working in the ED, I’d always ask myself, “What does this patient need right now?” If I’m always centered on what is best for the patient, whether working clinically or in a meeting, I’ll be focused on the right thing. If we’re looking to improve processes, outcomes, and experiences in a patient-centric way, the rest will follow, and our clinicians will get the most out of their hours at work.
We chose emergency medicine as a specialty because we have the privilege of caring for patients who may be having the worst, scariest, most stressful day of their lives. Emergency departments are the front door of the hospital, and our teams are there for our patients when they need us the most. Always connecting my work to our patients in the ED motivates me to support our teams and help them take great care of our patients. It’s the best part of my job.
Read more about Sound’s patient-first, clinician-led Emergency Medicine partnerships.