The UAB Department of Emergency Medicine has named three faculty members to medical director roles, effective Sept. 1, 2026.
Kendra Douglas, D.O., instructor-fellow, has been appointed medical director of the UAB Highlands Emergency Department; Luke Bishop, M.D., assistant professor, has been appointed medical director of the UAB Gardendale Freestanding Emergency Department; and James Crosby, M.D., associate professor, has been appointed Observation Medical Director.
In their new leadership roles, Douglas, Bishop and Crosby will provide clinical and administrative oversight for their respective areas. Their responsibilities include supporting departmental operations, advancing quality and patient safety initiatives, facilitating communication among medical staff and leadership, serving as dyad leaders of their accountable care teams, and contributing to strategic and performance improvement efforts.
Douglas is a current fellow in the UAB Department of Emergency Medicine’s Healthcare Administration Leadership and Management (HALM) Fellowship. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Alabama before earning her medical degree from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Douglas completed her emergency medicine residency at UAB, where she served as chief resident, and is now pursuing additional training in health care leadership and management.
Bishop earned his medical degree from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in Marietta, Ga., before returning to UAB for fellowship training. He is also a faculty scholar with the UAB Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health, where his work focuses on teaching ultrasound care in resource-limited settings and training health care professionals and community members in Basic Life Support techniques in Nicaragua and Kenya.
Crosby also earned his medical degree from the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine and continued his training at UAB, completing his emergency medicine residency and fellowship. He previously served as assistant medical director of the UAB University Emergency Department. His clinical and academic interests include international medicine, travelers’ health, occupational medicine and medical education, particularly in resource-limited settings.
The department also recognizes Benjamin von Schweinitz, M.D., assistant professor, and Whitney Turner, M.D., assistant professor, for their leadership and dedicated service as interim medical directors of their respective emergency departments. Their contributions during the transition have helped build a strong foundation and position the department for continued success.