ACEP Leads Congressional Briefing on ED Boarding

On June 21, ACEP organized a congressional briefing with the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to express strong concerns to legislators about the impact of emergency department (ED) boarding on our health care safety net. ACEP is urging legislators to prioritize finding solutions to the boarding crisis. View ACEP’s proposed solutions at acep.org/boarding-briefing.

State Advocacy Win: Closing the Road to Alternative Certification in Puerto Rico

The legislation was touted as a way to help alleviate the growing physician shortage in Puerto Rico. Instead, Senate Project 1134 would have created an alternative pathway to a certification in emergency medicine avoiding the training and certification standards supported by ACEP and the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Puerto Rico ACEP (ACEP PR) responded with a comprehensive advocacy campaign that included grassroots, coalition outreach, direct lobbying, and earned media to push against the legislation. Read the full story at acep.org/puerto-rico-win.

ACEP Now Welcomes New Resident Fellow

Carmen Marie Lee, MD, MAS, is the newest member of ACEP Now’s editorial team. As the 2023–24 Resident Fellow, Dr. Lee will oversee the Resident Voice column while contributing the resident perspective to the editorial board. Dr. Lee is a resident at Highland Hospital within the Alameda Health System in Oakland, California, with a strong background in health communications, education, and research.

Enter the Medical Humanities Writing and Visual Arts Awards

ACEP’s Section of Medical Humanities is hosting its 16th annual awards honoring excellence in creative writing and visual arts. For the writing awards, eligible pieces are creative, not scientific, works related to emergency medicine published in print or online between September 2022 and August 2023. Word count limit is 2,500, and poetry and prose are judged in separate categories. The visual arts awards are an opportunity for artists to show off their paintings, photography, etc. Nominators can submit a digital image or file of the artwork (photograph, sculpture, textile, pottery, painting, etc). Learn more at acep.org/writing-awards-2023.

Featured Lectures for ACEP23

The countdown is on until ACEP23 in Philadelphia, and we are pleased to spotlight the faculty who will deliver our named lectures.

• Tarlan Hedayati, MD, FACEP, will discuss equitable cardiovascular care during the Leon L. Haley, Jr. Lecture on Oct. 9.
• Alison J. Haddock, MD, FACEP, and Diana Nordlund, DO, JD, FACEP, will speak about practicing emergency medicine in post-Roe era during the Colin C. Rorrie, Jr. Lecture on Oct. 9.
• Jim Adams, MD, Christopher Kang, MD, FACEP, Tracy G. Sanson, MD, FACEP, and Robert W. Strauss, MD, FACEP, will discuss employment models during the James D. Mills, Jr. Lecture on Oct. 10.
• Deborah B. Diercks, MD, MSc, FACEP, will talk about using data to work smarter during the Brooks F. Bock Lecture on Oct. 11.
• Marie-Carmelle Elie, MD, FACEP, FCCM, will discuss combating compassion fatigue during the Nancy J. Auer Lecture on Oct. 11.

Did you know EM:RAP is coming to ACEP23? Join the EM:RAP faculty as they work through the story of a patient who presented with a common complaint, but ended up with a tragic outcome. For three hours, you will be engrossed in the narrative of a case that extends from urgent care to critical care, with world-class experts providing insights you can use on your next shift.

ACEP Now readers save $50 on ACEP23 registration with promo code ACEPNOW50 at acep.org/acep23. Don’t forget that for the first time ever, all four-day registrations come with free access to Virtual ACEP23.