ACEP President’s Message: Future Emergency Physician Workforce Considerations & Potential Next Steps By Dr. Mark Rosenberg

FROM THE COLLEGE

ACEP President’s Message

By Mark S. Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP

ACEP President 2020-2021

Future Emergency Physician Workforce Considerations & Potential Next Steps

ACEP recently unveiled the results of its multi-year, multi-organizational workforce study, which concluded that, for the first time in history, we are headed towards a likely oversupply of emergency physicians in the next decade.

The data shows the stark reality of the impending workforce needs and provides the foundation for our next steps to correct its course. It’s time to move past fear and frustration into action. There is not one perfect, holistic solution to address marketdriven industry instability and no quick fixes for the challenges we face.

You have our promise that ACEP will work tirelessly toward solutions and action plans to protect your role in the future of emergency medicine. Nothing will stand in our way — not corporations or private equity, not insurance companies or non-physician practitioners. We stand united with you.

No matter where the future takes us, ACEP remains committed to fighting for and supporting the front line emergency physician — from academia, large or small groups, government, to any other model of care. Even now, ACEP and our chapters are advocating in states nationwide to ensure your job is not done by anyone less qualified than you by fighting NP/PA independent practice creep in state legislatures.

The Workforce Task Force’s next step is to gather ideas from the entire specialty and develop action plans to stabilize and strengthen emergency medicine.

From ACEP’s perspective, there are several key considerations, including:

1. Stop the proliferation of emergency medicine residents and residency programs 2. Raise the bar to ensure consistency across emergency medicine residency training 3. Ensure business interests are not superseding the needs of educating the workforce 4. Support practicing physicians to encourage rewarding practice in all communities 5. Ensure appropriate use of NPs and

PAs to protect the unique role of emergency physicians 6. Ensure every patient has access to a board-certified emergency physician 7. Broaden the umbrella to expand emergency physician scope of practice 8. Expand the reach of emergency medicine to ensure that no community is left behind

These considerations are a starting point to outline pressing issues and potential solutions proposed to date. Very importantly, your perspectives and approaches are critical to these ongoing deliberations. Differing opinions are still needed and welcomed, as it is vital all consequences, whether intended and unintended, are considered in advance.

Ask your chapter leaders to coordinate a town hall where you can propose and debate ideas related to this issue and potential solutions. If you are not able to convene this kind of intimate group, consider sending your individual thoughts to workforce@acep.org or join the EM Physician Workforce of the Future discussion forum on the ACEP EngagED platform (acep.org/ workforce).

ACEP remains dedicated to working together with our members and partners who share our commitment to identify data-driven solutions that promote both patient safety and emergency physician opportunities. ■

WHAT FCEP IS DOING:

This is a critical moment for our specialty and we encourage you to make your voice heard.

• FCEP leaders are working to convene a Virtual Meeting/

Listening Session for members’ concerns, questions or comments on this issue.

• Additionally, at Symposium by the Sea 2021 in August, we will be hosting an EM Workforce

Panel with national and statewide leaders. This session will provide updates and leave time available at the end for

Q&A discussion.

In the meantime, please share your thoughts with FCEP leadership, your FCEP colleagues on the Doc Matters discussion board, and your national colleagues on the ACEP Workforce discussion board. Residents can also join the EMRAF Facebook Group discussions.

COMMITTEE REPORT

Membership & Professional Development Committee

By Shayne Gue, MD, FAAEM

Committee Co-Chair

FCEP leaders work tirelessly throughout the year with targeted advocacy efforts on behalf of emergency physicians and patients across our state. Thanks to our continued efforts, the landscape for the practice of emergency medicine in Florida is among the best in the entire country. However, we must continue to fight back efforts that threaten the safety of our patients: scope of practice expansion for non-physician providers, unfair reimbursements from insurance payors and PIP repeal, while supporting efforts that increase penalties for assault against healthcare providers and COVID liability protections for healthcare professionals.

As we begin to emerge from the global coronavirus pandemic, there are many new struggles we must face. ACEP just completed and released the results of a two-year task force that evaluated the employment market for EM physicians across the country. This data indicates we could have approximately 10,000 “surplus” physicians in the job market by 2030. As daunting as that figure may seem, thankfully, we have the time to correct our course for the future.

As a result, ACEP is working collaboratively with various emergency medicine specialty organizations to tackle this problem head on. The best and brightest minds in our specialty across the country are working together to identify the problems, including the rapid expansion of residency programs (where Florida is leading the country), the continued infringement of non-physician practitioners, and the role of private equity in practice of medicine (and emergency medicine specifically). I trust that when we work together, we can find solutions to take back emergency medicine for the safety and well-being of our patients receiving the most advanced, high-quality care they deserve. If you are interested in getting engaged in the on-going conversations, visit the ACEP Workforce page or feel free to reach out to me directly at shaynegue@hotmail.com.

Although there are many challenges ahead, we must continue to support one another and remember to devote time to personal wellness. Unsurprisingly, burnout remains on-the-rise as emergency physicians continue to fight on the front lines against COVID-19 while struggling with the aforementioned challenges. Unfortunately, physician suicide rates continue to climb with as many as 300 physicians dying by suicide each year (learn more here). Recently, our specialty lost another great physician, advocate, and friend to suicide. Dr. Brian Fletcher was a beacon of light in our specialty and a member of our LGBTQ community, who tragically chose to end his own life. So many continue to suffer in silence—please lean on one another for support and help! ACEP offers a myriad of services to promote wellness and resiliency, and every ACEP member has access to three free counseling or wellness sessions (learn more here). Please take advantage of any and all resources available and reach out when you need help. We are in this together, and we will make it through together.

As challenging as the future may seem, I am confident that we will make it out on the other side stronger and better than ever. Emergency physicians are among the best and brightest; I am confident that when we work together, we can overcome these obstacles and create a brighter future for our specialty. ■