The 2018 ACEP Council considered several resolutions during its annual meeting this week, including proposals related to social issues and physician wellness.

This year’s 421-member Council represents all 53 chapters, 37 ACEP sections of membership, the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA), the Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine, the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, and the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine.

The resolutions adopted by the Council do not become College policy until they are reviewed and approved by the ACEP Board of Directors on Thursday.

Social issues were a point of focus and debate throughout the meeting; after much discussion, the Council passed an amended version of a resolution about separating migrating children from caregivers.

The Council also adopted resolutions related to:

• Codifying the Leadership Development Advisory Committee
• Nominating committee revision to promote diversity
• Growth of the ACEP Council
• Diversity of ACEP Councillors
• No more emergency physician suicides
• Verification of training
• Adequate resources for safe discharge requirements
• Addressing mental health treatment barriers created by the Medicaid institutions for mental diseases exclusion
• Advocating for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services policy restraint to avoid restricting quality emergency care
• ED copayments for Medicaid beneficiaries
• Funding for medication-assisted treatment programs
• Funding of substance use intervention and treatment programs
• Naloxone layperson training
• Payment of opioid sparing pain treatment alternatives
• Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment forms
• Separation of migrating children from their caregivers
• Violence is a health issue
• Antimicrobial stewardship
• Care of the boarded behavioral health patient
• Care of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in the emergency department
• Emergency department and emergency physician role in the completion of death certificates
• Firearm safety and injury prevention policy statement
• Support for extreme risk protection orders to minimize harm
• Law enforcement information gathering in the emergency department policy statement
• Supporting medication for opioid use disorder
• Recording in the emergency department
• Inclusion of methadone in state drug and prescription databases

The Council referred these resolutions to the Board of Directors for further discussion:

• Generic injectable drug shortages
• ACEP policy related to immigration
• Expert witness testimony