Stephen H. Anderson, MD, FACEP, has volunteered throughout his career.
Over the last 40 years. he has volunteered with projects of all kinds: from hospitals to roles in the community to positions of national ACEP Board leadership. His current volunteer role finds him as the Chair of ACEP’s Exploring Retirement Section.
This section, one of ACEP’s most recently developed, offers a network for physicians who are at or nearing retirement to remain plugged in to emergency medicine.
“I’ve been a volunteer my entire career because it puts me around other people with passion and gives me the opportunity to make a difference beyond the gurney,” Dr. Anderson said. “ACEP is one of those opportunities that I absolutely see the outcome of what I volunteer to do.”
One of the Section’s goals is to share their members’ knowledge and experience with emergency physicians in earlier career stages.
“Hearing the passionate stories from people who are no longer next to the gurney and the patient, but still want to impact health care with all of their expertise, it’s something that just can’t let slide away,” he said. “This is what makes us happy, sharing information that lots of people can learn from.”
Dr. Anderson said he feels strongly that people should follow what fills their hearts with joy.
“I tell everyone that your priorities in life ought to be family first, what makes you whole second, and job third. Don’t lose that order. Volunteering is what brings me passion in life,” he said.
Recently the Exploring Retirement Section hosted a webinar on “Financial Affinity Planning” that was full of practical tools in planning for the future.
“When we’re younger we worry about taking care of our parents, but as we get older, we look at how our responsibilities for our children may not be done,” he said.
Dr. Anderson sees the value of service through volunteering and the benefits of giving his time are endless.
“When I think of volunteerism, I think of the passion I get by contributing and I come up with a quote I have on a brick in the Emergency Medicine Foundation courtyard at ACEP’s national headquarters,” he said. “It’s a quote from Winston Churchill that says, “We make a living by what we earn, but we make a life by what we give.”
ACEP Has 31 Committees Working on Issues Important to You
Committee Applicants
Interested in volunteering for a national committee? Applications are due May 15.
