Message from Your New YPS Chair

Friends and Colleagues,

We’ve all had a lot to complain about lately. And you know what? Go for it. It’s been a rough year, and it’s not getting any easier. As we continue to fight COVID-19 on the front lines, job insecurity and scope creep on the back lines, and burnout on the sidelines – sometimes, it feels like we are all we’ve got. And I’m damn proud of that. Despite all of our overwhelming challenges this year, our great specialty – led by all of you – has elevated itself on the local, state and national levels. We have become the organizers, protectors and de facto spokespeople of our respective communities.

Earlier this year – in the middle of a devastating global pandemic, as our local democratic group made tough decisions regarding staffing hours and pay cuts due to plummeting volumes – our hospital system suddenly tried to sell our contract after 40 years of partnership. But within one week of our surprise notice of termination, we were able to rally hundreds of docs in our region through our local medical society to leverage their collective power in support of our cause. One week after that, our hospital system was back at the negotiating table and our contract was renewed. That’s the power of our organized voice.

Furthermore, ACEP20 – like all things business this year – went virtual, and we lost our single greatest annual opportunity to gather in person and share war stories.  Unfazed, our YPS rallied, adapted and organized a business meeting that has become the envy of our organization.  We were the only ACEP section to have a keynote speaker headline its programming, and 850+ attendees joined our exclusive presentation and chat with The White Coat Investor, Dr. James Dahle, who spoke with us about how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect our finances and how we can secure ourselves against future financial threats.

And just as importantly, while Congress and Big Insurance call us “heroes” to our faces and then defund us behind our backs, your ACEP advocacy team has been working tirelessly to push back against crippling 6% Medicare cuts and a “solution” to Out-of-Network billing that would have resulted in a massive shift of capital (read $500 billion over 10 years) from our pockets to Big Insurance during a time when their profits have never been higher. 

As we look to the future, your YPS is excited about our ongoing, award winning newsletter as a medium through which to communicate and engage. And we want your thoughts!  We want to hear from you – your ideas, your questions, your aspirations. And beyond that, we’ll be working with the ACEP Education Committee on a podcast series of content to highlight important educational topics, as well as your incredible stories from the front lines.  And our YPS Leadership Society will be collaborating with your state chapters to elevate and honor you for the great work that you do each day. These are just a few examples of how we’ll continue to work together to our shared YP interests and influence within ACEP. 

We’re all we’ve got. And that means something. More than anything else, you all give me hope that sunnier days do lie ahead. And as we move into 2021, know that there are tens of thousands of heroes just like you, working arm-in-arm to care for every patient, everywhere, every time; waking up every morning, staring the devil in the face and snarling, “Not today.  Not on my watch.”  Indeed, bring ‘em all.

Onward,

John R. Corker, MD

YPS Chair, 2020-21