Prior to the June Board of Directors meeting at ACEP Headquarters, ACEP President-Elect, John Rogers, MD, FACEP, resigned his position, despite the Board’s attempts to refuse his resignation.

In his resignation, Dr. Rogers, who was elected to be ACEP’s next President by the Council at its 2017 meeting, voiced his desire to unify the specialty. He said he didn’t want his lack of emergency medicine board certification to be a distraction to the work of the College.

Dr. Rogers sent a heartfelt and personal note to the Board the morning of June 27:

“This is a time when the residents in the house of emergency medicine should be coming together, and respecting each other as allies in a common cause. Unfortunately, it appears I have become a focal point for divisiveness. Not by my words or actions, but by one indisputable fact that neither I nor anyone else can change.

“It became clear that this would not only be a continuous cloud over my term as President, a distraction to the Board and College, but a barrier to unity within our emergency medicine community. I know in my heart this is the right direction and decision.”

Dr. Rogers, who has been practicing emergency medicine for more than 30 years, brought a great deal of experience and knowledge, especially on rural emergency medicine issues, to ACEP during his seven years as a member of the ACEP Board of Directors. Dr. Rogers also served the College as Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and Chairman of the Board, as well as Chair of EMF and President of the Georgia chapter.

“While his leadership as President could have advanced the specialty a great deal, we respect his decision and are humbled that he selflessly chose emergency medicine over his personal role—a hallmark of the kind of leader that he is,” said ACEP President Paul Kivela, MD, MBA, FACEP.

On June 28, in an election run by the Council officers in accordance with the College Bylaws and Council Standing Rules, the ACEP Board selected Vidor E. Friedman, MD, FACEP, to serve as President-Elect. At the ACEP18 Council meeting, the Council members will either ratify that decision, or the Council can elect a new President-Elect who would assume the Presidency at the end of the Council meeting. ACEP will keep you up to date on the latest information as we receive it.