Welcome to the first edition of ACEP Lately! I’m excited to have a place to update you on the happenings at the College. Every post will include a few quick thoughts followed by three updates: 1) something you may have missed, 2) what’s happening now and 3) what’s on deck. I'll end each post with shoutouts to specific ACEP members and staff who are working so hard to push these initiatives forward.
I’ve been the executive director of ACEP for eight months – almost enough time for a baby, but nowhere near enough time to fully understand and appreciate the world of emergency medicine. But I can say that my short time at the helm of ACEP has given me many glimpses into just how valuable ACEP is and needs to be in supporting the work of emergency physicians, and how critically important it is to the world that we do this right.
As we marked Women’s History Month, I’ve been reflecting on my place as the first woman executive director of ACEP and started reading Perspectives: Women in Emergency Medicine. Between the forward by the first woman elected to the ACEP Board of Directors and the afterward by the first woman elected to be the ACEP President are powerful personal essays by the women (and a few men) who are still shaping the specialty. Their words have a timeless and human relevance, especially during this most unusual year, and show what is common in our vastly different lives and experiences. The graphic below shows where we stand right now when it comes to women in ACEP leadership roles. I share this mainly to welcome all of you who seek more from ACEP and your colleagues to connect through our sections and aligned organizations like the American Association of Women EPs, or better yet, apply to join an ACEP committee.
Now, let’s get into the updates:
ICYMI
In talking (Zooming, mostly) with many members and Chapters, I’ve come to understand how the passion and pride you bring to your work 24/7/365 is valuable, but not always valued. You were among the heroes in the headlines this past year, but those headlines didn’t capture the toll the pandemic has taken on your job prospects, your practices, your wellbeing and your families. We wanted to tell the full story of what you experienced in 2020 in ACEP’s 202 0Annual Report.
This recap helps us remember how this extraordinary year showcased what’s powerful about the specialty of emergency medicine – yet existed alongside the challenges you faced in your practice and workplace, the needs you have for your protection and your wellness, and the opportunities that exist for your professional development and the specialty’s future. It tells your story, and it’s meant to be shared. As you receive the report in your mailbox, we hope you’ll see some of your personal experience in the pages and realize the history you made this year.
NOW
This past year has also shown me how the many diverse initiatives your ACEP leadership, volunteers and staff have been working on for years are coming together into a plan to move emergency medicine forward. Our roots of the past 50 years gave us the strength to face 2020 and begin what is likely to be period of change over the course of the next decade.
Right now, though, you want help with this incredibly tough job market. And I want to make sure you know how ACEP can assist. Thanks to our committees, faculties and sections, we have robust resources on our website designed to help you at any stage of your career. Until recently, we haven’t made it very easy for you to find them. Now, our new one-stop Career Center pulls it all together. You’ll find easy access to emCareers.org, the largest job bank of validated emergency physician positions, plus a new interactive map that shows where all the openings are located. You’ll find virtual interview tips from EMRA, compensation and salary reports from ACEP Now, plus employment contract resources. And did you know ACEP Board members are now available to provide personal reviews of your CV?
Many of our members are unaware that our Wellness & Assistance Program includes an add-on that allows you to obtain legal and financial support for just $15 per year. That’s quite the bargain, given that this service includes unlimited 30-minute consultations for each individual legal or financial matter, and 25% discount on select legal and financial services all with MINES network legal and financial professionals.
Please visit the Career Center and check back often, because we’ve barely scratched the surface of the resources we’re pulling together for you. One last thing for the job seekers out there – our Spring Virtual Job Fair is coming up May 20.
NEXT
ACEP is helping you with the changing board certification process. By now you probably know that ABEM has switched away from its high-stakes ConCertTM exam to MyEMCert. While this modular-based, open-book exam is designed to test everyday knowledge, the physicians who pilot-tested MyEMCert still found it helpful to prepare based on the module topics. We just introduced the new PEERcert+ with specific content related to the three modules ABEM released on March 29: Abdominopelvic, Trauma and Bleeding, and Abnormal Vital Signs and Shock. We really do think PEERcert+ is the gold standard for MyEMCert prep, and we hope you’ll utilize this new tool.
I hope you’ve appreciated these glimpses into some of what ACEP is doing lately. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve you – to make sure this organization runs efficiently, has your back when you need it and speaks strongly to address the complex issues we tackle collectively. I hope hearing from me about the ways ACEP is working for you makes you feel more connected to your ACEP family.
Thanks for reading.
- Sue
Sue's Shout-outs
Thank you to the following members of the EM SMB Implementation Task Force Steering Committee who worked with our legislative team to draft our feedback letter on surprise medical billing: Dr. Andrea Brault, Dr. Tony Cirillo, Dr. Lisa Maurer, and Dr. Randy Pilgrim.
Congratulations to the Diversity, Inclusion & Health Equity Section's leaders for its successful webinar addressing vaccine hesitancy: "This is Our Shot: Empowering Patients to End the Pandemic."
Much gratitude to the MVP Task Force members who are working on our MIPS MVP submission with ACEP's regulatory team: Dr. Cameron Gettel, Dr. Mike Granovsky, Dr. Susan Nedza, Dr. Aisha Terry, Dr. Brad Tinloy, and Dr. Arjun Venkatesh.
Shout-out to the Young Physicians Section leaders and the Online Education Committee for producing the first webinar of their new lifestyle series, EM LIFERS: "I Need a Job: Getting Hired in a Pandemic."
- Congrats to the ACEP Democratic Practices Section for hosting the first call of its 3-part series examining the anatomy of a democratic group.
