SUMMER 2021
A Measured Return to Normalcy
RESTORING A SENSE OF NORMALCY PG 4
2021 ACOEP AWARD NOMINATIONS PG 11
ETHICS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE: WHAT WOULD YOU DO? PG 14
Save the Date!
ACOEP 2021
October 11-15 • Washington, DC
scientific.acoep.org
#ACOEP21
The Pulse VOLUME XLIX No. 3
EDITORIAL STAFF Timothy Cheslock, DO, FACOEP, Editor Wayne Jones, DO, FACOEP-D, Assistant Editor Tanner Gronowski, DO, Associate Editor Justin Grill, DO, FACOEP John C. Prestosh, DO, FACOEP-D Christine F. Giesa, DO, FACOEP-D Meagan Comerford, Director of Communications Donald Rolfe, Senior Marketing Communications Manager Jaishri Atri, Marketing Communications Manager EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Timothy Cheslock, DO, FACOEP, Chair Justin Grill, DO, FACOEP Christine Giesa, DO, FACOEP-D
The Pulse is a copyrighted quarterly publication distributed at no cost by ACOEP to its Members, Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, sponsors, exhibitors, and liaison associations recognized by the national offices of ACOEP. The Pulse and ACOEP accept no responsibility for the statements made by authors, contributors, and/ or advertisers in this publication; nor do they accept responsibility for consequences or response to an advertisement. All articles and artwork remain the property of The Pulse and will not be returned.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4
PRESIDENT’S REPORT Robert E. Suter, DO, MHA, FACOEP-D, FIFEM
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S DESK Emily Burch
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THE ON-DECK CIRCLE G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D
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WOMEN’S COMMITTEE UPDATE Nicole Vigh, DO, MPH
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CALL FOR 2021 ACOEP AWARD NOMINATIONS
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2021 COMPETITION WINNERS
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SUBMIT YOUR RESEARCH!
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WHAT WOULD YOU DO? ETHICS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE Bernard Heilicser, DO, MS, FACEP, FACOEP-D
Display and print advertisements are accepted by the publication through ACOEP, 111 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1412, Chicago, IL 60604, (847) 686-2235, or to drolfe@acoep.org. Please contact ACOEP for the specific rates, due dates, and print specifications. Deadlines for the submission of articles are as follows: January issue due date is November 15; April issue due date is February 15; July issue due date is May 15; October issue due date is August 15. Advertisement due dates can be found by downloading ACOEP's media kit at www.acoep.org/advertising. ACOEP and the Editorial Board of The Pulse reserve the right to decline advertising and articles for any issue. ©ACOEP 2021 – All rights reserved. Articles may not be reproduced without the expressed, written approval of ACOEP and the author. ACOEP is a registered trademark of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians.
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PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Robert E. Suter, DO, MHA, FACOEP-D, FIFEM
RESTORING A SENSE OF NORMALCY
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or most of us, the almost unexpected and sudden unmarking of COVID vaccinated Americans presented a mix of joy and relief combined initially with some apprehension over what might happen next. Given that unmasking is on the honor system, the continued drop in cases and deaths seemed almost miraculous. Perhaps the most inspiring thing was that the new recommendations triggered an increase in vaccinations among those who had previously refused them. Of course, the change in CDC recommendations settled any debate about the ACOEP 2021 Scientific Assembly in Washington, DC (October 11-15). While Scientific Assembly will also be available virtually for those who remain concerned about travel and gathering in large groups, we contracted the 2021 meeting several years ago and with the end of COVID conference restrictions we are expected to do our best to honor the contracted in-person goals. The 2021 Scientific Assembly will be ACOEP’s first visit to our nation’s capital that will leverage our surroundings to be a spectacular and memorable experience by any standard. The Awards Ceremony and FOEM Gala promise to be especially
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SOMETIMES YOU WANNA GO WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME AND THEY’RE ALWAYS GLAD YOU CAME YOU WANNA BE WHERE YOU CAN SEE OUR TROUBLES ARE ALL THE SAME YOU WANNA BE WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME.” Cheers Theme Song
nice. Given the circumstance of being our first in-person ACOEP Family Reunion after surviving the COVID storm, it also promises to be an emotional release. We will gather to share our loss and pain, as well as the victories and joys along the way, with the other members of our community — the emergency physicians that we grew up with, the ones that know our names. All the while enjoying world class ACCME and AOA certified CME. For those willing to embrace the opportunity, our conference in DC will also allow our committees, the RSO and the FOEM to gather together
in person. Free of the limitations of Zoom we will work together to advance our community, emergency medicine and our own practices. It’s not too late to volunteer to be a part of making our future – contact me, Dr. Bernie or our staff to express your interests. Whether your interests are in leveraging ACOEP to change the world or just our community, you can position yourself to benefit professionally and we as a community are enriched by your involvement. If you are not sure where your participation might be the best fit, contact me or any of our staff and we will help you find it.
I hope you will join us in DC to help make the end my term especially special and memorable, in the company of you my friends and our ACOEP community. Working together as part of the overall healthcare system we have pushed back the pandemic and restored some sense of normalcy to our world. We now have the
opportunity to re-apply our energies to defeat any unique challenges facing our community as we exit these tough times. When we do this, we can be sure that our best days are ahead of us.
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Robert E. Suter, DO, MHA, FACOEP-D, FIFEM
JUST GIVE ME MORE, BETTER MEMORIES TO REPLACE THE BAD ONES. I’LL BE BACK TO NORMAL BEFORE WE KNOW IT.” – A.R. VON
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S DESK
Emily Burch
THE NEED TO CONNECT
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mong other things, the last six months have been about learning and transition. As ACOEP’s new Executive Director I have helped restructure systems and procedures, while working closely with ACOEP leaders. The ACOEP staff team and I have learned so much during this transition and we greatly value this special connection with ACOEP leadership. The need for connection can’t be understated. It is something I have continually strived for personally and professionally. Working with ACOEP is especially rewarding, in that it offers a variety of ways for establishing and nurturing personal and professional connections. With summer upon us, what better way to stay connected than sitting back and joining us every Wednesday in July for ACOEP’s upcoming Summer Webinar Series? The series features webinars on trauma, neurology, pediatrics, and respiratory/cardiology, with CME credits for the series. It’s also a great way to connect and catch up with colleagues and peers. You’ll find information and a registration link for
THE NEED FOR CONNECTION CAN’T BE UNDERSTATED.”
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the series on the ACOEP website. We continue to look forward and not dwell on the past as we develop additional opportunities for the ACOEP community to connect. We’re thankful that technology enabled us to stay virtually connected over the past year, but Wi-Fi alone doesn’t meet our need to engage and socialize. Indeed, we need face-to-face interaction to thrive! Happily, this fall we will return to in-person meeting for the ACOEP 2021 Scientific Assembly (Oct. 11-15, Washington, DC). But connecting also requires inclusion, so ACOEP has also chosen to offer a live streaming option for the event for those who prefer meeting virtually. This truly makes it possible for everyone in the ACOEP community to reconnect. I look forward to the making in-person connections with everyone in the ACOEP family that I have not yet had a chance to meet. Watch for a registration announcement for ACOEP’s 2021 Scientific Assembly in your inbox, coming soon! –•– Emily eburch@acoep.org
THE ON-DECK CIRCLE
G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D
THE PATH TO SUCCESS
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reetings, ACOEP family! As I write my summer article for The Pulse, it is May 29 and I am enjoying a rare, entire Memorial Day weekend off work! I hope all of you had the chance to be with family to celebrate the lives of those for whom Memorial Day is all about—our military veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice so that each of us may enjoy the freedoms of our great country. Over the past year I wrote about how COVID affected my professional practice, myself, my family and our profession. As I sit here tonight, enjoying a beautiful spring evening, my mind turns to what matters most to me as your incoming ACOEP president– the path to success. Our college has survived turmoil over the last few years, including financial crises and the pandemic. Yet we emerged successful, with our new association management group in place. During those dark times, we never wavered or gave up hope. And we didn’t quit. ACOEP survived because WE believe in it. WE, our members. WE, your Board of Directors. WE, a family of emergency physicians who represent the foundation of osteopathic medicine. WE believed in each other and worked together to keep this wonderful organization alive and thriving! As we head into summer, warm days await. The sun provides us with life, energy, and a light that guides each of us on our journey as physicians. What is our path to
I WILL BE MINDFUL ALWAYS OF MY GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE THE HEALTH AND THE LIFE OF MY PATIENTS.” success? What does it mean to each of us? The path begins within each of us. As osteopathic physicians we took an oath. Among the most important parts of the oath for me are: I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health and the life of my patients. I will be ever vigilant in aiding in the general welfare of the community, sustaining its laws and institutions, not engaging in those practices which will in any way bring shame or discredit upon myself or my profession. I will endeavor to work in accord with my colleagues in a spirit of progressive cooperation. I will look with respect and esteem upon all those who have taught me my art. To my college I will be loyal and strive always for its best interests and for the interests of the students who will come after me. What is the great responsibility we all carry? As an EM physician, my purpose every day is returning home at the end of the shift, comforted in the fact that I made a difference for one person that day. Whether that
be getting a patient a warm blanket, taking an extra five minutes to let them finish their story, or gently patting their hand and putting them at ease. That is my responsibility and I take it seriously. What is the vigilance we must demonstrate to benefit our community? Working to improve the lives of not only our patients, but their families, our friends and our neighbors. Even if those choices seem contrary at times, our vigilance to strive for the good of our society is why we became physicians. Cooperation with our colleagues and peers demonstrates that the art and science of medicine is truly a team effort. Our mission as osteopathic physicians is showing the public that we are vital to the health and welfare of our communities and our nation. Where did our path begin? On day one of medical school, when we took the first step on this long journey guided by our fellow students, academic and clinical faculty. They introduced us to the rest of our lives by showing us what
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being a DO means and why that responsibility is ours to carry forward. Most importantly, we learned that the wisdom they imparted would carry us forward and enable us to share that wisdom with those who follow in our footsteps. The path we chose is long and arduous, yet each day we utilize that wisdom to mark another step on our path to success. I chose this topic because ACOEP is an important part of my personal path to success. The
wisdom from past leaders of the college, from discussions with peers at conferences, and the camaraderie of our college, has brought me much happiness and satisfaction and improved both my professional and personal life. I view ACOEP as a second family. I want our college to grow and expand and hope that others will experience the same joy and happiness I have been fortunate enough to experience as part of this family. All of us, ACOEP members,
our Board, our family know the path to success starts with each one of us. We have built a strong foundation for ACOEP and now it’s time to build ACOEP into an icon of the EM community and the best specialty college in the AOA. The first step on the path to success begins and ends with all of us, together. Come along with me and take the journey. I promise you it will be exciting! –•–
I WILL ENDEAVOR TO WORK IN ACCORD WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN A SPIRIT OF PROGRESSIVE COOPERATION.”
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WOMEN’S COMMITTEE UPDATE By Nicole Vigh, DO, MPH
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COEP’s Committee for Women in Emergency Medicine was thrilled to see such a great turnout for the 2021 ACOEP Virtual Spring Seminar. Our women’s track lectures were outstanding. Dr. Jennifer Tsai, MD is an EM physician and writer interested in health justice and education. Her essays on race, gender and inequity in medicine have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Scientific American and more. She gave a very interesting talk on minority disparities in medicine. Dr. Al’ai Alvarez, MD is a clinical assistant professor of EM and an associate residency program director of the Stanford Emergency Medicine residency program. Dr. Alvarez serves as the co-chair of WellMD’s Physician Wellness Forum and is one of the peer supporters for WellMD’s Physician Resource Network Support. Dr. Alvarez gave an enlightening talk about self-compassion. Dr. Tracy Sanson, MD is an EM physician, consultant and educator on leadership development and medical education. Dr. Sanson discussed finding and negotiating your “dream job.” The lectures were very well received by those who attended.
The Committee for Women in Emergency Medicine continues its dual collaboration with the American Academy of Emergency Medicine in the Osteopathic Mentorship Panel virtual discussion which takes place every other month. Dr. Angie Carrick and Dr. Christina Hornack are involved in the events. The events are well received by medical students that have participated and provide us with a great opportunity to answer questions for students and prepare them for residency. Follow our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ acoepcommitteeforwomeninem, for links to upcoming discussions. We are also excited to announce our partnership with the ACOEP Resident Student Organization. Please visit our Facebook page to stay informed about future events and where to purchase some great ACOEP Women’s Committee swag! Each year at ACOEP’s Spring Seminar the Women’s Committee participates in a philanthropic event, and as the resilient emergency physicians we are we didn’t let the
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pandemic stop us from participating in our annual community service event! The COVID-19 pandemic left many individuals without jobs and struggling to provide food for their families. The Women’s Committee invites you to participate in our ongoing “Food Bank Challenge.” Gather your friends, family and coworkers and collect as
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much non-perishable food as you can to donate to your local food bank. Show us how much you’ve donated by posting a photo on Facebook and tagging us in your post! Thank you again to all who participated in the ACOEP 2021 Virtual Spring Seminar and made it such a great event! We hope you will follow
our Facebook page for details on future events and information on our new line of ACOEP merchandise. And most importantly, we look forward to seeing all of you in person at ACOEP’s Fall Scientific Assembly, October 11 – 15, in Washington, DC!
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Call for 2021 ACOEP Award Nominations There are people among us who make a difference each and every day. ACOEP recognizes these outstanding individuals in the field of emergency medicine annually with its prestigious awards. The recipients of this year’s awards will be honored at a ceremony during ACOEP’s 2021 Scientific Assembly (October 11–15, Washington, DC). The awards lineup: • Bruce D. Horton, DO, FACOEP, Lifetime Achievement Award • Benjamin A. Field, DO, FACOEP, Mentor of the Year Award • Robert D. Aranosian, DO, FACOEP Excellence in EMS Award • Practice Innovation Award • Honorary Membership Criteria for each ward, past recipients, and nomination/application forms, may be found on the ACOEP website: https://acoep.org/about-acoep/awards Completed applications and support materials will be reviewed by the ACOEP’s Awards and Nominations Committee and be approved by the ACOEP Board of Directors. Don’t miss the chance to nominate an amazing professional colleague or peer!
Award Nomination Deadline: July 23, 2021
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 NEW INNOVATIONS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE POSTER COMPETITION
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Joseph Ray, MD Advent Health Orlando
Justina Truong, DO Kingman Regional Medical Center
Shane Sergent, DO Kingman Regional Medical Center
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 CASE STUDIES POSTER COMPETETION 1st Place Sabrina Harrell, MD and TaReva Warrick-Stone, DO Jefferson Health Northeast
2nd Place Germain Rival DO, MPH and Onyi Okorji, DO Jefferson Health Northeast
3rd Place Adam Schefkind, MD Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
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SUBMIT YOUR RESEARCH!
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COEP’s Foundation for Osteopathic Medicine (FOEM) will host its annual Fall Research Competitions at the 2021 Scientific Assembly, being held in Washington, DC, October 11 – 15, 2021. We welcome all physicians, residents and students to submit an application before the August 31 deadline. Competition winners will be announced during the Scientific Assembly and will receive a written certificate and monetary award.
To apply or learn more, visit our Research Competitions page at: https://acoep.org/education-events/research-competitions Submission Deadline: August 31, 2021 Categories: • Clinical Pathological Case Competition This exciting competition pits residents against faculty in diagnosing a difficult case. Residents submit the case without final diagnosis, and the faculty member is given one month to develop a diagnosis. Both residents and faculty submit PowerPoint presentations. Each program must have a resident and faculty member to participate. • Oral Abstract Competition This competition is open to anyone that has completed a research project and would like to present it as a PowerPoint presentation (multiple slides, not poster) summarizing their findings. • Research Paper Competition Participants submit their research papers for review by a panel of physician experts. The panel identifies the top 3 papers prior to the conference, and the winning authors present their findings at the ACOEP 2021 Scientific Assembly. • Research Study Poster Competition This competition is open to anyone who has completed a research project and would like to present it as a PowerPoint presentation (multiple slides, not poster) summarizing their findings.
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Bernard Heilicser, DO, MS, FACEP, FACOEP-D
What Would You Do? Ethics in Emergency Medicine
The following dilemma was presented to us by an emergency department physician. An 81-year-old female was transported to the emergency department by EMS after an attempted strangling. It appeared that her husband attempted to euthanize her by strangulation with a belt. The family discovered the situation and called EMS. In the ED, the patient indicated that she had terminal breast cancer and was prepared to die. She refused all labs, IVs or treatment. The ED physician was unsure what his obligations were and what to do. If clinically stable, should the patient be discharged? Is there a need for psychiatric intervention or consultation?
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Visit www.acoep.org/newsroom to share your thoughts on this case.
If you have cases that you would like to present or have reviewed in a future issue of The Pulse, email them to us at drolfe@acoep.org.
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ACOEP Summer Series Wednesdays, July 7, 14, 21, 28 12:00 p.m. (CDT) Featuring EM Topics: • Trauma • Neurology • Pediatrics • Respiratory/Cardiology • Plus, a 15-minute rapid fire resident lecture following each webinar
#ACOEP21
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