Tell Congress and the White House to Prioritize PPE
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 speak up to your elected officials at the state and federal levels and demand action. This is not a partisan issue, all elected officials must act now. We have written phone scripts for calling offices as well as language you can copy and paste into the body of an email. We urge anyone active on Twitter to post the following, being sure to tag your elected officials: We need personal protective equipment and we need it now. Make PPE a priority immediately! #GetMePPE #ACOEP Click here to find your representatives on Twitter. Click here to find contact information for your senators. Click here to contact your representative. Phone script: I [...]
AOBEM Launches New Osteopathic Continuous Certification Examination
Christopher P. Zabbo, DO, FACOEP Secretary, AOBEM submitted the below content on behalf of the American Osteopathic Board or Emergency Medicine for ACOEP's members. The American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM) is pleased to announce the launch of its new annual Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC) examination. The Continuous Osteopathic Recertification Examination (CORE) will replace the high stakes, 10 year examination also known as the Cognitive Assessment Recertification Examination. The CORE is a condensed exam that is taken annually which combines over the 10 year certification window to cover the content of the traditional Cognitive Assessment Exam and COLA exams. CORE OVERVIEW: CORE, the new annual OCC for AOBEM, is administered online 24/7 and can be taken at home or in the office. It is an open book examination where diplomates are encouraged to use the educational resources typically available in the Emergency Department. Diplomates are allowed three (3) attempts at CORE each year. CORE has a total of 40 to 60 multiple-choice questions, based [...]
Sustaining a Life-Long Career in the ED
By G. Joseph Beirne, DO, FACOEP-D As your new president-elect, the “On Deck Circle” will be my quarterly column to provide updates on ACOEP and emergency medicine. Erin Sernoffsky, who has been with ACOEP for 11 years, tasked me with the topic of career advice, on the experiences I’ve had both inside and outside of the ED. I thought about this for a long time. Over the last 19 years, I have seen a countless number of patients and learned many lessons. I recall seeing an article titled, Now that You’re a Real Doctor by James Roberts, MD, who writes a monthly column in Emergency Medicine News. The article dealt with the transition from resident to attending and how to find your way in the world of emergency medicine. One of the points he made in that article that still resonates most with me today is, “Be the advocate for your patient. They need you!” Over my [...]
What Would You Do?
What Would You Do is a regular feature in The Pulse by Bernard Heilicser, DO, MS, FACEP, FACOEP-D In the most recent issue of The Pulse we reviewed the dilemma presented in the Fall 2019 issue regarding the 62-year-old male with a court order to be transported for psychiatric evaluation. Our patient was unable to care for himself and was covered with maggots. EMS loaded the patient and he began wheezing and went into respiratory distress. The on-scene police demanded transport to the hospital ordered by the judge, not the closet hospital. Contact with that hospital resulted in the diversion to a closer hospital because of the patient’s clinical condition. EMS capitulates and transports to the initial court-ordered hospital. Should the EMS crew have disobeyed the police? How would you handle this situation as medical control? This EMS call presented quite a dilemma. Of course, as advocates for our patients, we have that primary obligation: the sanctity [...]
News from ACOEP’s Committee for Women in Emergency Medicine
By Teagan Lukacs, DO, MPH, MBS This year, ACOEP’s Scientific Assembly provided a platform for the Women’s Committee to raise awareness and celebrate some great causes. IDENTIFYING VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING We had the privilege to work with PATH, Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans, to explore the complexities of identifying patient who are victims of human trafficking and how best to help them. The organization provides information on the scope of the problem, tools for screening, intervention strategies, and resources for physicians. Many victims are drawn into the lifestyle around the time of puberty and are not kidnapped but drawn in by empty promises. Screening is critical because we, as physicians, are on the front lines for identifying people who may be in dangerous situations. Remaining compassionate and non-judgmental can go a long way for these patients. A good place to start is by asking if they are lacking basic needs like food and clothes, or [...]
Finding Your Path as a Woman in EM
By Angie Carrick, DO, FACOEP, and Stephanie Davis, DO, FACOEP Women in emergency medicine face many hurdles their male counterparts do not. Addressing these issues is central to the mission of the ACOEP Committee for Women in Emergency Medicine, one of ACOEP’s fastest-growing sections, providing clinical lectures, career advice, and networking opportunities. DOCTOR MOM One of the foremost differences women in EM face compared to male physicians is managing the balance of responsibility between home and work lives. Our male counterparts often more easily release the pressure or guilt of “getting things done” at home. Whether that is regarding children, home maintenance, dishes, or laundry, in general women find themselves pulled in both directions more frequently, particularly when it comes to childcare. Mom guilt is a very true entity and wears on a female physician intensely. This dichotomy is a very real contributor to physician burnout. Maternity leave and breastfeeding are also a major barrier that women [...]
Creating a Geriatric-Friendly ED
Dr. Elizabeth Baum is the Medical Director at Bethany Medical Center, a skilled rehab, long-term care, and assisted living facility. She is a Geriatric Consultant at Aultman Hospital where she also serves as Clinical Faculty for the Family Practice and Internal Medicine Residency Programs. Dr. Baum is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University where she also attended medical school. She completed a Geriatric Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and is Board certified in both Internal and Geriatric Medicine. By now everyone is familiar with the “Silver Tsunami” that started in 2011 with 10,000 Baby Boomers turning 65 every day in the United States. At the same time, life expectancy for those over age 85 has increased. Currently, nearly one in two older adults will have an ED visit annually. Quality assessment and management of these patients, whether they are admitted to the hospital or discharged, can play a large role in determining [...]
Confronting Human Trafficking
By Jenny Reyes, DO Chief Resident, Aventura Emergency Medicine Residency Aventura Hospital & Medical Center Only 10% of physicians recognize the signs of human trafficking. Only 3% of emergency physicians receive training in identifying victims of human trafficking. 83% of victims of human trafficking seek medical treatment. Knowledge is a powerful weapon in fighting this horrifying crime. Human trafficking generates an estimated $33.9 billion worldwide and is the 3rd largest source of income for organized crime. According to the 2017 US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, there were 100,409 victims identified across the globe in 2017, which has more than doubled since 2014.3 In the United States there were 8,524 confirmed cases of human trafficking in 2017, and the numbers are climbing every year. Despite these growing numbers, it is estimated that less than 1% of victims have been identified due to difficulty obtaining accurate surveillance data. Human trafficking can be further categorized into sex [...]
Special Needs Children and the ED: What Medical Staff Should Know
by By Karen Ursic, MA The parents of children with special needs can be a wealth of information and valuable perspective. Learn from those with boots-on-the-ground experience in order to provide the best possible care. What are your thoughts? I am a mother of three children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum and one who has type one neurofibromatosis (NF1). Most of what I have learned about their conditions is through lived experience. I also work part-time in the medical field, not as a doctor or nurse, but my job often brings me in contact with patients and has shown me that a little common sense and empathy goes a long way, no matter what my training or education is. It is in this spirit that I hope you find this information helpful, and are prepared to treat special needs children and successfully work with their parents and caregivers. Under no circumstances should you belittle [...]
Helping Patients with Autism and Their Families Navigate Emergency Visits
by By Rena Sorensen, PhD and Laura Srivorakiat, PsyD Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder experience significant challenges when entering the emergency department. It is critical to be prepared and informed in order to proved these patients and their caregivers with quality care. Share with us your experience, perspective, or questions on caring for patients with ASD. Chris’s family traveled more than an hour, with Chris kicking and screaming in the back seat, to make their fourth trip to an emergency department (ED) in as many months. A school provider in their town had told them that by going to this ED, the family might get the help they needed. They felt it was a long shot based on prior experiences but held out some hope. Chris is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One of his restricted interests is a love of ambulances, which helped him to calm quickly upon arriving at the ED. In the past [...]