Our faculty includes 19 full-time fellowship-trained pediatric emergency physicians. Of these, 10 had primary residency training in emergency medicine and are board certified through the American Board of Emergency Medicine and 9 had primary residency training in pediatrics and are certified through the American Board of Pediatrics. Several fellowship-trained part-time pediatric emergency physicians (board certified through either the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American Board of Pediatrics) complement these faculty members and work with fellows in the pediatric emergency department. Academically, our faculty members are organized within the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine under the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. 

Lance Brown, MD, MPH is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He also serves as Vice Chair of Operations for the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Brown graduated from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his residency in emergency medicine with the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Program. After residency, he joined a private emergency medicine group and was a Clinical Assistant Professor of emergency medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Subsequently, Dr. Brown trained in pediatric emergency medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. Dr. Brown is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. 

Heather Kuntz, MD is Program Director of the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship. She is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. She completed her residency training in emergency medicine and subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. She directs the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship radiology course. She is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She has been a full time faculty member since 2015. 

Liz Fierro, MD is Associate Program Director of the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She graduated from the emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She joined the full time faculty in 2018. She has served as associate program director of the emergency medicine residency since 2019. She directs the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship board review course. 

Karli Parlette, DO is Assistant Program Director of the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her pediatrics residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine. She joined the full time faculty in 2020.

Drew Davis, MD is Research Educator for the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship and Director of Quality Improvement for the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. He is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. He graduated from the emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. He joined the full time faculty in 2018. 

Brian Chen, MD is Medical Director for pediatric emergency medicine and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. He graduated from the pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Orange County and the pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. 

Grace Kim, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital, and has been a full-time faculty since 1999. She is currently the Assistant Medical Director for pediatric emergency medicine. She is a graduate of Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed a pediatric residency as well as a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda. Dr. Kim is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and member of American College of Emergency Physicians. 

Tim Young, MD is Director of Research and Scholarship for the Department of Emergency Medicine and is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine and subspecialty training in pediatric emergency medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. He is the Director of the Laboratory for Innovations in Medical Education in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. His research interests include medical education, simulation, and educational technology. He is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is a fellow of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been a full time faculty member since 2009. 

Besh Barcega, MD, MBA is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University School of Medicine and has been a full-time faculty member since 2001. She graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1990 and completed her pediatric residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda. She completed her MBA at University of California-Irvine in 2005. She is one of the global EM faculty for the department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Barcega is board certified Pediatric Emergency Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. 

Melanie Randall, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital and graduated from the emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. 

Aqeel Khan, MD graduated from Nishtar Medical College in Multan, Pakistan in 1986. He did his house job in general surgery at Nishtar Hospital. He completed his pediatric residency training at Tod Children’s Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio in 1996 and his pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center in 1999. He then took a position at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh as the Division Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine until returning to California. Dr. Khan has been on Medical staff at LLUMC as an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics since 1996. He is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine.

Kim Zimmerman, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. She completed her pediatrics residency at Cleveland Clinic and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at CHLA. 

Thomas Sherwin, MD is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital and has been a full-time faculty member since 1994. Dr. Sherwin graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 1989 and also completed his pediatric residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda. Dr. Sherwin is board-certified in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine. 

Stacey Ernest, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She joined the full time faculty in 2021. 

Caitlin Borkowski, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her emergency medicine residency at University of Florida College of Medicine and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Medical Center. She is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine in emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She joined the full time faculty in 2023. 

Ngoc Bui, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and her pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University Health. She joined the full-time faculty in 2024. 

Sophia Wang, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her pediatric residency at UTHSC Houston and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at University of Mississippi. She joined the full time faculty in 2024. 

Christin Tu, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her pediatric residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University. She joined the full time faculty in 2025. 

Heidi Spady, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University. She joined the full time faculty in 2025. 

Angela Torres, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her emergency medicine residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Loma Linda University. She joined the full time faculty in 2025. 

Colleen Walsh-Lang, MD is an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. She completed her emergency medicine residency at Loma Linda University and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at CHOC. She joined the full time faculty in 2025. 

Shelly Nelson serves as administrative assistant and fellowship coordinator for the division of pediatric emergency medicine and Dr. Lance Brown. In addition, she coordinates the emergency medicine ultrasound, medical education, international emergency medicine, combined international/ultrasound and administrative fellowships in our department. Shelly has worked at Loma Linda University for over 20 years.