Our Team


Our team-based care is delivered by approximately 100 intensive care physicians, approximately 1000 critical care nurses, and more than 200 advanced practice providers (APPs) partnering with pharmacists, respiratory therapists, nutrition support specialists, and consultant physicians representing dozens of medical specialties. Each has special interest, training, and advanced competency in the care of the critically ill patient and their family.

Director


Craig Coopersmith, MD, FACS, MCCM

Dr. Craig Coopersmith has served as Director of the Emory Critical Care Center (ECCC) since 2018 and is a professor in the Emory University Department of Surgery. As a pioneering and internationally recognized researcher in sepsis and shock, Dr. Coopersmith was part of an international task force that redefined these terms in 2016, with their publication recognized as one of the Journal of the American Medical Association's Top Articles of the Decade. He serves as the principal investigator for multiple NIH-funded grants, including a post-doctoral T32 training program for critical illness. His research expertise includes gut epithelial apoptosis and host response in sepsis, alongside a clinical focus on quality improvement, healthcare delivery, and staffing in the ICU. His research accomplishments were recognized by the American College of Critical Care Medicine in 2023 with their Distinguished Investigator Award. Dr. Coopersmith served as president of the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) from 2015 to 2016 and was inducted as a Master of Critical Care Medicine (MCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine. As an international figure in critical care, Dr. Coopersmith serves on the NIH's national guidelines panel for COVID-19 management, chaired SCCM’s Discovery network, and has led multiple committees for the Surviving Sepsis Campaign and currently sits on its Executive Committee while co-chairing its steering committee.

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Dr. Craig Coopersmith

Craig Jabaley, MD, FCCM

Associate Director, Emory Critical Care Center

Dr. Craig Jabaley has served as Associate Director of the ECCC since 2022 and is an Associate Professor in the Emory University Department of Anesthesiology. He also serves as Critical Care Medicine Division Chief for the Department of Anesthesiology. As Medical Director of the Emory University Hospital CVICU, a regional referral center for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and all forms of mechanical circulatory support, Dr. Jabaley has furthered the growth and development of these and other high-acuity critical care services. His research interests include mixed methods approaches to understanding the dissemination and uptake of healthcare information, implementation science, critical care health services research, and exploratory biomedical applications of machine learning time series analysis. He serves in various capacities within the American Board of Anesthesiology, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and SCCM and also sits on the board of the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists. 

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Vishal Bakshi, PA-C, FCCM

Chief APP, Emory Critical Care Center

Mr. Vishal (Vish) Bakshi has served as Chief APP for the ECCC since 2014, providing leadership and oversight for over 200 APPs.  He, along with his team are responsible for the design, development and implementation of a 24/7 coverage model in which all ICUs at multiple hospitals across Emory have round the clock APP coverage. 

Vish works closely with organizational leadership to manage operational practice expectations, including growth planning, standardization, QI, education, productivity as well as the development of innovative strategies for team-based APP utilization within the multidisciplinary care delivery model. 

In 2019, Vish was inducted as a Fellow of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM) by the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM). Areas of interest include burnout and well being as well as telemedicine. With over 20 years as a PA graduate from Stony Brook University, Vish offers a deep-rooted dedication to the tripartite Emory mission of clinical excellence, multiprofessional education and cutting-edge research.

Vishal Bakshi, PA-C, FCCM

Lisa Fisher, MHA

Senior Administrator, Emory Critical Care Center

Ms. Lisa Fisher has served as the ECCC Senior Administrator since 2020  while continuing to support Surgical Services at Emory Healthcare and their partnerships with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Grady Health, and the Atlanta Veteran Administration Medical Center. A graduate of Texas A&M University and Mary-Hardin Baylor University, Ms. Fisher brings over 20 years of healthcare administration expertise to the Center, having held major leadership roles in several organizations previously. In her role as Senior Administrator, Ms. Fisher oversees all facets of the ECCC’s operations, expertly managing and supporting activities that propel the ECCC’s myriad contributions to the tripartite mission.  She brings a robust skill set in management, finance, operations, human resources, and strategic planningalongside a passion for supporting excellence in education, research, and patient care. 

Lisa Fisher, MHA