Caption: James Phillips, MD, FACEP, a Washington, DC-based emergency physician who specializes in workplace violence research, speaks at the press event hosted by ACEP & ENA on May 3.
On May 3, ACEP and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) held a press event outside the Capitol to support recently introduced legislation that would help address ED violence and close gaps in mental health care.
ACEP speakers included James Phillips, MD, FACEP, a Washington, DC-based emergency physician, and Ryan McBride, ACEP's Congressional Affairs Director. ACEP and ENA called for passage of the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2663 and S. 1176) and the Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Act (S. 1346).
“Emergency physicians and emergency nurses strongly believe that threats and attacks against health care workers are unacceptable,” said ACEP President Christopher S. Kang, MD, FACEP. “Emergency care teams must be dedicated to patient care without fearing for their safety. We must also address the mental health care crisis in this country that emergency physicians see and manage every day. More resources and better coordinated care can improve the patient and physician experience, outcomes, and well-being.”
This press conference was the final event that closed out ACEP's Leadership & Advocacy Conference, where hundreds of emergency physicians joined forces in Washington, D.C. to speak directly to legislators about three key issues: ED boarding, workplace violence and Medicare reimbursement.
Learn more about ACEP's work to prevent violence in the ED.
Learn more about ACEP's work to prevent violence in the ED.
