Letter from the Chair

Jay Woody, MD, FACEP

This past year has been challenging to keep our section engaged and to make forward progress. The section meetings at ACEP22 and ACEP23 were sparsely attended.

A statistic that I want to share with the group is that our Section membership has increased from last year, totaling 115 as of October 2022, thanks to a recruitment drive initiated during the 2021 Section meeting. Membership grew to 126 by October 2023 so we are heading in the right direction but want to make sure we are meeting the needs of Section members.

There was significant discussion about transitioning the FEC Section to a Member Interest Group (MIG). The pros and cons of such a move were discussed. After careful consideration, the Section voted to maintain its status for at least another year. To continue to grow the FEC Section I believe we must face the reality of whether we are offering value to our members.

My objectives for this year are as follows:

• Host a collaborative dialogue regarding pertinent FEC issues optimizing emergency medicine values as espoused by ACEP.
• Educate ACEP members, the medical community, and the public about what FECs are, what they do, and how they fit into the patient’s circle of healthcare providers.
• Collaborate with ACEP leadership in establishing a national set of standards for FECs that could be referred to as a unified national resource for legislatures, physicians, and the medical community.
• Keep ACEP membership relevant to those who don’t practice in hospital EDs and to keep ACEP as a voice for all ED physicians, (whether they practice in hospital EDs or Freestanding ECs)

I will be sending out a survey to help us achieve these goals that keep us relevant and add value to our section. The survey will come to you as an email from Katheryn Swinger via Survey Monkey. It should take less than five minutes to complete. I encourage you to respond so that we can continue to increase our membership and relevance in the future of the FEC Section. I serve the section, but I can only do it with your support and input. 

Best,
Jay Woody, MD, FACEP