PRESIDENT’S REPORT G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D

PRESIDENT’S REPORT G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D

REBIRTH AND RENEWAL

Hello ACOEP family! As you read this, it will be Spring, but as I write this article, it is Sunday, February 27, 2022. A few days ago, we had sleet and snow. Today, it is sunny and near 50. And by March 3, we will have temperatures near 70 degrees, here in St. Louis! I know it may not stay that way, but this time of year always brings my focus towards Spring -- a transition towards warmer weather, sunny days and the renewal of the spirit.

Over the last two years, our profession has dealt with a pandemic that we will hopefully never see again in our lifetime. As the pandemic unfolded, I told one of my colleagues during a shift in the ER “this is our 1918” (in reference to the 1918 influenza pandemic). We had to be quick learners to combat COVID, to learn how to deal with the devastation of this virus -- and we did. We utilized all of our skills as ER physicians, and as we move towards Spring, it appears the battle is being won more every day. Case numbers continue to decline, and our hope is that we may be seeing the beginning of the end of this difficult time. How did we respond? We did not give up; we forged on and made a difference. We take solace from the lessons we learned about COVID and continue to renew our commitment to providing excellent care for our patients.

As we move towards Spring, that renewal of our professional commitment and dedication has now provided us the opportunity to have our first conference in person since Austin, Texas in 2019. I think most of us are looking forward to returning to this environment. It is the opportunity for all of us to rekindle our relationships with our colleagues who we may not have seen in a few years. More importantly, it provides all of us with what ACOEP has always stood for -- family. A family of emergency medicine professionals who come together twice a year to share our wisdom, knowledge and passion for our specialty with each other. When I think of where we were at the start of 2020 during the pandemic, and how far we have come, it truly does feel like a rebirth of our spirit as an organization as well as a renewal of our commitment to our specialty.

Our Spring conference in Fort Lauderdale promises to be another fantastic CME conference. In addition to lectures, there will be ten hours of pre-recorded material for extra CME, as well as Simtastic, Advanced US workshop and COLA/CORE review. There will be many other activities in the area as well. The Tortuga Music Festival runs during the same block as our conference, which will provide all of us with the opportunity to enjoy the sun, ocean and music!

One of my main interests when I became president last year was to increase the transparency of the college and member involvement. As we meet in person for the first time in more than two years, I would like all of us to take advantage of this moment -- not only rekindle your relationships with friends from past conferences, but make new friendships! Introduce yourself to others you don’t know. Attend the membership Meet and Greet after the membership meeting and get to

WHEN I THINK OF WHERE WE WERE AT THE START OF 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND HOW FAR WE HAVE COME, IT TRULY DOES FEEL LIKE A REBIRTH OF OUR SPIRIT AS AN ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS A RENEWAL OF OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR SPECIALTY.”

know your fellow college members. Our conferences provide a wonderful, relaxing environment that fosters learning, creation of friendships and professional relationships that will last a lifetime. ACOEP has always been like a second family to me, and I hope that this in-person event creates that same special feeling for all of you!

Spring is indeed a time of rebirth. Flowers bloom, trees blossom, and the days become longer and warmer. I see the rebirth of nature every Spring, as well as the happiness and serenity it provides me. From that, I always feel a sense of renewal about how lucky I am to have a loving family, a wonderful life and the best job in the world. That sense of renewal and rebirth only makes my passion for the specialty of emergency medicine stronger each day. I hope that the changing of the seasons will provide each of you with that same sense of rebirth and renewal. . –•–

THAT SENSE OF RENEWAL AND REBIRTH ONLY MAKES MY PASSION FOR THE SPECIALTY OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE STRONGER EACH DAY.”