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A Special President’s Comments SAEM in 2022: Continuing to Lead the Way in Innovating and Shaping Academic EM
Happy New Year From SAEM!
A special “President’s Comments” from Dr. Angela M. Mills, SAEM President
Angela M. Mills, MD
2022: SAEM Continues to Lead the Way in Innovating and Shaping Academic EM
As we ring in a new year, I want to express my deep gratitude to our SAEM members and staff for all that has been accomplished as a society this past year. SAEM continues to break new records and lead the way in innovating and shaping academic emergency medicine. Our success as a Society is because of YOU, our members, who come together as a community working within our academies, committees, and interest groups to produce a tremendous amount of content, new products, and services for our membership.
Member Numbers Keep Climbing
Over this past year, SAEM has broken several records, including achieving a new membership high of 8,268 reached in June of this year — a 27% increase over the past five years! Among those we welcomed into our membership were four new faculty groups, eight new residency groups, and three new medical student groups.
An Historic Annual Meeting
SAEM22, held this past May in New Orleans, realized our highest attendance ever for an SAEM Annual Meeting with over 3,500 attendees and approximately 1,300 unique presenters with hundreds of abstracts and didactics providing education and cutting-edge research. In addition, SAEM hosted its largest SonoGames competition to date with over 1,000 spectators.
Another Banner Year for Research Grants
SAEM’s fundraising efforts in 2022 were highly successful, leading to a new record
in grant funding of over $850,000 in education and research grants to SAEM members — the largest singleyear investment in SAEM Foundation’s history. Because of the great work by the SAEM Foundation and generous donations from all of you, we were also able to: • fund two investigators through the
Emerging Infectious Diseases and
Preparedness Grants this year that will help keep EM prepared for the next national crisis; • establish SAEMF’s first donor-funded geriatric emergency medicine focused grant; • increase the Medical Toxicology
Foundation/SAEMF Grant from $10,000 to $20,000; • announce a new funding opportunity for the SAEMF Advanced Research
Methodology Evaluation and Design in
Medical Education (ARMED MedEd)
Pilot Training Grant
SAEM Publications Make an Impact
This year saw our journals thriving, with Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) achieving its highest impact factor yet of 5.22 and AEM Education & Training accepted into the Emerging Sources Citation Index. In addition, we published our second Guideline for Reasonable and Appropriate Care in the Emergency Department (GRACE) publication: LowRisk, Recurrent Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department as well as the • SAEM Career Roadmap, a resource for our members at every level of their career in academic emergency medicine. • A Reason for Research, a guide for medical students, residents, and junior faculty interested in pursuing an academic career in emergency medicine research. • Stop the Stigma EM: A Toolkit for
Individuals, Educators and Institutions
Addressing Workforce Issues Head On
SAEM’s new Workforce Development Committee began to define the evolving landscape and workforce of academic EM and develop a multiyear plan to address where SAEM can uniquely support dynamic changes in the workforce.
Coming to SAEM in 2023!
Look for the SAEM Foundation to:
• announce a new funding opportunity for clinical operations research; • award a new $10,000 SAEMF Geriatric Emergency Medicine Research Catalyst Grant (made possible through a generous donation from Michelle Blanda, MD); • introduce a new New Vice Chairs’ Challenge; • host a live and in person EMF-SAEMF Grantee Workshop.
In research and educational course developments:
• SAEM Master Educator course will launch its inaugural cohort at SAEM23; • eLEAD (Emerging Leader Development Program) will graduate its inaugural cohort; • ARMED will host its first winter workshop in the new state-of-the-art training center at SAEM headquarters; • The Chair Development Program (CDP) will celebrate its 10th anniversary cycle; • SAEM Research Committee will publish an electronic guidebook with updated resources and a roadmap to give researchers relevant information and education on obtaining federal funding.
Continued diversity, equity, inclusion Initiatives will include:
• a comprehensive vision statement to be issued by the new, all-EM DEI Task Force; • formal DEI training developed by the SAEM Equity and Inclusion Committee for all SAEM staff; • a new Outstanding Department Award for Excellence and Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion award to honor an emergency department that has shown significant support for diversity, equity, and inclusion; • a new RAMS URiM Resident Education/Innovation Award to provide financial assistance to underrepresented residents demonstrating leadership skills and innovation in emergency medicine.
Our Society has continued to be deliberate in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within both SAEM and our specialty, including the development of a DEI Curriculum for our members, as well as leadership of a new all-EM DEI Task Force with member and staff representation from SAEM, RAMS, AACEM, and our sister emergency medicine organizations: AAEM, AAEM/ RSA, ABEM, ACEP, ACOEP, CORD, and EMRA. In addition, at SAEM23 in May, SAEM held a successful consensus conference on diversity, equity and inclusion to develop a research agenda for addressing racism in emergency medicine.
Breaking Down Barriers to Mental Health Care
In the month of October, SAEM hosted its largest campaign yet: #StopTheStigmaEM Month. This first-ever Stop the Stigma EM awareness campaign was led by the SAEM Wellness Committee in collaboration with an all-EM Mental Health Collaborative. The campaign focused on breaking down barriers to mental health care in emergency medicine. Successful efforts included a robust use of social media, an in-person session at ACEP, free Zoom gatherings, and other activities to get folks engaged, sharing stories, and talking about the importance of our mental health.
Leading the Way in Education and Research
SAEM continues to lead as the premier organization for developing and supporting academic leaders. This year we launched the Emerging Leader Development Program (eLEAD) receiving 50 applicants — the largest number of applications for any SAEM course ever! We graduated our inaugural Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design (ARMED) MedEd class at SAEM22 and kicked off the sixth cycle of the Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design (ARMED) course, welcoming a cohort of 24 future medical researchers and clinicians.
As I reflect on 2022, I am incredibly proud of all that our Society has accomplished — breaking many records while leading and innovating in academic emergency medicine. As we enter this new year, I urge you to explore the educational content and many resources available to you as an SAEM member and take advantage of the numerous opportunities SAEM offers to learn, grow, lead, and flourish.
ABOUT DR. MILLS: Angela M. Mills, MD, is the J. E. Beaumont professor and chair of the department of emergency medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons and chief of emergency services for NewYorkPresbyterian –Columbia
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One of the most powerful things you can do to help break down barriers to mental health is to talk openly about your personal mental health journey. Share your story and help stop the stigma.
