Photo Caption: Kenneth Kim, MD, emcee for the EMRA/YPS Health Policy Primer, addresses the audience.
It’s time for ACEP’s annual Leadership & Advocacy Conference! Hundreds of emergency physicians are convening in Washington, DC, this week to learn new leadership skills and meet directly with legislators about three key issues: ED boarding, workplace safety, and Medicare reimbursement.
The conference kicked off yesterday with the EMRA/YPS Health Policy Primer and AAWEP’s Power Up: Women in Emergency Medicine Leadership Workshop.
The Policy Primer, an event geared toward EM physicians who are new to policy and advocacy, was more interactive than ever. After hearing about different aspects of the U.S. health care system from Drop the Mic presenters, attendees broke into small groups for an interactive design-thinking challenge to build an ideal health care system from scratch. A panel of experts discussed the pros and cons of each proposed system with the audience.
ACEP's AAWEP Power Up Workshop featured an inspiring discussion about the opportunities to engage, retain and empower women physicians in emergency medicine.
In a keynote address to a packed room at ACEP's DC headquarters, Dr. Dara Kass discussed her role with the Department of Health and Human Services and spoke to the passion and purpose she has gained from more than 20 years of serving on the front lines.
Emergency physician advocacy is vital for the health system, care teams and patients, Dr. Kass explained.
“Education and engagement are the key first steps to making everything work better in emergency medicine,” Dr. Kass noted. “Things in emergency departments are challenging today. We need to do more for ourselves and our patients—if not us, then who?”
- More from Power Up: Our Favorite Quotes from AAWEP's "Why Lead Now?" Panel
What’s next at LAC23?
- May 1 features a packed schedule that mixes leadership training with issue-specific education to empower and equip attendees before their legislative meetings on Tuesday.
- On Tuesday, May 2, attendees will be grouped together by state for meetings with their legislators to discuss three key issues:
- Solving the ED Boarding Crisis
- Protecting EM Physicians from Violence in the ED
- Bringing Stability to Medicare’s Physician Reimbursement System
We’ll post more updates here at acep.org, and we encourage you to follow the action on social media with #LAC23.
