Team Spotlight:
Carrie Fales, MD, FACEP, FAAEM | President, Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians
January 26, 2024
Emergency Care Partners (ECP) is pleased to recognize Carrie Fales, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, as our first clinical leadership team spotlight of 2024. Dr. Fales is an innovative leader and the President of Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians (ECEP). In addition to her leadership role within ECEP and ECP, Dr. Fales serves her local New Hanover community as the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medical Director for Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Mobile Integrated Health team, working closely with local field operations and 911 paramedics. Appointed by the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine Wilmington Program, Dr. Fales has served as the Campus Medical Student Advisor for the last four years. In this role, she mentors 3rd and 4th year UNC medical students providing career and medical school advising.
Clinical Leadership Experience in Emergency Medicine
Originally a Michigander, Dr. Fales earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and attended medical school at Michigan State College of Human Medicine. She joined ECEP in 2013 after finishing her emergency medicine residency at the Carolinas Medical Center (Atrium). Dr. Fales is a current member of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the North Carolina College of Emergency Physicians (NCCEP), and the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP). An active leader in her community, she serves on the North Carolina Medical Board Case Review Committee, New Hanover EMS Systems Committee, and the EMS Quality Improvement and Field Training Officer Committee among others. She has also served as a Sports Physicals Volunteer Physician for the New Hanover Health Department for over a decade and is a volunteer on the Honor Flight Medical Team honoring American Veterans.
Interview with Dr. Fales
Q: When did you decide to become a physician?
I have really always wanted to be a physician from childhood, looking back as far as I can remember. I watched a lot of ER on TV! It still holds up as one of my favorite TV shows highlighting physicians and emergency medicine. I had some experience working in the hospital and CT department and as an EMT before medical school. I would say those experiences solidified my draw to emergency medicine specifically.
Q: What is your favorite part about working with Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians (ECEP) and Emergency Care Partners (ECP)?
I love where I live and work! We live in a place where a lot of people vacation and our small town really has it all. Our hospital system is a great place to work; we have a lot of support and processes to make our jobs as easy as possible in the complex healthcare environment. I enjoy the people I work with and think I work with some of the best emergency medicine physicians.
Q: What do you find most challening about your job?
My biggest challenge currently is work-life balance. I have a new baby and balancing home life and work life is always a struggle. I work full time in the emergency department clinically as well as serve as president of ECEP.
Q: Outside of work, how do you like to spend your time?
I love spending time with my family including my husband, Thomas, and baby, Liam. My parents visit often as well. We enjoy the beach and living on the intracoastal waterway. With a new baby we continue to find activities to keep us busy! As an alumnus of University of Michigan, we are diehard Wolverine fans and keep up with Big Ten football and basketball too. Go Blue!
About Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians (ECEP):
Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians (ECEP) is a premiere provider of emergency care in the greater Wilmington, North Carolina region. ECEP has served its local community for over a decade providing high-quality patient care and maintaining a relationship based on trust with the patients and communities we serve. At ECEP, the goal is to maintain a reputation of integrity and excellence in the provision of quality, compassionate, patient-focused emergency medical care through a team of highly qualified emergency physicians.
About Emergency Care Partners (ECP):
Emergency Care Partners (ECP) is a leading provider of emergency medicine and emergency department management services for hospitals across the U.S. with current operations in, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and Illinois. ECP currently sees more than 1.4M patient visits annually, and is supported by a clinical workforce of 1,000+ physicians and mid-level providers. ECP employs a differentiated model relative to other platforms in the industry, highlighted by the ability to maintain ownership through its physician partnership model and for regional/local groups to maintain their branding and clinical autonomy while benefitting from ECP’s national resources.
Contact our team to learn more about our physician leaders or partnership and career opportunities with one of our partner groups.