04/18/2014

April 2014 President's Message

If you're not involved in guiding EM's future, you may be alarmed where you end up

I had the privilege this past weekend of attending the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) Annual Meeting. Originally slated to attend as an Alternate Delegate representing Ohio ACEP, I got pressed into duty as the primary delegate due to a family illness. The way the delegations are assembled, specialty society delegates are seated with the county in which they reside. For me, that meant I sat with the District 2 councilors. This is a rather strong contingent of OSMA “players”, demonstrated by four ex-Presidents serving in the delegation.

OSMA is the umbrella organization for all licensed Ohio physicians and is the state chapter of the AMA. Whereas the specialty organizations (like ACEP) represent a particular segment of the physician community, the AMA (OSMA) was established to represent all physicians. In days gone by, the AMA was the organization through which physicians’ voices were heard. Over the past two decades however, their membership has been dwindling. The good news is that in the past three years the numbers have steadied.

Nothing earthshattering took place at this past weekend’s conference. Hot button items of discussion revolved around the continuing Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) fiasco, some scope of practice issues, ongoing concerns regarding the narcotic “epidemic”, concerns over maintenance of certification and, of course, Affordable Care Act implementation. And while the majority of people agreed on the need to do something about the SGR, most other issues were passionately debated from both sides.

The activities began with the keynote address by Governor John Kasich. He had nothing but high praise for physicians, even indicating he had wanted to be a physician all his life. (What can I say? He’s in politics and knows how to play to an audience.)

Ohio ACEP is a specialty organization, representing the interests of emergency physicians and their constituents (read that as “patients”), and I am a passionate believer in societies such as ours. But I am also a strong supporter of the AMA, as an organization that represents the entire house of medicine. I firmly believe we need both. I love the specialty of emergency medicine and would support it to the hilt. But I wholeheartedly support the 10,000-foot view as well, the view that in some manner integrates emergency medicine with all the other specialties. I see AMA as an organization that can do that. To see some of the issues with which the AMA is currently dealing, visit their website.

These next few years will see some profound changes taking place in the AMA as the organization’s presumptive next President, Dr. Steve Stack, takes the reigns. In addition to being the youngest President in decades, Dr. Stack will be the first residency-trained Emergency Physician serving as AMA President (And he is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine and OSU’s emergency medicine residency to boot!)

This is another milestone in the history of our field, a recognition of Emergency Medicine’s important and expanding role in the American health care system—not to mention a substantive change in unspoken policy for the AMA which, in the past, had resisted Emergency Medicine’s pursuit of legitimacy within the house of medicine.

I am reminded of an old adage: “If you’re not sitting at the table, you may find yourself on the menu.” I implore each of you to get involved. Join influential organizations such as ACEP and AMA; write and meet with your legislators; show community and state leaders what it means to practice emergency medicine by inviting them to visit your ED (ask us…we’ll show you how); and contribute to relevant organizations. Influence the discussion… Participate.