UHM Section Membership Updates

Greetings fellow UHM Section members!

Working closely with Dr. Walker and the rest of our section leadership, we wanted to keep you informed regarding the membership of our section and to impart to you the importance of staying involved.

At this time, we have approximately 125 members in the UHM Section, and we would like to see that membership grow. Help us in this effort by maintaining your membership and by recruiting your EM colleagues with interest in UHM to join. We have some exciting activities planned for all members, and we encourage you to participate. Please mark your calendars: we have our UHM Section meeting during ACEP Scientific Assembly on Wednesday, October 28, from 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm (PDT). We encourage you all to attend. Our section chair, Dr. Walker, will have important updates for us at that time. In addition, Dr. LeGros will present, “Interesting Dive Cases from the Gulf of Mexico and Beyond” that I am sure will be quite interesting.

Being a member of the UHM Section is important on multiple levels. First and foremost, it gets us all involved on a national level, so that collectively we have a voice. In the current climate, with reimbursement for approved HBO indications being reduced (or declined altogether), we must work together to affect national policy that will benefit academic and community centers alike. In addition, being involved in the UHM Section allows for networking that can lead to research and educational collaborations, as well as potential employment opportunities. On a personal note, I must admit that getting involved with the section leadership has allowed me to grow as a hyperbaric medicine physician and foster a better understanding of the challenges facing our specialty in regions beyond southern California (where I live and work). It has also afforded me the opportunity to make some meaningful relationships with colleagues from across the nation. A truly rewarding experience, I assure you!

I welcome you to reach out to your hyperbaric colleagues and encourage them to join our section and inquire about leadership positions as they become available. We are always looking for new section members, as well as new ideas to bring to the table of the UHM Section leadership. I look forward to “seeing” you at the virtual ACEP Scientific Assembly later this month, including our UHM Section meeting on October 28. Take care, and I look forward to speaking with you soon. Feel free to reach out (Email) if you have any questions about our UHM Section, including any questions you may have about getting involved with our leadership roles and other ongoing projects.

Anthony J. Medak, MD, FACEP
Secretary/Newsletter Editor