Lt Col (ret) Roderick Fontenette, MD, FACEP

As I sit in the airport waiting for my connecting flight to Washington D.C. to attend the ACEP Leadership and Advocacy Conference (LAC), I think back to GSS23 and all I can say is WOW!! If you attended, you know exactly what I mean. It was an absolutely amazing conference filled with high-yield lectures, mentoring sessions, hands-on lab events, and what some are calling the highlight of the entire conference (please don’t tell Sean!), our annual Resident SIMWars competition! Congratulations to Team SAMMC for pulling in the victory this year (that actually hurt to say). Hats off to the conference planning team for all the hard work and countless hours of meetings and e-mails that went into putting together a great event that had something for everyone.

Cpt Jacob Altholz, MD

Last  month, the Government Services Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) had an enriching experience at the Leadership and Advocacy Conference (LAC) in Washington, D.C. The annual conference was aimed at educating and empowering emergency physicians to advocate for policies that improve patient care and engaging with policymakers on issues affecting emergency medicine. The Government Services Chapter was able to participate across the continuum at the conference and met with elected officials and policymakers to discuss key issues such as violence in the workplace, boarding, and Medicare reimbursement. We were able to share our expertise and experiences as emergency physicians and to advocate for policies that support our patients and the practice of emergency medicine.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the GSACEP 2023 Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of military and federal emergency medicine. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation, and leadership in advancing the practice and quality of emergency care. We congratulate each of our winners and extend our sincere appreciation for their commitment to excellence and their service to our profession. Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to all of us, and we are proud to honor their achievements through these awards.

GSACEP commissioned this interview with Dr. Barry Wolcott as part of its History of Military Emergency Medicine project. Dr. Wolcott held numerous positions throughout his Army career, including commandant of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. After retiring from the military he has continued to further the field of medicine through multiple medical ventures in the private sector. Here, he discusses the early days of USUHS and the evolution of combat medical education for military physicians into the types of training we all recognize today.