The State of the Academy: It’s GREAT
AAEM NEWS PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Lisa A. Moreno, MD MS MSCR FAAEM FIFEM — President, AAEM
W
hen you read this, you will have returned, physically or virtually, from what I believe (writing this in early June) is going to be the most fantastic post-isolation reunion of emergency physicians. AAEM will have hosted the first in-person meeting in EM since March 2020. The date change was a calculated risk, consulting with virologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, and government officials on the local, state, and federal levels to assess the likelihood that June would be a safe month to hold a conference. The date change and the decision to go live resulted in a restructuring of the SA planning subcommittee and revamping by the staff of all the plans made earlier, adaptation to a hybrid model that AAEM had never previously used for a conference, and close communication with the CDC and the city of St. Louis. As regulations changed weekly, we changed our implementation plans. But this is who we are: RESILIENT, COLLABORATIVE, ADAPTIVE. These words characterize emergency physicians, and our best qualities are best exemplified by AAEM. The State of the Academy is GREAT! The committees, sections, chapter divisions, and interest groups are the lifeblood of the Academy and our main source of member engagement. You all outperformed and overachieved in the year of COVID. AAEM members did not hibernate; they produced. The Clinical Practice Committee developed two new policy statements: How Should Native Crotalid Envenomation Be Managed in the Emergency Department? and Do patients on Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) require repeat imaging and a period of observation after a head injury with an initial negative CT? The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is hard at work to support the diversification of our membership. They developed a “Bring a Black Physician to SA” campaign,
and have sponsored a few SA events. Plenary Speaker Glenn Singleton spoke on “Courageous Conversations about Race in Emergency Medicine,” a social was held at BBs Jazz, Blues, and Soups, and a cultural tour of the Scott Joplin Historical Site was also held. DEI did a Black History Month Twitter campaign and is beginning work on a grant funded video podcast series, “Physicians of Color who Have Done Great Things.” The first physician you should know whose segment will be filmed at the end of June is Dr. Marcus Martin. The Education Committee took the lead on creating an innovative AAEM21 that
status and published a broad, comprehensive, authoritative white paper on the management of opioid use disorder in the ED. Social Media reviewed current podcast offerings and analytics and offered expertise and support to other committees creating enduring materials. They also created the AAEM Instagram account. Wellness did a Stories from the Pandemic Storytelling Live Event encompassing a global audience including storytellers from Sweden and Turkey, developed the Dr. Lorna Breen Position Statement, and the Interruptions in the ED Position Statement. Palliative Care updated their webpage with COVID-specific resources
“AAEM members did not hibernate; they produced.” upholds the standards of AAEM under difficult and stressful circumstances. They were also responsible for a rapid and complete transition of the Written Board Review Course to a virtual format, which was offered FREE to all AAEM members through Dec 31, 2021. They created and implemented a Virtual Oral Board Course to parallel what ABEM is using. Six cases and two Structured Interviews. By May 5th, they completed six, one day courses and are already started the planning for six courses in the fall. Our new Ethics Committee issued a Principles of Ethics Joint position statement with Geriatrics and Palliative Care as well as a position statement on the ethical physician. The LMS Committee did a needs assessment of our learning community in the pandemic environment and undertook a data analysis of current user practices to guide identification and development of new materials. They developed an application to streamline the new material approval and posting process. This has resulted in a collection of great online CME opportunities for AAEM members. Check them out and think about what your committee, section, chapter division, or IG can create to share with our AAEM community! Pain and Addiction moved from IG to committee
for advance care planning discussions in the ED, established a portal for sharing of pandemic narratives, and makes regular contributions to Common Sense’s Palliative Corner. An ED Observation IG is seeking members. Social EM and Population Health is applying for committee status! They have a great group of members from medical students to senior attendings, have a standing column in Common Sense, and are creating curriculum for the non-profit Foundations of Emergency Medicine on patients experiencing homelessness and patients impacted by gun violence. This curriculum will be utilized by thousands of EM residents in the U.S. and abroad. They are developing a border health research project. Among our sections: Critical Care has a new novel event called the CCMS Salon, which has the reverse structure of a journal club. Each salon covers a single topic with controversial or limited literature with the goal of practical, bedside-oriented conclusions and aids such as a sample protocol. Their goal is to stir the pot! They started a quarterly newsletter with practical practice tips, EM and intensivist perspectives, and even a light-hearted cartoon section. Their inaugural mentor/mentee group
>> COMMON SENSE JULY/AUGUST 2021
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