Dr. Sanford serves as Chair and Chief of Service for the Department of Emergency Medicine. She is a native of Birmingham Alabama, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Alabama, and received her MD degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. She is also a member of the inaugural class of the emergency medicine residency program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She returned to UAB as faculty in 1998, served as medical director for the University Emergency Department from 2002 – 2006, and was offered the Chair position in 2008.
In her position she is responsible for the execution of all three missions of the academic Department: service, teaching, and research. Under her leadership, the Department has experienced unprecedented growth. The number of visits to the University Emergency Department has increased over 100%, and additional clinical sites have been added. The faculty has doubled as well. The emergency medicine residency program has become one of the most competitive and respected training programs in the Southeast. The research program of the Department is currently ranked #11 in the Country in terms of NIH funding. She has long had an interest in emergency medicine practice management, and received an MBA degree from Auburn University in 2011. Her other professional interests include quality and patient safety, and health policy.
