24
19
1
49
2
2
2c
1b
1d
18
3e
44
1d
2 29
1d
25
Raina M Merchant, MD, MSHP, FAHA
78
44
Professor of Emergency Medicine
28
68
3
69
Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine
7
6f
Senior Fellow, Penn Center for Public Health Initiatives
6a
Senior Fellow, Institute for Biomedical Informatics
80
Affiliated faculty, Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics
90
Chief Transformation Officer and Vice President, University of Pennsylvania Health System
8e
Executive Director, Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation, Penn Medicine
61
Board Member, Penn Medicine at Home Entity
11
Department: Emergency Medicine
4
1
b
1d
46
Contact information
4f
4
3
3
3
2
29
4f
Department of Emergency Medicine
21 Administrative Office:
1a 3400 Spruce Street
30 Ground Ravdin
Philadelphia, PA 19104
26
21 Administrative Office:
1a 3400 Spruce Street
30 Ground Ravdin
Philadelphia, PA 19104
36
Office: 215-662-6698 - Ext 3
30
f
30
Links
7b Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health
76 Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation
c
4
b
1f
7b Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health
76 Center for Health Care Transformation and Innovation
c
13
Education:
21 7 BA 1a (Psychobiology) c
28 Yale University, 1998.
21 7 MD c
4b University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, 2003.
21 7 MS 38 (Master of Science in Health Policy Research) c
33 University of Pennsylvania, 2009.
c
3
3
21
21 7 BA 1a (Psychobiology) c
28 Yale University, 1998.
21 7 MD c
4b University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, 2003.
21 7 MS 38 (Master of Science in Health Policy Research) c
33 University of Pennsylvania, 2009.
c
1f
Post-Graduate Training
24 5a Resident in Emergency Medicine , University of Chicago , 2003-2007.
24 55 Philips Resuscitation Fellowship, University of Chicago, 2006-2007.
24 57 Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, 2006-2007.
24 70 Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 1b , 2007-2010.
24 8e Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2007-2010.
24 65 Fellow, Center for Resuscitation Science, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 1b , 2007-2010.
c
3
25
24 5a Resident in Emergency Medicine , University of Chicago , 2003-2007.
24 55 Philips Resuscitation Fellowship, University of Chicago, 2006-2007.
24 57 Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, 2006-2007.
24 70 Fellow, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 1b , 2007-2010.
24 8e Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2007-2010.
24 65 Fellow, Center for Resuscitation Science, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine 1b , 2007-2010.
c
17
Certifications
28 4e Board certified, American Board of Emergency Medicine, 2009.
c
3
8d
Permanent link28 4e Board certified, American Board of Emergency Medicine, 2009.
c
2 29
21
1e
1d
24
5e
26 29
27
Description of Research Expertise
422 Dr. Merchant is a tenured Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has secondary appointments in the Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, and Division of Health Policy. She is also a physician executive and serves as the Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer for Penn Medicine. Much of her research and operations work bridges new technologies in the fields of cardiovascular health, mental health, cancer care, disaster medicine, public health, health equity and resuscitation science. Dr. Merchant has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2011 and her work has been published in journals such as NEJM, JAMA, Circulation, and Health Affairs. She is a member of the editorial board of JAMA. She is an Aspen Health Innovators Fellow and was recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as one of 10 investigators likely to have a significant impact on the future of health and healthcare in the US. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.26 29
23
1c0 Kavanaugh L, Tomas S, Lynch S, Leri D, Xiong RA, Snider C, Ebert JP, Harhay MO, Lu Y, Orwig Desir N, Encarnacion IN, Mollanazar N, Thomas R, Bae C, Gitelman Y, Hahn L, Lee K, Mehta SJ, Merchant RM, Delgado MK: From Rapid Randomized Trial to Scaled Implementation: Automated Calls Added to SMS Reminders Reduce Missed Appointments Among High-Risk Patients. NEJM Catalyst 2026.
1cb Kilaru AS, Haider A, Harrison J, Dixon EL, Southwick L, Berkowitz M, Rareshide C, Carroll C, Kaledin C , McDermott G, Mehta M, Stephens Shields AJ, De La Rosa W, Agarwal AK, Merchant RM.: Linkage of Emergency Department Patients With Public Benefits Navigators via Text Messages: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum 7: e256637, 2 2026.
18f Southwick L, Sehgal NKR, Torrente D, Murgulescu V, Schroeder D, Asch DA, Ungar L, Mitra N, Groenveld P, Kimmel SE, Weissman GE, Guntuku SC, Merchant RM. : Digital phenotyping and ASCVD risk: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis using online behavioral data. American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research Practice 2026.
154 Muir, KJ, Golinelli, D., Lasater, KB, Aiken, LH, Merchant, RM, McHugh, MD., Brooks Carthon, M.: Association of emergency department and medical-surgical nurse staffing on patient departures against medical advice. Journal of Emergency Nursing 2026 Notes: (in press).
16e Agarwal AK, Gonzales R, Sharma M, Schroeder D, Southwick L, Bellini L, Asch DA, Mitra N, Merchant RM.: Perspectives of female and underrepresented physicians on well-being in medicine: A qualitative study from an academic medical center in the United States. British Medical Journal Open 2026.
1a8 Agarwal AK, Southwick L, Gonzales R, Bellini L, Asch DA, Mitra N, Yang L, Kishton R, Beck S, Balachandran M, Benjamin Wolk C, Merchant RM: Differential impact of a digital mental health engagement platform on Black and female healthcare workers: A secondary analysis of a randomized trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2026 Notes: (in press).
10a Agarwal AK, See K, 1,2; Bar-Nadav K, McGinnis B, Tomczuk K, Gonzales R, Southwick L, Merchant RM: From Listening to Leading: A Case Study of the “Blue Coats” Program to Improve and Sustain Workforce Well-Being 2 47 New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst 2026.
171 Dixon E, Harrison J, Haider A, Berkowitz M, Southwick L, Rareshide C , Carroll C, Kaledin C , Wendy De La Rosa W , Merchant RM , Kilaru A: Automated text messages to link emergency department patients with public benefits navigators. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open 2026.
112 Agarwal AK, Merchant RM: The Emergency Department as a Public Health Lever: Infrastructure to Drive Intent to Action. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open 8(10): e2537664, Oct 2025.
2c
7
1d
1f
Selected Publications
102 Slate: Like It or Not, A.I. Is Part of Health Care Now. https://archive.ph/20260121164328/https:/slate.com/technology/2026/01/health-chatbot-medicine-ai-doctor-google.html January 2026.1c0 Kavanaugh L, Tomas S, Lynch S, Leri D, Xiong RA, Snider C, Ebert JP, Harhay MO, Lu Y, Orwig Desir N, Encarnacion IN, Mollanazar N, Thomas R, Bae C, Gitelman Y, Hahn L, Lee K, Mehta SJ, Merchant RM, Delgado MK: From Rapid Randomized Trial to Scaled Implementation: Automated Calls Added to SMS Reminders Reduce Missed Appointments Among High-Risk Patients. NEJM Catalyst 2026.
1cb Kilaru AS, Haider A, Harrison J, Dixon EL, Southwick L, Berkowitz M, Rareshide C, Carroll C, Kaledin C , McDermott G, Mehta M, Stephens Shields AJ, De La Rosa W, Agarwal AK, Merchant RM.: Linkage of Emergency Department Patients With Public Benefits Navigators via Text Messages: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum 7: e256637, 2 2026.
18f Southwick L, Sehgal NKR, Torrente D, Murgulescu V, Schroeder D, Asch DA, Ungar L, Mitra N, Groenveld P, Kimmel SE, Weissman GE, Guntuku SC, Merchant RM. : Digital phenotyping and ASCVD risk: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis using online behavioral data. American Heart Journal Plus: Cardiology Research Practice 2026.
154 Muir, KJ, Golinelli, D., Lasater, KB, Aiken, LH, Merchant, RM, McHugh, MD., Brooks Carthon, M.: Association of emergency department and medical-surgical nurse staffing on patient departures against medical advice. Journal of Emergency Nursing 2026 Notes: (in press).
16e Agarwal AK, Gonzales R, Sharma M, Schroeder D, Southwick L, Bellini L, Asch DA, Mitra N, Merchant RM.: Perspectives of female and underrepresented physicians on well-being in medicine: A qualitative study from an academic medical center in the United States. British Medical Journal Open 2026.
1a8 Agarwal AK, Southwick L, Gonzales R, Bellini L, Asch DA, Mitra N, Yang L, Kishton R, Beck S, Balachandran M, Benjamin Wolk C, Merchant RM: Differential impact of a digital mental health engagement platform on Black and female healthcare workers: A secondary analysis of a randomized trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2026 Notes: (in press).
10a Agarwal AK, See K, 1,2; Bar-Nadav K, McGinnis B, Tomczuk K, Gonzales R, Southwick L, Merchant RM: From Listening to Leading: A Case Study of the “Blue Coats” Program to Improve and Sustain Workforce Well-Being 2 47 New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst 2026.
171 Dixon E, Harrison J, Haider A, Berkowitz M, Southwick L, Rareshide C , Carroll C, Kaledin C , Wendy De La Rosa W , Merchant RM , Kilaru A: Automated text messages to link emergency department patients with public benefits navigators. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open 2026.
112 Agarwal AK, Merchant RM: The Emergency Department as a Public Health Lever: Infrastructure to Drive Intent to Action. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open 8(10): e2537664, Oct 2025.
2c
44
23
Back to Top
1b
1d
18