Roderick Fontenette, MD, FACEP

As I write this message, today marks the twenty-second anniversary of the September11th attack on our country. I would like to take this opportunity to remember those who lost their lives during that horrendous attack as well as those that succumbed to their illness and injuries in the days, weeks, months and years that followed from the aftereffects of the attack.

Michele Byers, CAE, CMP, DES

Government Services ACEP welcomes Michele Byers, effective September 1. Michele is a career association executive who brings 20+ years of association management experience to GSACEP. Michele began serving as the GSACEP Executive Director in April 2023 through our management agreement with ACEP and now, upon conclusion of our agreement with ACEP, will be contracting directly with GSACEP.

COL Bonnie Hartstein, MD, FACEP

Greetings EM Family! I hope your calendars are already marked for the Joint Services Symposium in Emergency Medicine (JSSEM), scheduled for 21-22 September 2023 at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX. Come join us to get some of your KSAs/ICTLs/CMRPs and collaborate with your colleagues at the only military-sponsored EM conference. Planning for PCS moves next Summer 2024* is underway! I want to share with you the “rules of the game” when it comes to the PCS process and the AIM cycle. Starting last year, the Army Medical Department began a hybrid assignment process that merges old school consultant assignments with AIM (open market job search/interview/hiring). The specialty consultant identifies spots for soldiers graduating from GME (residents and fellows) and all others compete for positions in AIM.

Lt Col Chris Pitotti, MD

Air Force EM Docs! Please know that I’m available via email or text and I can set up some time to chat - if it’s career options, assignments, or care delivery - it’s what the job’s supposed to be.  Here are a few hot items: Readiness: Every 44E should be maintaining their CMRP checklist which had an update in April. It requires annual updates, so feel free to send feedback. The main gaps I’m seeing are hours and procedures. Get to a CSTARS platform or work at a Level 1 or 2 to get your required annual hours. CSTARS has plenty of space - we’ve plussed up staffing and your unit won’t have to pay - so let readiness know to schedule you and you can take a 2-week TDY to Las Vegas, St Louis, or Baltimore

CDR Sean Stuart, DO, FACEP

Last year we lost a great man in COL (Dr.) Dave Barry, whose legacy spans far beyond his military service or emergency medicine ties. Given that Dr. Barry dedicated much of his career to developing military physician residents to be the best doctors they could be, it was only fitting that the fellowship was renamed the COL (Dr.) Dave Barry Fellowship in Leadership Development. As the mission of the fellowship resonated with the goals and priorities embodied in COL (Dr). Barry, the Board of Directors of the American Board of Emergency Medicine has partnered with GSACEP to honor Dave's legacy by providing $1,000 per year in support of the Fellowship.

Your voice matters, and now is the time to make it heard within the ACEP Council! We encourage all GSACEP members to take a moment to visit the ACEP Council's asynchronous testimony platform for council resolutions and actively participate by leaving your comments. This is an invaluable opportunity to influence the direction of emergency medicine and ensure that your perspectives are considered in critical decisions. Let's come together as a strong and united voice for our specialty. 

Barry Wolcott, MD

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.