PAMI ED-ALT Champions

Zack received his bachelors degree in nursing from Jacksonville University and became a registered nurse in 2020. In early 2021, he received his first job offer from UF Health and started the ED fellowship. Zack is excited to gain more experience at UF Health and will continue to provide excellent patient care to all patients for years to come.

Christina has worked in various roles of critical care, ED, and Trauma with adult and pediatric patients for UF Health for almost 30 years. She is passionate about educating patients and their families. It is vital to navigate the process of self-care and pain by addressing concerns and communicating a comprehensive plan to help each patient. The goal is to reduce the negative impact pain can have on the healthcare experience and quality of life.

Kota received his BSN in 2022 from the University of Florida College of Nursing and subsequently enrolled in the UF Health Jacksonville Emergency Nursing Fellowship Program. Prior to nursing, Kota graduated from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Psychology and a Master of Public Health. Kota’s interests involve overcoming unique barriers patients face in addressing their health needs barriers and providing patient centered care to diverse and underserved populations, empowering the individual to become an integral steward of their own health and an irreplaceable member of the healthcare team.

Jennifer Browning has been with UF Health Jacksonville since 2006. She has a passion for emergency medicine, beginning her career as an ED/Trauma tech before becoming a registered nurse. Jennifer was born and raised in Jacksonville and is a loving mother and wife. She is committed to her role as a nurse and proud to work for UF Health.

Courtney received her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Florida in 2022. Prior to nursing, she attended UF and graduated with a degree in Health Science and a minor in Public Health in 2021. Beginning her nursing career at UF Health Jacksonville in the Emergency Department New Nurse Fellowship, she is looking forward to gaining experience, acquiring knowledge and critical thinking skills, and providing high quality patient care.

Meredith graduated from the University of Florida in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology specializing in exercise science. She received her Bachelors in Nursing from UF in 2022. Meredith began her nursing career at UFHealth Jacksonville in the Emergency Department Nurse Fellowship. She is passionate about making an impact on her community by providing health education and high-quality care. She looks forward to gaining more knowledge and experience while inspiring others to live their most fulfilling life.

Jessica completed her physician assistant training at Nova Southeastern University in 2011. Originally from Tallahassee, she has worked for UF Health Jacksonville in the ED for seven years. Jessica is passionate about working with the patient population she serves and is dedicated to providing high-quality care to all patients.

Elizabeth Speed Diersing has been with UF Health Jacksonville for 13 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science with a focus on athletic training from the University of Florida and completed her physician assistant training at Barry University in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her clinical practice has included work in trauma, Transplant ICU and emergency medicine. Elizabeth is also a Jacksonville native, wife and mother of two children.

Jake has been an ED Physical Therapist at UF Health Jacksonville since 2019. He completed his DPT at Emory University in 2015. As a PT, Jake sees it as his responsibility to address patients’ pain to prevent future readmissions and improve quality of life.

Amblessed is an Emergency Medicine resident, originally from Atlanta, GA. She attended the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and chose to specialize in emergency medicine because she loves being able to make a tangible difference in her patients’ lives, intervening to turn things around at critical times. Pain management is often one of the most difficult aspects of patient care and she is a great proponent of the multimodal approaches advocated by the PAMI program.

Dr. Funk attended UF College of Medicine in Gainesville and chose to specialize in emergency medicine because of its unique ability for practitioners to be there for people and provide comfort in what is often one of the scariest and most uncertain times in their lives. Dr. Funk is passionate about integrative and multi-modal pain management as it allows him to offer new and unique ways to help patients manage their pain with the goal of providing the best care and relief for his patients.