Christian Arbelaez, MD, MPH
Chair
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Emergency Medicine

MD, University of Texas Medical Branch
MPH, Harvard School of Public Health
BS, Houston Baptist University



Dr. Christian Arbelaez is the Endowed Chair in Innovation in Exceptional Care in Emergency Medicine, Chief of Emergency Services at Boston Medical Center, and Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.

Over his 25-year professional career, Dr. Arbelaez has had a successful track record in leading patient-centered teams through transformational change while maintaining engagement and a thriving culture. At BMC, Dr. Arbelaez leads one of the busiest academic safety-net ED’s in the country providing emergency care to over 130,000 patients a year. Given the significant challenges facing our healthcare systems, he guided the team through the COVID pandemic, financial and capacity constraints, workplace violence and workforce shortages, and complex care needs for the most vulnerable patient populations in the city of Boston. Under his leadership, he contributed to an improvement in the CMS stars rating by decreasing the LWBS rate from 12% to 6%; improving patient throughput times by leveraging lean process improvement and innovation; growing revenue by $11M with a favorable margin, positive balance sheet, and physician productivity index of 1.04; raising $5M in philanthropic funds with the 1st Endowed Chair at BMC and $10M for a new acute care pod; and maintaining competitive physician compensation and AAMC compensation index. In 2023, he convened and hosted the 1st Leaders of Essential Emergency Departments conference in Boston bringing together 15 academic safety net EDs to discuss the challenges facing emergency services after COVID.

His leadership and communication style are servant and collaborative with a Triad model that is required for complex, matrixed organizations. His management approach is to engage system thinking, strategic agility, influence across units, data-driven, and strong financial control. At the departmental level, he led the strategic planning process and new pod design; and in crisis, through the Omicron surge, an ED flooding evacuation, and financial turn-around with a focus on patients, team, process, metrics, and clear communication. His hospital, health system, and board level experiences, include in multiple key leadership search committees, steering committees for Hospital at Home and Vizient, BMC Quality and Patients Safety Board, Captive risk co-insurance, and BUMG corporate board.

His academic career is focused health equity particularly in vulnerable patient populations in the US and abroad through the development of programs and partnerships aimed at advancing emergency care and public health systems. He holds Honorary Faculty appointments at the Universidad de Antioquia (Medellin) and Universidad Javeriana (Bogota) in Colombia. He was elected as a Fulbright Specialist.
Prior to joining BMC, Arbelaez served as the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs at Brown Emergency Medicine and held several physician leadership roles at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Arbelaez completed the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University, the Hispanic Mid-Career Executive Leadership Fellowship from the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)/NYU Wagner School of Public Service Leadership Center, and the Executive Education Certificate Program from the Brigham Physician Leadership program at Harvard Business School.

He has received numerous awards including the Dennis Thomson and James Adams Leadership Awards at Brigham and Women’s Hospital; the Young Mentor Award at Harvard Medical School; the YMCA Achievers Award from the YMCA Greater Boston, the “Inspirador” Alumni Hall of Fame Award Hispanic Scholarship Fund; the Inaugural Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion Award from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine; the International Ambassador Leadership Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians; and the 2025 Boston Magazine Top Doctors.

Dr. Arbelaez earned his Medical Doctorate degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and Master of Public Health degree from the Chan Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his Residency and Chief Residency in Emergency Medicine at Brown University.

Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Emergency Medicine


Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Yun BJ, Singh MK, Reznek MA, Buehler G, Wolf SJ, Vogel L, Ho AA, Pino EC, Ellis L, Arbelaez C. Strengthening essential emergency departments: Transforming the safety net. Health Aff Sch. 2025 Mar; 3(3):qxaf044.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40084221; PMCID: PMC11904886; DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxaf044;
     
  2. Ortega R, Vietor R, Arbelaez C, Feliu D, Nozari A, Ortoleva J. Blast Injuries. N Engl J Med. 2024 Dec 12; 391(23):e58.View Related Profiles. PMID: 39665654
      Article has an altmetric score of 70
  3. Patiño AM, Chen J, DeVos EL, Lee JA, Anderson K, Banks M, Herard K, Kharel R, Kivlehan S, Arbelaez C. Emergency Medicine Around the World: Analysis of the 2019 American College of Emergency Physicians International Ambassador Country Reports. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2022 Apr; 3(2):e12681. PMID: 35252974; PMCID: PMC8886186; DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12681;
      Article has an altmetric score of 11
  4. Madsen TE, Heron S, Lall MD, Blomkalns A, Arbelaez C, Lopez B, Lin M, Rounds K, Sethuraman KN, Safdar B. Institutional solutions addressing disparities in compensation and advancement of emergency medicine physicians: A critical appraisal of gaps and associated recommendations. Acad Emerg Med. 2022 Jun; 29(6):710-718. PMID: 35064998
      Article has an altmetric score of 22
  5. Reynolds CW, Duarte A, Fricke A, Gómez Restrepo C, Patiño A, Arbelaez C, Moretti K, Aguiar LG. Supporting healthcare workers caring for ex-combatants: incentives among Colombian providers with FARC ex-combatants. Glob Public Health. 2022 Nov; 17(11):3005-3021. PMID: 35132944
      Article has an altmetric score of 1
  6. Moretti K, Aluisio AR, Gallo Marin B, Chen CJ, González Marqués C, Beaudoin FL, Clark M, Patiño A, Carranza H, Duarte A, Moreno A, Aguiar LG, Arbelaez C. Confidence and knowledge in emergency management among medical students across Colombia: A role for the WHO basic emergency care course. PLoS One. 2022; 17(1):e0262282. PMID: 35061787; PMCID: PMC8782416; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262282;
      Article has an altmetric score of 3
  7. Reynolds CW, Aguiar LG, Arbelaez C, Restrepo CG, Patiño A, Carranza H, Pileika L, Duarte A. Healthcare access barriers for FARC ex-combatants in Colombia: qualitative perspectives from healthcare providers and FARC health promoters. BMC Public Health. 2021 01 08; 21(1):102. PMID: 33419406; PMCID: PMC7792039; DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-10062-3;
      Article has an altmetric score of 1
  8. Tupesis JP, Lin J, Nicks B, Chiu A, Arbalaez C, Wai A, Jouriles N. Leadership Matters: Needs Assessment and Framework for the International Federation for Emergency Medicine Administrative Leadership Curriculum. AEM Educ Train. 2021 Jul; 5(3):e10515. PMID: 34027280; PMCID: PMC8122125; DOI: 10.1002/aet2.10515;
      Article has an altmetric score of 11
  9. Reynolds CW, Aguiar LG, Moretti K, Duarte A, Romero FAR, Patiño A, Fricke A, Zarama V, Moreno A, Carranza H, Arbelaez C. Evaluating emergency physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of FARC ex-combatants: A pilot study of Colombia's emergency medicine teaching hospitals. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2020 Oct; 1(5):757-765. PMID: 33145516; PMCID: PMC7593466; DOI: 10.1002/emp2.12066;
     
  10. Moretti K, Patiño A, Aguiar L, Fricke A, Lippmann M, Caffrey J, Gray A, Navedo M, Arbelaez C. From Rhode Island to Colombia: Brown University Emergency Physicians Lead a Collaborative Consortium in a Post-Conflict Colombia. R I Med J (2013). 2019 Sep 03; 102(7):40-43. PMID: 31480819
     
Showing 10 of 39 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 39 publications over 17 distinct years, with a maximum of 9 publications in 2011

YearPublications
20021
20041
20083
20093
20102
20119
20122
20131
20142
20153
20171
20192
20202
20211
20224
20241
20251

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Working toward a new model for emergency care

CommonWealth Beacon 7/17/2024

Hospitals feel the heat as climate change bakes Boston

The Boston Globe 7/25/2022

Heat wave brings more people to the hospital, impacts the vulnerable

WBUR 7/23/2022

Boston restaurants shift to indoor dining to combat brutal heat

WHDH 7/22/2022

Boston hospital confronts surge in COVID-19 patients

WBUR 1/13/2022

Dr. Arbelaez Becomes First in RI to Receive 2nd Vaccine Dose

Providence Journal 1/21/2021

Médico colombiano Christian Arbeláez recibe segunda dosis de la vacuna COVID

El Mundo Boston 1/8/2021

Health care workers start receiving second dose of vaccine

WJAR-NBC 10 1/2/2021

Lifespan doctor becomes first in RI to receive 2nd dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

WPRI 1/2/2021

Doctor de Rhode Island recibe segunda dosis vacuna contra el COVID-19

Telemundo (Boston) 1/1/2021

R.I. doctor, awaiting his second vaccine dose, warns that ‘We’re really in the tsunami of this pandemic’

Boston Globe 12/30/2020

Inyección de confianza para EE. UU.: Mike Pence se vacunó en público contra el COVID-19

Caracol TV (Colombia) 12/18/2020

¿Qué se siente vacunarse contra el COVID? Escuche la experiencia de médico colombiano ya inmunizado

Blu Radio (Colombia) 12/16/2020

Hospital doc receives first COVID-19 vaccine in Rhode Island

Associated Press 12/14/2020

Emocionado y con la voz quebrada, así recibió la vacuna contra el COVID-19 este doctor latino

Telemundo (national) 12/14/2020

Latino es el primer vacunado contra el COVID-19 en Rhode Island

Telemundo (Boston) 12/14/2020

A Latino doctor was the first person in Rhode Island to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Now he wants to be an example for his community

Boston Globe 12/14/2020

RI Hospital emergency doctor gets state's first COVID vaccine shot

Providence Journal 12/14/2020

First COVID-19 shots given in Rhode Island

WJAR-NBC 10 12/14/2020

VIDEO NOW: RI Hospital emergency physician speaks about receiving vaccine

WPRI.com 12/14/2020

Frontline healthcare workers at RI Hospital receive state’s first doses of COVID-19 vaccine

ABC6.com 12/14/2020

Watch: Doctor receives 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Rhode Island

Boston.com 12/14/2020

2020 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP): International Ambassador Leadership Award
2020 TeleCare Team, Brown Emergency Medicine: Foundation Leadership Award
2019 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine SAEM: Leadership in Diversity & Inclusion Award
2018 Academy for Diversity & Inclusion in Emergency Medicine ADIEM/Society of Academic Emergency Medicine: Chair Development Scholarship Award
2013 Hispanic Scholarship Fund: “Inspirador” Alumni Hall of Fame Award
2013 YMCA Greater Boston: YMCA Achievers Award
2008 American College of Emergency Physicians: Heroes of Emergency Medicine
2008 Harvard Medical School: Young Mentor Award
2007 Harvard Medical School: Excellence in Mentoring Minority Students
2007 Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency: Best Teacher Award
2007 Brigham and Women’s Hospital: James Adams Leadership Award
2007 Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Dennis Thomson Leadership Award
2006-2013 Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Minority Faculty Career Development Award
2006 Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Shore Fellowship for Scholars Award
2005 Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Partners Excellence Award - Hurricane Katrina
2004 Brown University Emergency Medicine Program: The Senior Resident Excellence Award
2004 Brown University/Lifespan Health System: Haffenreffer House Staff Excellence Award
1998 Association of American Medical College: Organization Student Representative (OSR)
1996 Houston Baptist University: Mr. Houston Baptist University/Outstanding Graduating Senior Award
1993-1999 National Hispanic Fund: National Hispanic Scholarship
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