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ERG is an organization founded by physicians for physicians. Over the years our team has grown to encompass multiple specialties including Emergency Medicine, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatric Medicine, Wound Care and our Advanced Practice Providers (APCs).
We feel it is important to remain clinically active and each member of our leadership team works shifts in the emergency departments and/or wound care centers we serve.
Medical Director of Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care – Baptist Nassau
Medical Director of Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care – Baptist Jacksonville
Chairman of the ERG Board & Medical Director of Baptist Medical Center Beaches ED
Co-Director of Risk Management and Quality, Medical Director of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville
Emergency Resources Group (ERG) is a local, democratic group whose goal is to provide the best service possible to our patients, their families and fellow providers.
Copyright © 2023 Emergency Resources Group - created by rcompmedia
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
A Demon Deacon, go WAKE!, and graduate of the University of Florida – Jacksonville residency program, Dr. Rill currently serves as ERG’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior leadership roles included directing the Emergency departments of Baptist Medical Center South, 2005-13 and Flagler Hospital, Saint Augustine, 2013-16. The Rill family includes his wife, Lynn, and 2 beautiful children in Jacksonville Beach. He enjoys beach days with the family and makes time to surf when the waves permit.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
After graduating residency at UF Jacksonville, Mike has called Jacksonville Beach home. He enjoys a host of outside activities that Northeast Florida has to offer with the occasional video game to spice things up.
DIRECTOR OF WOUND CARE SERVICES
I’ve been with ERG since graduating from my residency at UF Health in Jacksonville. Being a wound care physician is very fulfilling. I’m able to create meaningful bonds with my patients and help them achieve their goals in healing. I get to see positive outcomes every day at work, which is very satisfying.
I feel lucky to call Ponte Vedra my home. It’s a beautiful place with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. I’m very blessed with a wonderful husband and two amazing daughters. We travel, explore the world, spend time with our loved ones, and get active every chance we get.
Medical Director Lakeland Regional Health
Andrew Barbera is a graduate of The University of Maryland School of Medicine and went on to complete his emergency medicine residency at the Jacobi/Montefiore/Einstein Emergency Medicine Residency Program in Bronx, New York where he also served as a chief resident. He has held academic appointments at multiple medical schools and has received teaching commendations for his contribution to medical education. Dr. Barbera has a passion for medical education and the development of excellent emergency medicine physicians.
When he is not working he enjoys fishing, kayaking, the beach, and traveling with his wife and two children.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR - BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER OAKLEAF ED
Kate Justus Barrier, MD FACEP attended undergraduate at Cornell University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, followed by medical school at the University of Florida and then residency at UF Health Jacksonville, where she served as chief resident. She has a special interest in medical education in the private realm.
She is a proud Gator and lover of the sunshine. When she is not working, you will find her paddleboarding, boating, partaking in football rivalry or hanging with her husband and two dogs.
Medical Director Lakeland Regional Health
After attending University of Florida for both undergrad and medical school, Dr Blind attended University of Florida Jacksonville Emergency Medicine Program. He currently serves as the Chairman Elect at Lakeland Regional Health’s Emergency Department and has an interest in resident education, coding/documentation and revenue cycle operations. Dr Blind is also a board member for Lakeland Regional Health Systems. When not in the hospital he enjoys time with his beautiful wife Ashley and two girls, traveling, fishing, and making memories.
CO-DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT
Dr. Brimblecom grew up in Sarasota, FL and has spent his entire life along the coast of Florida. He attended college and medical school at the University of Miami and moved to the First Coast for residency. His residency training was completed at UF-Health in Jacksonville and it was there he met his future wife. After training he stayed in town and joined ERG where he has remained since, occasionally working at UF to maintain his academic credentials.
While working he became interested in risk management and for the last 2 years has been the assistant director of risk management for ERG. In his downtime he enjoys spending time with his wife and son and golfing.
DIRECTOR OF URGENT CARE AND BEHAVIORAL COMMITTEE CHAIR
Dr. Ryan Brenes, D.O. was born and raised in South Florida. He attended the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University for higher education. Dr. Brenes completed medical residency training at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in 2009. After serving in the Navy for twelve years he moved with his family to Northeast Florida to settle down.
He enjoys spending time with his wife, who is a local pediatrician, and their two beautiful daughters.
RECRUITING & CONTINUING EDUCATION COORDINATOR
Dr. Caro did her undergraduate work in Public Health at the University of Florida and then went to medical school at the University of Miami. She completed the Emergency Medicine Residency Program of the University of Florida in Jacksonville, FL as a chief resident. While training in Jacksonville, Dr. Caro fell in love with the people and the area. After residency, she joined ERG and has been in practice with the group since 2012. Dr. Caro is the director of recruitment and has enjoyed being a part of the expansion and growth of ERG. She takes pride in growing the company with quality doctors and proficient allied health providers.
When Dr. Caro is not working, she loves spending time with her family, being on the water, swing dancing, playing the piano, singing, running, and skiing. Fun fact: Dr. Caro has an identical twin sister.
Director of Advanced Practice Clinicians
April was born in Alabama but has lived in Florida since 2007. She became a registered nurse in 2005 and has worked in a variety of settings such as an NICU, pediatric emergency, and neonatal/pediatric critical care transport team. April graduated from nurse practitioner school in 2018 and began her nurse practitioner career with ERG in the APC tier program. She is board-certified as both a family and emergency nurse practitioner.
In her off time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.
DIRECTOR OF FAMILY MEDICINE
Dr. Cecilia Collins is a board certified family physician who loved every minute of her education from Millsaps College to University of Florida College of Medicine to St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Jacksonville for residency. She enjoys traveling on trips enjoying cycling, scuba diving, and snow skiing.
She enjoys Broadway and going to concerts and she can tell you all about staying for a night in the Ice Hotel in Sweden.
Medical Director of Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care – Baptist Nassau
Raised in northern California, Dr. Ernoehazy graduated from St Louis University School of Medicine in 1985. After internship in Oakland, California, and residency training in Jacksonville, he served as an emergency physician in the US Navy.
He has been the ER Medical Director at Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital, and Highlands Regional Medical Center in Sebring, Florida. A Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Ernoehazy is now the Medical Director for Baptist Nassau Advanced Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST EMERGENCY AT TOWN CENTER
Brandi Gilchrist attained her undergrad degree at NC State University. She went to medical school at East Carolina University and completed her residency training at UF Health of Jacksonville. She is currently the Medical Director of Baptist Emergency at Town Center. When she is not working she enjoys time with her family.
Medical Director - Pediatric Emergency Department
Dr. Gilligan is a pediatric emergency medicine physician and current Chief of Staff at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. He is the medical director of the Pediatric Emergency Department and the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship site director for Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Dr. Gilligan earned his medical degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School, completed pediatric residency at the University of Michigan, and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville. Dr. Gilligan is married to Katherine and they have 14 children and 4 grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family, travel, reading and playing sports with his family.
DIRECTOR OF SCHEDULING
After his years in the Navy, he called Jacksonville his home and joined ERG in 2010. He recently assumed the role of Director of Scheduling and has been a fantastic addition to the management team. When he is not working a shift in the ED or monitoring the schedule he enjoys outdoor activities with his wife, Jen and their fur babies.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER CLAY ED
Dr. Christopher Hejmanowski grew up in upstate New York and completed his undergraduate studies at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. He attended Midwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Chicago, Illinois on a full U.S. Navy scholarship.
He completed a Naval surgical internship in 1999 and subsequently Flight Surgery training. He was stationed in Japan and Southern Spain over the next five years with both a Marine Cops helicopter squadron and a US Naval fixed wing squadron as a Naval Flight Surgeon.
After returning to the States and completing an additional three year Naval Emergency Medicine residency at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, LCDR Hejmanowski then deployed to Iraq for nine months with the US Marine Corps as the head of a shock trauma platoon.
With 12 years served Dr. Hejmanowski resigned his Naval commission and joined ERG as a staff ER physician in 2010. In 2016 he was appointed to the position of Medical Director of the Baptist Clay Emergency Department. He currently lives in the Jacksonville area with his wife and four children, working at several of the Baptist Emergency Departments.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER NORTH ED
Dr Horn was born and raised in South Carolina, but now calls Jacksonville home. He went to college at the University of South Carolina and medical school at MUSC. In 2012 he moved to Jacksonville where he competed his residency in Emergency Medicine at UF Health. Since 2015 he has worked for ERG.
Outside of work he enjoys golfing, grilling, and spending time at the beach with his wife, Sara and his dog, Theodore.
Medical Director Hyperbaric Medicine & Wound Care – Baptist Jacksonville
Dr. Hunter is originally from Canada and graduated with a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto, followed by medical school in Hanover, Germany (yes she speaks German!), and residency at St. Vincent’s Riverside, where she served as chief resident. Since 2008, she has worked for ERG in the Baptist Emergency Department, and is currently the medical director of the Baptist Beaches Hyperbaric and Wound Care Center. Dr. Hunter’s goal is to help people live life to their fullest. She finds wound care fulfilling because she is able to get to know her patients and is almost as happy as they are when they heal. When she’s not in clinic, she loves to spend time with her children and friends, and enjoys painting, hiking, and traveling.
QUALITY & SAFETY DIRECTOR
Dr. Steven Kailes is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine and his post-graduate training at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, included a Basic Surgery internship and a residency in Emergency Medicine. He served as Battalion Surgeon with Battalion 2/4, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st MarDiv, USMC, at Camp Pendleton, CA, and deployed with the 3rd Marine Logistics Group to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He has been active in promoting greater access to health care for patients on both a state and national level. He enjoys spending time with his family and traveling, as well as various sporting events with family and friends.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF FLAGLER HOSPITAL ED
Dr. Brian Kiekover grew up in Nigeria, moved to Michigan from age nine through adulthood. He attended Wayne State University School of Medicine. Growing weary of Michigan winters, he transitioned southward for residency, graduating from University of Florida-Gainesville EM.
Dr. Kiekover has been working at Flagler Hospital since 2010 and assumed the leadership role in 2016. He recently married and enjoys golf, travel, boating and fishing in the copious water that NE Florida offers.
DIRECTOR OF SOUTHEAST GEORGIA CAMDEN CAMPUS
Dr. Kregg Laundon graduated from Villanova University and worked in a variety of jobs for five years until attending medical school at the University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School.
He completed two years of medical school in Brisbane, Australia and two years in New Orleans, Louisiana before completing residency in emergency medicine at Carolinas Medical Center at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. There he developed a love of teaching, emergency medicine, and became chief resident.
Currently he enjoys living the coastal life in Georgia and spends most of his free time with his dog and family at the beach, cooking, playing soccer, traveling, and spending as much time as possible outside.
Dr. Laundon has been fortunate to live on three different continents in his adult life. He is the Medical Director at Southeast Georgia Hospital System’s Camden Campus and works at both the Camden and Brunswick sites.
Director of Southeast Georgia Brunswick Campus
Dr. Powell grew up in the small town of Sylvania, GA. He attended Valdosta State University in southern Georgia and then medical school at VCOM in Blacksburg, VA. He completed residency at University of Florida in Jacksonville, FL where he served as Chief Resident during his final year.
Dr. Powell returned to coastal Georgia, with his wife, Becky, and their 2 children, Madison and Connor. During his spare time he enjoys golfing, bow hunting, island hopping, and spending time with his friends and family.
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCED PRACTICE CLINICIANS
I am Chamorro from the island of Guam. I have lived in multiple places: Southern California, Alaska, Washington, and Iceland. I am board certified as both a family and emergency nurse practitioner.
My off time interests are traveling, golfing, and spending family time with my husband and daughters.
CHAIRMAN OF THE ERG BOARD & MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER BEACHES ED
Since completion of University of Florida – Jacksonville residencies in both Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, Dr. Smowton has been an integral part of our physician leadership at Baptist Beaches. His many professional interests include working with NASA, being a Red Cross Medical Director, and being the NFL visiting team physician liason.
He also does cruise ship medicine, and he is on faculty at the University of Florida EM residency program and Nova Southeastern PA program. Some of his other interests are running, tennis, golf and family activities with his wife and daughters.
CO-DIRECTOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST JACKSONVILLE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
I obtained my undergraduate degree at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, before returning home to attend medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. I completed my emergency medicine residency at Vanderbilt University before landing in Jacksonville. My family and I have fallen in love with everything Northeast Florida has to offer and have never looked back.
I’m the proud father of 3 daughters and a son. We enjoy everything outdoors, from hiking to learning to surf together (I mainly float on a board while they do the surfing). Despite moving to Florida, I remain an unapologetic Pittsburgh sports fan.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER NASSAU ED
Dr. Westenbarger completed his Doctor of Medicine with The University of Florida and Residency at The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville.
While completing his residency he served as Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine. He enjoys traveling and living the beaches lifestyle with his family.
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH ED
Dr. Wood joined ERG after completing a residency at the GRMEP-Michigan State University program in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2006. He has primarily worked at Baptist Medical Center South since then and has seen the hospital undergo a large amount of growth and transformation.
He is enjoying serving in a leadership role as the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Baptist South and is also currently the Secretary of the Medical Staff. Prior to moving to the Jacksonville area Dr. Wood had lived in 7 different states and 3 foreign countries.
He is happy to have found a place to call home in Atlantic Beach with his wonderful wife and 3 children. ln his free time he loves spending time with his family, surfing, fishing, boating, trail biking and traveling.
SENIOR STRATEGY AND SOLUTIONS OFFICER
Billy is a graduate of the University of South Florida’s College of Engineering and has been working in healthcare since 1998 and with Emergency Resources Group since April of 2020. His career has revolved around healthcare information systems and business process management. Billy has a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, a Master’s degree in Engineering Management, and is certified as both a Lean Agent and Six Sigma Black Belt.
Prior leadership roles include serving as a Solutions Architect for Huron Consulting Group and as Director of Decision Support at Flagler Health+ in Saint Augustine, Florida.
Billy currently resides in Jacksonville’s Southbank neighborhood with his wife Brandy and pet cat, Blue Purr. Billy and Brandy have one son, Austin, who resides in Palm Coast, Florida. The Burns family moved to Florida in 2002 and are originally from Flovilla, Ga (a small town in middle Georgia).
Fun facts:
PRACTICE LIAISON
Michele has been with ERG since 2000. She comes to us bringing her knowledge of credentialing from Baptist Medical Center and Shands UF Medical Staff Offices, as well as being our sole scheduler for 8 years. Michele continues to expand her experiences and knowledge with ERG by assuming a new role as Practice Liaison. This position allows Michele to be involved and accessible for all of ERG’s physicians and APC’s.
Michele along with her husband and two sons enjoys the beautiful Florida landscape and weather. Cruising and vacationing on Florida’s beautiful beaches is where she finds her happy place.
Professional and College Football are also very high on the list of things she enjoys, Go Jaguars and Go Gators!
