Scott Alter, M.D., M.B.A.

Biography

Scott Alter, M.D., M.B.A., NRP, FACEP, FAAEM serves as Assistant Dean for Clinical Research and is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Dr. Alter oversees and supports the clinical research infrastructure between the College and its hospital partners. He leads emergency medicine research and emergency medical services education within the Department of Emergency Medicine, in addition to serving as core faculty for the emergency medicine residency. Dr. Alter works clinically as an emergency medicine and hyperbaric physician at Bethesda Hospital East and Delray Medical Center.

Dr. Alter completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he became interested in research and earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies. Dr. Alter earned his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (formerly UMDNJ) in Piscataway, New Jersey. He then earned his Master of Business Administration with specialization in Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida.

Dr. Alter completed his emergency medicine residency at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, New Jersey. He went on to complete a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services at Carolinas Medical Center and Mecklenburg EMS Agency in Charlotte, North Carolina. Following training, Dr. Alter joined Emergency Medicine Physicians, working in community practice within Atrium Health in the Charlotte region. He also served as System EMS Director for EMP of Mecklenburg County.

Dr. Alter originally started in emergency medical services as a volunteer EMT during high school. He then completed his paramedic training and became a Nationally Registered Paramedic, a certification he still maintains. Dr. Alter practiced as a mobile intensive care paramedic after college and continued to do so throughout medical school and residency.

Dr. Alter is dual board certified in emergency medicine and emergency medical services. He is also trained in hyperbaric medicine. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, and the National Association of EMS Physicians.

Education

• 2018: M.B.A. with specialization in Health Administration, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
• 2013-2014: Fellow, Emergency Medical Services, Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC
• 2010-2013: Resident, Emergency Medicine, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ
• 2010: M.D. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (formerly UMDNJ), Piscataway, NJ
• 2004: B.S. Communication Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Work History

Florida Atlantic University

• 2022-present: Assistant Dean for Clinical Research
• 2021-present: Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
• 2016-present: Associate Research Director, Emergency Medicine Residency
• 2016-present: Core Faculty, Emergency Medicine Residency
• 2016-2021: Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Prior Employment

• 2014-2016: System EMS Director and Staff Physician, Emergency Medicine Physicians of Mecklenburg, Charlotte, NC
• 2013-2016: Staff Physician, Emergency Medicine, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC

Scholarly Activity

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Alter SM, Temple CA, Solano JJ, Hughes PG, Clayton LM, Shih RD. Time from hospital presentation to head imaging in White, Black, and Hispanic geriatric trauma patients. Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Sep;59:152-155. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2022.06.056. Epub 2022 Jul 1. PubMed PMID: 35868208.
• Solano JJ, Mendelsohn RA, Ahmed RA, Shih RD, Clayton LM, Alter SM, Hughes PG. Controversial COVID-19 Cures: Hydroxychloroquine and Oleander Pediatric Ingestion Simulation Cases. Cureus. 2022 Jun;14(6):e26176. doi: 10.7759/cureus.26176. eCollection 2022 Jun. PubMed PMID: 35891806; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9303842.
• Molnar A, Lau S, Berges M, Masa RB, Solano JJ, Alter SM, Clayton LM, Shih RD, DeMets DL, Maki DG, Hennekens CH. Ivermectin in COVID-19: The Case for a Moratorium on Prescriptions. Ther Innov Regul Sci. 2022 May;56(3):382-385. doi: 10.1007/s43441-022-00378-0. Epub 2022 Feb 11. PubMed PMID: 35147927; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9086156.
• Hennekens CH, Rane M, Solano J, Alter S, Johnson H, Krishnaswamy S, Shih R, Maki D, DeMets DL. Updates on Hydroxychloroquine in Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19. Am J Med. 2022 Jan;135(1):7-9. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2021.07.035. Epub 2021 Aug 23. PubMed PMID: 34437834; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8381625.
• Khan M, Alter SM, Clayton LM, Hughes PG, Shih RD, Solano JJ. Age adjusted D-dimer cutoffs for pulmonary embolism in a geriatric population utilizing a D-dimer unit assay. Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Jan;51:103-107. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.10.009. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PubMed PMID: 34735966.
• Bruno TW, Alter SM. Woman with atraumatic leg pain. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021 Dec;2(6):e12607. doi: 10.1002/emp2.12607. eCollection 2021 Dec. PubMed PMID: 34927142; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8649009.
• Solano JJ, Clayton LM, Parks DJ, Polley SE, Hughes PG, Hennekens CH, Shih RD, Alter SM. Prehospital Ketamine Administration for Excited Delirium with Illicit Substance Co-Ingestion and Subsequent Intubation in the Emergency Department. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2021 Dec;36(6):697-701. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X21000935. Epub 2021 Sep 23. PubMed PMID: 34551849; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8607139.
• Hughes PG, Alter SM, Greaves SW, Mazer BA, Solano JJ, Shih RD, Clayton LM, Trinh NQ, Lottenberg L, Hughes MJ. Acute and Delayed Intracranial Hemorrhage in Head-Injured Patients on Warfarin versus Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy. J Emerg Trauma Shock. 2021 Jul-Sep;14(3):123-127. doi: 10.4103/JETS.JETS_139_20. Epub 2021 Sep 30. PubMed PMID: 34759629; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8527063.
• Robishaw JD, Alter SM, Solano JJ, Shih RD, DeMets DL, Maki DG, Hennekens CH. Genomic surveillance to combat COVID-19: challenges and opportunities. Lancet Microbe. 2021 Sep;2(9):e481-e484. doi: 10.1016/S2666-5247(21)00121-X. Epub 2021 Jul 27. Review. PubMed PMID: 34337584; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8315763.
• Maki DG, Alter SM, Solano JJ, Adirim TA, DeMets DL, Shih RD, Hennekens CH. COVID-19 control in the United States: the case for masking. Am J Manag Care. 2021 Jul 1;27(7):e218-e220. doi: 10.37765/ajmc.2021.88670. PubMed PMID: 34314121.
• Parks DJ, Alter SM, Shih RD, Solano JJ, Hughes PG, Clayton LM. Rescue Intubation in the Emergency Department After Prehospital Ketamine Administration for Agitation. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2020 Dec;35(6):651-655. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X20001168. Epub 2020 Sep 14. PubMed PMID: 32921342.
• Alter SM, Mazer BA, Solano JJ, Shih RD, Hughes MJ, Clayton LM, Greaves SW, Trinh NQ, Hughes PG. Antiplatelet therapy is associated with a high rate of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with head injuries. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open. 2020;5(1):e000520. doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2020-000520. eCollection 2020. PubMed PMID: 33294625; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7689589.
• Alter SM, Maki DG, LeBlang S, Shih RD, Hennekens CH. The menacing assaults on science, FDA, CDC, and health of the US public. EClinicalMedicine. 2020 Oct;27:100581. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100581. Epub 2020 Oct 10. PubMed PMID: 33073218; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7546999.
• Hatoum ZG, Alter SM. A Foley folly: Unintended proximal urethral catheterization and balloon inflation causing urethral injury during suprapubic cystostomy exchange. J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2020 Oct;1(5):798-800. doi: 10.1002/emp2.12059. eCollection 2020 Oct. PubMed PMID: 33145522; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7593505.
• Pierce B, Alter SM, Gerakopoulos K, Parmar J. An Unusual Presentation of Retinal Detachment and Conjunctivitis: A Case Report. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2020 Aug;4(3):446-449. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2020.7.48292. PubMed PMID: 32926709; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7434245.
• Klein JG, Alter SM, Paley RJ, Hughes PG, Clayton LM, Benda W, Shih RD, Solano JJ. Carbon monoxide poisoning at a Florida Hospital following Hurricane Irma. Am J Emerg Med. 2019 Sep;37(9):1800-1801. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2019.03.009. Epub 2019 Mar 8. PubMed PMID: 30878412.
• Alter SM, Haim ED, Sullivan AH, Clayton LM. Intubation of prehospital patients with curved laryngoscope blade is more successful than with straight blade. Am J Emerg Med. 2018 Oct;36(10):1807-1809. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.01.100. Epub 2018 Feb 17. PubMed PMID: 29463438.
• Alter SM, Walsh B, Lenehan PJ, Shih RD. Radiology report "disclaimers" increase the use of abdominal CT in the work-up of pediatric abdominal pain. Am J Emerg Med. 2018 Apr;36(4):556-559. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.09.016. Epub 2017 Sep 14. PubMed PMID: 28982533.
• Canelas CM, Shih RD, Clayton LM, Giroski LJ, Alter SM, Feinstein S, Learman LA. Repeat acute abdomen and hemoperitoneum during the same pregnancy due to a ruptured ectopic treated by salpingostomy. Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Jun;35(6):942.e1-942.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.01.024. Epub 2017 Jan 14. PubMed PMID: 28104324.
• Alter SM, Walsh B, Lenehan PJ, Shih RD. Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Appendicitis in a Community Hospital Emergency Department has a High Rate of Nondiagnostic Studies. J Emerg Med. 2017 Jun;52(6):833-838. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2017.01.003. Epub 2017 Feb 28. PubMed PMID: 28258881.
• Caceres JW, Alter SM, Shih RD, Fernandez JD, Williams FK, Paley R, Benda W, Clayton LM. Standardized Physician-Administered Patient-Centered Discharge Protocol Improves Patients' Comprehension. South Med J. 2017 May;110(5):359-362. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000642. PubMed PMID: 28464178.
• Alter SM, Infinger A, Swanson D, Studnek JR. Evaluating clinical care in the prehospital setting: Is Rapid Emergency Medicine Score the missing metric of EMS?. Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Feb;35(2):218-221. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2016.10.047. Epub 2016 Oct 25. PubMed PMID: 27890300.
• Alter SM, Eskin B, Allegra JR. Diagnosis of Aortic Dissection in Emergency Department Patients is Rare. West J Emerg Med. 2015 Sep;16(5):629-31. doi: 10.5811/westjem.2015.6.25752. Epub 2015 Oct 20. PubMed PMID: 26587083; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4644027.

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Professional Affiliations

• Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
• Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine
• Member of National Association of EMS Physicians

Clinical Activity

Hospital Appointments

• 2016-present: Delray Medical Center, Delray Beach, FL
• 2016-present: Bethesda Hospital East, Boynton Beach, FL
• 2014-2016: Atrium Health Pineville, Charlotte, NC
• 2013-2016: Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC

Board Certifications

• Emergency Medicine, American Board of Emergency Medicine
• Emergency Medical Services, American Board of Emergency Medicine