Meet the Candidates:

Matt Edinger MHA, RN has been working in healthcare for over 20 years. He began his work as a volunteer EMT before moving away from the prehospital setting and into the Emergency Department while he attended college. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s in healthcare administration, Matt would go on to get his RN. He moved to San Diego before COVID and worked for UCSD as a Trauma Nurse Analyst in their Level 1 Trauma Program and worked remotely as the Trauma Coordinator for Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach, OR. Currently, Matt works at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, OR as the Trauma Coordinator and serves as the Chair of Area Trauma Advisory Board (ATAB) 5.

Emily Elliott, PhD, RN, CEN, CNE, is on faculty at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and an experienced emergency nurse. She began her emergency nursing career in 2011 at Providence Medford Medical Center in Southern Oregon before joining the OHSU Emergency Department in 2016, where she practiced as a bedside and trauma-designated nurse. Drawing on her clinical experience, she is passionate about preparing future nurses to navigate the complex and unpredictable nature of emergency care. She represented Oregon as an ENA delegate to the 2026 General Assembly, reflecting her commitment to professional engagement and advocacy within emergency nursing. Her professional interests include trauma and emergency nursing, disaster preparedness, mass casualty triage, and innovative educational strategies that strengthen clinical reasoning and decision-making. She is particularly interested in using serious games and experiential learning to bridge the gap between nursing education and emergency nursing practice.

Zack Hittner BSN, RN, EMT-P started out in emergency medicine as a Resident Volunteer Firefighter while going to OSU for a degree in forestry. This soon lead to working as a Firefighter/Paramedic for almost 4 year until he realized nursing would more align with his passions. Zack works as a Trauma Coordinator at Willamette Valley Medical Center and also as a resource ED RN at Providence St Vincent’s. Zack has a passion for improving care in rural communities. He currently serves as the secretary for Area Trauma Advisory Board 2 and in 2026 represented Oregon as a delegate at the ENA General Assembly.