10/18/2012

ACEP Council Meeting: A first-timer's perspective

Deborah Kimball, MD
Ohio Alternate Councillor

This was my first time attending an ACEP Council meeting, and I feel very fortunate to have spent the week with so many passionate colleagues and champions of emergency medicine. After my time in Denver, I was reminded why I chose this profession and even found some of my own passion for the job renewed.

Ohio ACEP’s board and staff did an excellent job preparing us for the ACEP Council meeting. The guidance from my colleagues, especially Past-President Tom Lukens, Board Secretary Mike McCrea and Executive Director Laura Tiberi, helped take some of the mystery out of the Council proceedings
and allowed us to focus on the substance of the issues we would debate. And,
while some of the motions on the floor seemed more substantial than others, I truly valued the opportunity to make my voice heard and to help guide the direction of emergency medicine.

One impression I know will stick with me long after returning from Denver is having witnessed so much dedication to the ideals of emergency medicine, both from ACEP members and staff. At one point, National ACEP staff told the Council that the reason they find their work so enjoyable and rewarding is that they believe so strongly in the principles that make our specialty unique. By the end of my time in Denver, I realized that our efforts as emergency physicians do not go unnoticed and that we are not alone in striving to improve the care our patients receive.