What Would You Do? Ethics in Emergency Medicine By Bernard Heilicser, DO, MS, FACEP, FACOEP-D The following dilemma was presented to us by an emergency department physician. An 81-year-old female was transported to the emergency department by EMS after an attempted strangling. It appeared that her husband attempted to [...]
What Would You Do? Ethics in Emergency Medicine By Bernard Heilicser, DO, MS, FACEP, FACOEP-D I would like to present a situation which occurred in a nursing home that created an interesting ethical dilemma. A nursing home called 911 for an unconscious resident. On arrival, EMS found the patient [...]
As an emergency physician you work tirelessly to protect your communities, often times putting your life on the line, most notably during this ongoing pandemic. It is critical that you are protected as you go above and beyond the call of duty. As such, ACOEP supports the “Coronavirus Provider [...]
In the best of times, emergency physicians are often at the greatest risk for burnout. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this critical danger is thrown into even starker relief. The tragic loss of Dr. Lorna M. Breen in New York City recently further highlights the very real risks emergency medicine [...]
ACOEP has learned of several cases in which the COVID-19 crisis is being utilized against emergency physicians in custody cases as a justification for taking children from their parents, sometimes defying court-ordered custody arrangements. Weaponizing an already traumatic situation as a means to harm the very individuals who place [...]
During this time of crisis, as emergency departments everywhere fight the onslaught of COVID-19 patients, the entire emergency medicine team—physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and others—have been courageous in their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty. It is imperative that when lives are on the line the emergency department remains [...]
"We made a choice long ago to put ourselves into a position, as a physician, to be able to care and make a difference. We chose emergency medicine and the chaotic environment of the emergency department as a place for us to give that care. We chose to find [...]
Healthcare workers battling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are on the front lines in an unprecedented event in human history. As physicians race to save lives they should not be fearful of losing their jobs for speaking out about access to personal protective equipment, or for supplementing what their employers give them [...]
The lack of access to basic PPE in hospitals across the country is causing inexcusable risk to physicians, patients, and communities. Your voice is needed now more than ever to urge our elected officials to act quickly and boldly. In any free moment you have, we urge you to [...]
As the world responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, preparations for ACOEP’s 2020 Spring Seminar continue moving forward at full speed. No one knows the risks of the COVID-19 outbreak better than emergency medicine professionals who have long stood on the front line of healthcare. While public worry regarding travel [...]
