Phyllis Hendry, MD
Professor and Associate Chair of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics
College of Medicine – Jacksonville
Improving emergency care often means rethinking how patients are treated in moments of urgency — whether managing pain safely or ensuring that children receive the right care in critical situations. Phyllis Hendry’s work emphasizes both, developing programs and systems that improve patient outcomes in emergency settings while expanding best practices across hospitals and communities.
Hendry’s research centers on two areas: advancing alternatives to opioid-based pain management and strengthening pediatric readiness in emergency care systems. Her work is grounded in the goal of improving patient safety while providing care that is both effective and sustainable. As Hendry explains, developing new approaches to improve pain outcomes and reduce opioid use while also ensuring that emergency systems are prepared to meet the needs of children are crucial.
One of her most impactful efforts is the Pain Assessment and Management Initiative, which she founded to improve how pain is treated in clinical settings. Hendry developed a model that pairs patient education with practical tools designed to help individuals manage pain using non-opioid strategies. The program provides one-on-one coaching and customized resources that patients can use beyond the hospital, with the aim of preventing repeat emergency visits and supporting long- term recovery. Its success has led to expansion across multiple clinical settings and adoption by organizations nationwide.
Hendry’s other major area of work focuses on improving pediatric emergency care. Most children in need of urgent care are treated in general emergency departments rather than specialized children’s hospitals, making preparedness a critical issue. To address this, she developed a statewide program to strengthen pediatric readiness across emergency departments and emergency medical services. This effort includes tools that help providers assess their capabilities, improve training and ensure that children receive appropriate care as quickly as possible.
Her leadership in this area reflects a commitment to building programs that benefit patient care and safety and have achieved national recognition, particularly in advancing pediatric emergency preparedness, Senior Associate Dean Steven Godwin said.
Through her work in emergency medicine, Hendry is helping transform how care is delivered in high-stakes situations, improving both immediate outcomes and long- term health for patients.