Prior to April 2004, the health care community had never heard of Dean Wilkerson, J.D., M.B.A., CAE. A mere 5 years later, the leaders of that community have named him as one of the most powerful people in health care today.

Serving as the executive director for the American College of Emergency Physicians, Mr. Wilkerson debuted at an impressive number 37 on Modern Healthcare magazine’s annual “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” list.

“I was shocked,” Mr. Wilkerson said when he learned he was on the list. “Then I immediately thought of a hundred people in our specialty who, in my opinion, have more respect and influence than I do and should be on the list instead of me.”

The rank of number 37 comes more into perspective when you consider with whom Mr. Wilkerson shares this honor: President Barack Obama (number 1); Senate Finance Committee leaders Max Baucus (D-Mont.) (number 4) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) (number 5); the CEO of the American College of Cardiology (number 80); the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (number 84); the executive vice president and CEO of the American College of Physicians (number 86); and the president of the American Medical Association (number 95).

“The man lives and breathes emergency medicine, and that has allowed him to be a very informed and effective leader,” said Dr. Linda Lawrence, chairman of the ACEP Board of Directors. “So it was absolutely no surprise when he made the list—I only wondered why he wasn’t ranked higher.”

Since Mr. Wilkerson took the reins in 2004, ACEP has seen significant growth in membership, award of grants, strength of NEMPAC, 911 Network participants, and a national media presence. Great progress has been made in reimbursement. Resources for disaster preparedness have increased considerably. And the issue of access to care has taken center stage.

Then there’s the explosion of public outreach.

In a little over a year after coming to ACEP, Mr. Wilkerson’s vision became reality when on Sept. 27, 2005, more than 4,000 emergency health care professionals took on Capitol Hill in a rally that made Congress stand up and take notice of the issues plaguing emergency medicine. Shortly after that, ACEP released its first “National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine”—a brainchild of Mr. Wilkerson’s that helped engage and motivate the public to get involved. The second report card was released 3 years later. Information about emergency care and health was put directly in the hands of patients with a consumer magazine for ED waiting rooms. And, a home health care kit went online with the launch of a Web site specifically designed for patients and the public.

“I believe our position of strength and advocacy has already changed due to his actions; this is just an award recognizing him for that,” Dr. Lawrence said. “When you look at where we were 5 years ago, we are significantly stronger.”

ACEP President Nicholas Jouriles, M.D., concurred. “This has shown how far emergency medicine and ACEP have come in a very short period of time. It also shows that we are well respected on a national level and a force to be reckoned with.”

The road to the 100 most powerful list is not an easy one. As a result of their month-long call for nominations, Modern Healthcare received more than 25,000 submissions, up 76% from last year. Those who received the most nominations were put on a final ballot—approximately 300—and readers were given a month to vote online for the 10 candidates they believed should make the final list of 100.

The rankings were determined by the nearly half a million votes that were cast.

“This is truly one of the greatest honors of my life,” Mr. Wilkerson said. “But behind me there’s the board, staff, members, chapters, sections, and committees. There is not one project, activity, or achievement in my time at ACEP that hasn’t been the result of a whole slew of people at the state and national level working on it.”

A cast of thousands may be behind him, but make no mistake about it, Mr. Wilkerson is leading them.

“I think this recognition is directly attributed to his vision and leadership,” Dr. Lawrence said. “He is someone who sets very high goals and always seems to get us to reach them.”

ACEP President-Elect Angela Gardner, M.D., said, “He has worked tirelessly to advance the interests both of emergency physicians and their patients. I hope that when other members learn of this honor, they will appreciate the work Dean has done on their behalf.”

Dr. Lawrence agreed. “I think members should be proud, and it should give them reassurance that their organization is in extremely capable hands.”

Despite the recognition for his accomplishments this honor has brought Mr. Wilkerson, he is focused on the next 5 years and beyond.

“At the end of everything, I’d like to look back on my career and see that our efforts have resulted in the practice of emergency medicine being improved for every physician and the millions of patients they help,” he said. “I’d like to say that emergency care is better.”