Three Faculty Members Take on New College Leadership Roles

From left: Shellie Asher, MD, Courtney Warner, MD, and Boahema Pinto, MD

Albany Medical College has promoted three members of its faculty to new roles.

Shellie Asher, MD, has been appointed associate dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official, replacing Dr. Joel Bartfield, who will retire July 1 after 32 years. As such, Dr. Asher will oversee all accredited residency and fellowship programs, ensuring compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Dr. Asher, who also is a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, previously served as assistant dean for graduate medical education and as residency program director in emergency medicine. She has extensive experience in professional and faculty development, having also served as director of the college’s Junior Faculty Development Program. In 2021 she was recognized with the college’s Sosa Academy of Medical Science Clinical Faculty Mentor Award.

A 1998 graduate of Albany Medical College, Dr. Asher completed her emergency medicine residency at SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. She also holds a master’s degree in Bioethics from Albany Medical College’s Alden March Bioethics Institute.

Courtney Warner, MD, will assume the role of assistant dean of Graduate Medical Education, previously held by Dr. Asher, and will be responsible for providing resources and guidance regarding ACGME accreditation standards to all accredited residencies and fellowships.

Dr. Warner is associate professor of surgery in the Division of Vascular Surgery and recently was named program director of the Vascular Surgery Integrated Residency.
She completed her residency training at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, and earned her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School. She also holds a Master of Science in Health Care Leadership from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Boahema Pinto, MD, has been appointed associate dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Albany Medical College. As such, she will work closely with undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and all academic departments to help promote an inclusive environment, educate learners and faculty to care for our diverse and vulnerable patient populations, and continue work to increase the diversity of our workforce at all levels.

Recently promoted to associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Pinto also serves as associate director of the division of emergency ultrasound, and clerkship director for the fourth-year emergency medicine medical student rotation.

Dr. Pinto completed both a fellowship in emergency ultrasound and her residency training at Albany Medical Center, and earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

“Drs. Asher, Warner, and Pinto have proven themselves to be trusted leaders who are committed to advancing our missions,” said Alan Boulos, MD, ’94, The Lynne and Mark D. Groban, MD, ’67 Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College. “I am confident that collectively, they will continue to advance the quality of our graduate medical education programs while effectively enhancing our work climate to ensure a diverse, welcoming, and equitable environment for all we serve.”