Dr. Kaplan, who announced his plan to resign as medical director of his group because ACEP’s President must represent all emergency physicians, said the College must focus on the big issues at the federal level, including advocacy, fair reimbursement, quality care, liability reform, and support for graduate medical education. At the same time, he said, ACEP as a representative organization must support its state chapters and be better connected with regard to local concerns. Dr. Kaplan said his background and experience working for ACEP makes him not only a qualified leader of the College, but an experienced spokesperson. He has been national faculty for ACEP, taught at the ED Directors Academy, and given the Mills and Rorrie lectures—including at ACEP14—and is a former recipient of the ACEP Outstanding Speaker of the Year Award.

“I know that the issues are different if you are a member of EMRA or mid-career, if you are a woman, a large chapter or small, more urban or more rural, a member of a national group or a single hospital practice,” Dr. Kaplan told the Council, “I am passionate about the work we do, and I am relentless—no one will work harder on your behalf.”