“My goal is to improve interprofessional communication on a medical surgical unit. One of the key points that we are focusing on is being able to recognize and respond to indirect communication appropriately.”

In May 2025, Emma Baker earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a focus in adult–gerontology acute care and a certificate in nursing education from the University of Michigan. Previously, Emma received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, where she won the Dean of Nursing Legacy Award and received recognition for her excellence in critical care. Emma has worked as a registered nurse at institutions including Vanderbilt University, Henry Ford Health System, and Michigan Medicine. At U-M, Emma’s professors praise her as “an industrious worker” who is “bright and engaging, well-liked by faculty and her peers.”

In summer 2025, Emma’s fellowship made possible her travel to Bangkok, Thailand. There, she worked with students and faculty at Mahidol University. She observed and engaged with healthcare professionals at Siriaj Hospital in trauma-emergency, trauma-ICU, and trauma surgery settings. Emma writes that this experience sharpens her communication skills: “My goal is to improve interprofessional communication on a medical surgical unit. One of the key points that we are focusing on is being able to recognize and respond to indirect communication appropriately.”

The experience also exposes her to international healthcare systems, clinical protocols, and patient care. Emma writes, “Thailand’s healthcare system is impressive in its ability to achieve positive health outcomes while maintaining low costs” with its universal healthcare system implemented in the early 2000s. Emma also comments on Thailand’s integration of traditional and alternative medicine with Western practices, reflecting a more holistic approach than what is traditionally seen in the United States. As Emma learns more about Thailand’s healthcare system, she also had the opportunity to share American practices with her Thai peers through educational sessions focused on comparing deliveries of care based on cultural backgrounds and educational requirements for their respective fields.

CEW+ celebrates Emma’s commitment to patient care and names her a Menakka and Essel Bailey Fellow.