22101 Moross Rd., Detroit MI 43286
Daniel LaLonde, MD, FACEP
Chair of Emergency Medicine
Dr. LaLonde graduated medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine and subsequently completed his residency in emergency medicine at Ascension St. John Hospital. He grew up locally in Grosse Pointe, MI.
Following residency, he worked for several years with Independent Emergency Physicians in Southeast Michigan. He has now returned as Department Chair for Ascension St. John Hospital, Ascension St. John 23 Mile, Ascension St. John 26 Mile, and Ascension River District Hospital. He works closely with residency leadership to ensure collaborative support for the residency through all facets of ED administration.
Benjamin Krater, DO
Medical Director, Emergency Department
Dr. Krater graduated from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency at McLaren Macomb Hospital.
After initially joining Independent Emergency Physicians in 2018, Dr. Krater joined the Ascension St. John Hospital faculty in 2024 as the Medical Director for our Emergency Department.
Patricia Petrella Nouhan, MD, FACEP
Residency Program Director
Dr. Nouhan graduated from the University of Michigan undergraduate, Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her EM/IM combined residency at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI.
Upon completing residency, Dr. Nouhan began her teaching career at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. She began as the Medical Student Coordinator, then moved into the Assistant Residency Directorship for 12 years. She is currently the Program Director of Emergency Medicine at SJH&MC and began that role in January of 2009. She is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Dr. Nouhan is a board member of the St. John Community Health Investment Corporation. She is the Medical Director of the Wayne County Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner program. Dr. Nouhan is the initiating Medical Director of the Tactical Emergency Medicine group at St. John Hospital, affiliated with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team. Her areas of research interest include resident education and evaluation. Dr. Nouhan enjoys spending her free time with her husband and three children, reading, traveling and enjoying the arts.
Margarita E. Pena, MD, FACEP
Associate Program Director
Medical Director, Clinical Decision Unit
Dr. Pena graduated from Northwestern University, received her medical degree from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at Michigan State University-affiliated Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan in 1994 where she was chief resident. She has been with the Ascension St. John Emergency Medicine Program since its inception in 1994, is currently the Associate Program Director and holds the position of Clinical Associate Professor at Wayne State University College of Medicine. She is also the Medical Director for the Clinical Decision Unit at Ascension St. John Hospital and Medical Center.
She is the author of peer reviewed papers and educational materials, has been involved in numerous clinical research projects, and has a special interest in Education, Ethics, Palliative Care, and observation medicine. She has completed the ACEP Advanced Teaching Fellowship, has been on the hospital Ethics Committee since 2004, and serves as one of the physician champions for Palliative and End of Life Care at St. John Hospital
Riley Jakob, MD, ABIM-CCM
Assistant Program Director
Dr. Jakob completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Western Ontario, received his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and subsequently completed his Emergency Medicine residency training at Ascension St. John in 2016, where he served as chief resident. He then completed a 2-year Critical Care Medicine fellowship training program at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in London, Ontario where he also served as chief resident. Dr. Jakob returned “back home” to Ascension St. John to become Assistant Program Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program in 2019. Dr. Jakob continues to work as a full-time intensivist while working concurrently in the emergency department. He has authored peer reviewed journals as well as educational materials. In his spare time, Dr. Jakob remains an avid hockey player when not spending time with his family out on the water.
Jacob Vander Weide, MD
Assistant Program Director
Dr. Vander Weide attended the University of Michigan for undergraduate, and graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2018. He is a graduate from Ascension St. John in 2021, serving as Chief Resident in his final year.
In addition to clinical shifts, he serves as an Assistant Program Director in the residency program. He is also a member of the ASJH Infection Prevention Committee, CLABSI Committee, and IEP Patient Experience Committee.
When not working, he can be found hanging out with his wife and kids, cycling, hiking, camping, skiing, or traveling.
Claire Pearson, MD
Research Director
Dr. Pearson completed residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital, and works clinically in both our adult emergency department and pediatric emergency department. She serves as our Research Director and works closely with other local departments to coordinate research projects throughout the Wayne State University Department of Emergency Medicine network. She has authored and collaborated on countless research papers, and holds the record for longest CV in our department.
Robert M Sills DO, FAAP, FACEP
Chief of Pediatric EM
Dr. Sills received his medical degree from the University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City, Missouri. He completed his residency in Pediatrics and a Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital /St. Louis University. He held a faculty position at Cardinal Glennon and served on their Air Hospital Transport Team. In 1995 Dr. Sills and his family moved to Michigan where he joined the EMS PC group to help start the Pediatric Emergency Medicine program at St John Hospital.
Dr. Sills is currently the Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. He has coauthored several book chapters and review articles and his research interests include toxicology, trauma and pediatric resuscitation.
Jerrold Ray Fisher, MD, FACEP
SIM/Procedure Director
Dr. Fisher completed his medical degree at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 1990. He has been a staff physician at St John Hospital since completing residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital in 1993. He has been a faculty member of the Emergency Medicine residency since its inception. Dr. Fisher is the director of procedure education, the procedure lab, and medical and trauma simulations. He also serves as an ATLS instructor. He teaches wound care and suturing to our rotating medical students each month. His interests include resuscitation, wound care and shift work.
Elizabeth Bascom, MD, FACEP
Medical Student Director
Dr. Bascom graduated from Oakland University undergraduate, Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her EM residency at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in 2004. She currently serves as EM Medical Student Clerkship Director at St. John Hospital and Medical Center and previously held core faculty positions as EM Research Director at St. John Oakland Hospital and EM Assistant Research Director at St. John Hospital and Medical Center. Dr. Bascom is an Assistant Clinical Professor at both Central Michigan University College of Medicine and Wayne State University School of Medicine, where she is a regular lecturer. She also enjoys serving on the St. John Ethics Committee and Consult Team and has participated in numerous humanitarian medical mission trips to Brazil and Haiti.
Robert B Dunne, MD, FACEP
EMS Fellowship Director
Robert Dunne graduated from the University of Michigan’s Inteflex program (a combined bachelors degree MD program). He completed emergency medicine residency training at Henry Ford Hospital In Detroit, MI where he was chief resident. He has served as EMS coordinator, associate program director and research director, as well as Vice Chair of the Emergency Department. He has held faculty positions at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University He is currently the vice chief of emergency medicine and St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit.
He is the author of peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and educational materials. He lectures extensively on EMS, preparedness and topics in trauma and emergency medicine. Dr Dunne has served as a tactical medical physician for the Detroit Metropolitan Airport Special Response Team and the Michigan FBI SWAT team. He has served as faculty for the basic SWAT course. Robert Dunne is a supervisory medical officer on MI-1 Disaster Medical Assistance team, a federal medical team. He has been deployed for many Hurricanes from 1997 to the present, including Katrina, the World Trade Center response and many special events.
He serves on the NDMS senior medical policy work group. He serves on the State of Michigan Emergency Medical Services Coordinating Committee, where he is the co- author of the State Model Weapons of Mass Destruction Treatment protocols. He is President of Michigan’s ACEP chapter. He has also serves on the ACEP Disaster Committee nationally.
Andrew Butki, DO
Ultrasound Fellowship Director
After exploring Alaska, Dr. Butki attended Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine; subsequently was chief resident at McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan; completed his Advanced Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Fellowship at Ascension St John Hospital, and has devoted his efforts ever since to our residents at Ascension St John as well as advancing the ultrasound curriculum for Wayne State University and Michigan State University medical students. He also brings multiple residents per year up to Alaska for a rural medicine elective.
