The Pulse January 2009

The PULSE

Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Quarterly JANUARY 2009 VOLUME XXXIV NO. 1

Thomas A. Brabson, D.O., MBA, FACOEP ACOEP President The PULSE JANUARY2008-2010 2009

The Pulse – An Osteopathic Emergency Medicine Quarterly 142 E. Ontario St., Suite 1250 Chicago, IL 60611 312-587-3709 / 800-521-3709

Table of Contents Presidential Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Thomas A. Brabson, DO, MBA, FACOEP Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Drew Koch, DO, FACOEP Executive Director's Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Janice Wachtler, BA, CBA Introducing ACOEP's 2008-2009 Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . 6 Seeking a Safe Haven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Janice Wachtler Emergency Department Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Bernard Heilicser, DO, FACEP, FACOEP Report of the President-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Anthony W. Jennings, D.O., FACOEP Call For Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Editorial Staff Drew A. Koch, D.O., FACOEP, Editor Wayne Jones, D.O., FACOEP, Asst. Editor Peter A. Bell, D.O., FACOEP Gary Bonfante, D.O., FACOEP Duane Siberski, D.O., FACOEP Janice Wachtler, Executive Director Communications Subcommittee Drew A. Koch, D.O., FACOEP, Chair Wayne Jones, D.O., FACOEP, Vice Chair Gary Bonfante, D.O., FACOEP, Advisor James Bonner, D.O., FACOEP, Advertising Bobby Johnson, Jr., D.O., FACOEP William Kokx, D.O., FACOEP Annette Mann, D.O., FACOEP The PULSE is a copyrighted quarterly publication distributed at no cost by the ACOEP to its Members, libraries of Colleges of Osteopathic Emergency, sponsors, and liaison agencies by the National Office of ACOEP. The Pulse and ACOEP accept no responsibility for statements made by contributors or advertisers.

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Presidential Viewpoints Thomas A. Brabson, D.O., MBA, FACOEP I began my Presidency with three very powerful words: Thank you and Please.

I thank each of the members of the ACOEP for having the trust and confidence in me to elect me as your President for 2008-2010. It will continue to be an exciting personal challenge filled with much opportunity to advance the mission of the ACOEP. Please help support me and the ACOEP by accepting our invitation to be an active member in the activities of our great organization.

When I reflect back on what my membership in the ACOEP has meant to me, I have countless fond memories. The letters ACOEP have meant much more than the title of Specialty College in the AOA. The A stands for Action – membership in the ACOEP should be an active process, not a spectator sport. I know that we have much talent in this College. I want every member to feel welcome and to share their talents with other members so that all of us will benefit. We need to ensure that mechanisms are in place to encourage and facilitate participation in the College.

This could be through participation on a committee, CME, or Pulse article, but the best would be a new and novel means to help push our mission.

The C stands for Camaraderie – I have gained many new friends and colleagues throughout the Country through my involvement with the ACOEP. Aside from many laughs and good times, these friendships have enabled me to develop personally and professionally. We need to develop a forum for sharing successes and new ways to care for our patients. We also need a forum to share mistakes and failures so that we can learn from others and not make the same mistakes ourselves. As an organization, we are large and diverse enough to have plenty to share. Yet I want everyone to realize that we are small enough that everyone’s input has importance and matters.

The O is still Osteopathic – since the day of your graduation from an Osteopathic medical school, and the day you joined the

ACOEP, you became a member of many different “families”. The AOA’s motto is Treating Our Family and Yours. The real issue is the way you define the word “family.” To me a family is a group of people with common interests, one of which is the support and nurturing of each other. The ACOEP will support and nurture each of our members to help utilize our network to achieve their personal and professional goals.

The E is for Education – Our CME programs have continually improved over the recent years. We just had by far our largest attendance at a fall Scientific Assembly with over 725 physician and resident participants, 80 students participants, and a total of 33 1A CME credit hours available. Our goal will be to use what we learn from this successful meeting and use the information to build our future fall conferences. We will also explore new ways to use our current technology to provide CME and make critical analysis of future technological advances to facilitate opening new channels for our members to obtain some of the required CME credits.

The P is for Pride and Perseverance – Our College was formed by a group of visionary osteopathic emergency physicians.

We have grown and matured with much perseverance despite some significant challenges. Sometimes with growth come some growing pains. Fortunately we have had just a few. In the end, when the particular issue has been resolved, we have been able to stand tall and take pride in what we have accomplished. As we continue to grow, I hope to use the pride in the ACOEP to achieve our vision statement of being the leading professional organization in emergency medicine and actively promoting osteopathic principles.

Now, as your President, one of my goals is to help facilitate an organizational structure and culture that will enable you to take over my job. The ACOEP has provided me with a multitude of opportunities thus far in my career as an emergency physician, now it’s my turn to serve the members of the

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ACOEP and help develop the future leaders of our College.

My other Presidential goals for my term will evolve around the ACOEP mission statement. The American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians advocates quality emergency medical care and promotes the advancement of the osteopathic profession. I shall work with Past President Dr. Bell to complete the initiatives that began during his term. One significant example is the process which led to the ultimate decision for the best location for the ACOEP office. It is to remain in the AOA building but will move to a larger space on the 15th floor. We will plan out the build-out of the space in a cost effective manner.

I have appointed committee chairpersons and assigned Board liaisons that have been charged with specific goals and objectives. Their initial goal is to enhance their committee rosters with a diverse group of new members. The committee membership experience will be a collegial forum to debate the issues and formulate plans of action that will be presented to the Board for approval. Participating with a committee is one mechanism that enhances the value of your membership. A new committee, the Young Physicians’ Committee has been formed to assure that the issues that are important to this subset of our membership are addressed. The group had their first meeting at our fall conference in Las Vegas.

I shall also focus on the College use of technology to better serve our members.

The College website has many new features but we will find new and innovative ways to enhance it. We will develop ways to make it easier for us to keep you informed and for you to keep us informed. We also want to refine the voting process so that each active member has the opportunity to cast a vote when one is called for, such as electing members of the Board.

I shall work very closely with the Treasurer and the Finance Committee to continued on page 9

Editorial Drew Koch, D.O., FACOEP, Editor

ACOEP’S FIRST INDEPENDENT SCIENTIFIC SEMINAR OCTOBER 28TH – 30TH 2008 LAS VEGAS The first independent ACOEP Scientific Assembly was held in Las Vegas, Nevada from October 28thOctober 30th at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Convention Center. This parallels ACOEP’s first scientific seminar which was held in conjunction with the AOA’s fall seminar in 1978 at the Sahara Casino in Las Vegas. These two Scientific Seminars were not only held in the same city but had historical significance. The latter was the beginning of our College and specialty and the former is the beginning of our independence from our parent organization. We have not severed our ties from the AOA but have exerted our independence.

The Scientific Assembly had over 800 participants. This was the largest Scientific Assembly hosted by ACOEP. It included record numbers of students, residents and Emergency Medicine physicians. Having attended all but one fall and spring seminar since 1991, it was my impression that this Scientific Assembly had one of the best lecture series. The quality of the lectures and the speakers were exceptional. The cost was less than the previous Scientific Assemblies and the venue was more accommodating than previous convention centers that hosted the AOA conventions.

What made this Scientific Assembly so successful? Was it the location, the lower cost, the concurrence with the AOA convention, ACOEP member support or the quality of the education? Las Vegas is a large city that accommodates many large groups simultaneously without utilizing the Las Vegas Convention Center. Many of the hotels have their own convention

centers that can accommodate a large organization like ACOEP. Las Vegas abounds with entertainment, culinary diversity, recreational activities and upscale retail businesses. Caesar’s Palace was not as opulent as the Venetian where the AOA held its Convention but was a significant upgrade from the Las Vegas Hilton and Rivera Hotels and the Las Vegas Convention Center that hosted the previous Conventions that were held in Las Vegas. Tuition and hotel room rates were more affordable than previous Scientific Assemblies that were held as part of the AOA convention. The 2008 AOA convention was held simultaneously with ACOEP’s first independent fall seminar; so members of our College could interact with members of other specialties, classmates and colleagues.

It appeared that the high attendance to the 2008 Scientific Assembly had more to do with ACOEP as an organization, affordability and the high quality of the education than the concurrent AOA convention and the location. It was unfortunate that the Scientific Assembly was held at the same time as ACEP’s Scientific Assembly and Convention that was held in Chicago and had estimated 5,000 plus participants. Next year’s Scientific Assembly will not occur concurrently with the AOA Convention and ACEP. ACOEP’s 2009 Scientific Assembly will be held in Boston from September 29th -October 3rd 2009.

ACEP’s Scientific Assembly and Convention will also be held in Boston from October 5th -8th 2009. This will allow members from both Colleges to attend either ACOEP’s or ACEP’s convention and will make staffing of the ED easier during the times of these seminars.

The quality of ACOEP’s spring and fall educational seminars has improved over the years. The breadth and the depth of the

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lectures have improved. It is not a rehash of the same materials and lecturers. The spring seminars have been held in the Phoenix area since 1992 are well attended and enjoyable and refreshing. A warm weather venue is the perfect way to get ready for spring after spending the winter in a cold climate.

ACOEP’s 2009 Spring Seminar will take place at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida. This is another great location and family oriented. It provides the opportunity to combine work with play.

There is something to do for everyone.

Our first independent Scientific Assembly was successful. It was an affordable educational experience. It was the beginning of our independence and a necessary part of our evolution and the beginning of a new era.

Executive Directors Desk Janice Wachtler

As we begin each year, we look back at the one before and challenge ourselves to set the “right” course for the New Year. We ask if we were successful in the previous year; did we accomplish what we hoped to do; make mistakes we hope not to repeat or did we move forward in our life’s plan? Much the same happens each year in business. We ask did we make the budget projections we had hoped for; do we have the right staffing to move us to the next level; are we a good, solid institution, with a strong financial and political base; have we brought our members where they asked to be taken?

Much of this reflection is based on your personal definition of success. Is success a destination and goal, or is it the road you take to that destination?

I believe that the road to success is the measure of success because once you reach your destination you severely limit your choices of where you go from there. The road to success has many stops – oasis, if I may – to rest, refresh and plan for the next stop on the road.

In the ACOEP’s Business Plan, its members have never been just along for the ride, they have always been part of the decision-making process for the various stops along the way, and right now, you should be congratulating yourselves on the success that we’ve had during this past year. So let’s look back to see what we’ve accomplished and what resolutions we should make for the upcoming future.

Six years ago, the membership overwhelming told the College that it wanted to direct its CME meetings; it wanted cutting edge programs; more CME in the span of the meeting and it wanted to be independent of all other management, except its own. We achieved that this year, with our first, independent Scientific Assembly in

Resolutions Las Vegas this October. For the first time in College history, this function attracted over 20 emergency medicine oriented exhibitors and over 800 emergency medicine physicians, residents and students. We had threedays of CME with 36 hours of cutting edge education. We had research presented that was of a quality not seen before and as one, allopathic physician said, “This conference is on par with any that ACEP has to offer!”

In keeping with this mandate, we have scheduled the next three Scientific Assemblies as independent-entities and will meet in Boston in September/October 2009 and in San Francisco in October, 2010. We will have a similar number of educational hours and, in response to your request hope to have spousal/family activities planned during the meetings.

The members also requested moving back to Scottsdale for 2008 and planning a more family oriented locale for the Spring Seminar. The meeting in 2008 was moved back to Scottsdale to our previous location, only like all things you can’t go home again and many members were disappointed with the quality of the hotel product. In 2009 we will host our first Spring Seminar in Florida at the Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort.

This location will provide members and their families with easy access to Disney World and all that it offers. The Foundation will also be sponsoring a Miniature Golf Tournament to accommodate physicians and their families in a fun alternative to its usual Golf Tournament. In future years, we will return to Arizona locales that will provide varying geographic sites and interspersed in these Arizona years will be other locals which are yet to be determined, pending evaluation of member input from the survey conducted in December 2008.

The Board mandated that the College develop equity so that it can rely on alternate income streams other than member and meetings revenue. Late last year, we thought we had this “in the bag” and sought to purchase our own office condo.

Unfortunately the economy played a large part in scaling back these plans as the

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liability for mortgage financing and stability in the market made it too risky to take that step at this time. However, with good financial oversight and management, we were able to sustain smaller losses than foreseen and hopefully will rebound when the marketplace undergoes some improvement.

So as we begin 2009, we have to begin to make our resolutions for the upcoming year. To help us do this we have asked all of our members to answer an on-line survey.

Each member providing us with an email address was contacted in December and provided an on-line address to participate in the survey. Each member without an email address received a postcard providing this address. The survey will be open until early January after which time the results will be tallied by an independent statistician and she will provide an update to the Board in March. The results from this survey will set the direction for the next three to four years. Additionally, we will be addressing the Federal Government to redefine primary care. As the Nation’s safety net, emergency medicine provides major primary care to the population of the United States. We also have to have a seat at the table as the new Healthcare Reform Acts make their way through Congress. To do that we must invigorate our membership to become involved with their Senators and Representatives to keep them informed of where we want to go and what must be done for the people of the U.S. We must fight for increased GME funding and development. As more and more schools of Osteopathic Medicine are developed and begin graduating physicians, we must be prepared to train those who wish to become emergency medicine physicians.

We must continue to develop mechanisms for certification in areas like pediatric emergency medicine and disaster management.

We must attract physicians, in our own membership, to step forward to develop and participate in these tests to support the continued on page 9

Introducing ACOEP's 2008-2009 Board of Directors

At its meeting of October 27, 2008, the Members of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians elected new members to the Board of Directors during its Membership Meeting. Elected to three-year terms (expiring in 2011) were: Beth A. Longenecker, D.O., FACOEP (Coconut Beach, Florida); Mark A. Mitchell, D.O., FACOEP (Mequon, Wisconsin); Steven J. Parrillo, D.O., FACOEP (Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania), and Duane Siberski, D.O., FACOEP (Mohnton, Pennsylvania).

Also at this meeting, Thomas A. Brabson, D.O., FACOEP (Media, Pennsylvania) was sworn into the Presidency of the College for a two-year term.

The Membership honored recipients of its special awards by recognizing Mrs. Ben Chlapek who accepted the Bruce D. Horton, D.O., FACOEP Lifetime Achievement Award for her late husband Ben H. Chlapek, D.O., FACOEP who passed away in July. Dr. Chlapek was honored posthumously for his service to the College and its membership. Mrs. Chlapek stated that Dr. Chlapek was so honored to have been nominated for this award that up in Heaven he was smiling. Also recognized for his work in Emergency Medical Services during Hurricane Katrina and for his work as part of the Illinois Disaster Management Services was Bernard Heilicser, D.O., M.S., FACOEP who received the Robert D. Aranosian, D.O., FACOEP Excellence in EMS Award. The Membership also recognized Anthony W. Jennings, D.O., FACOEP as Mentor of the Year with the awarding of the Benjamin A. Field, D.O., FACOEP Mentor of the Year Award for his work with the students and residents in emergency medicine.

The Members also acknowledged the contributions of Paula Willoughby DeJesus, D.O., FACOEP, Joseph J. Kuchinski, D.O., FACOEP, and Joe A. Nelson, D.O., FACOEP for their service to the College as Board Members.

John W. Becher, D.O., FACOEP was recognized by his peers as a Life Member

after 32 years of Membership in the College.

Subsequently, the Board elected its new officers for 2008-2010. Joining Dr. Brabson as officers are: Anthony W. Jennings, D.O., FACOEP, who was elected Presidentelect; Gregory M. Christiansen, D.O., FACOEP, who was elected as Secretary, and Mark A. Mitchell, D.O., FACOEP who became Treasurer. These physicians and Immediate Past President, Peter A. Bell, D.O., FACOEP will make up the College’s Executive Committee for the next two years. The Executive Committee will work with the Executive Director to direct the operations of the College and will meet on issues of importance between regular meetings of the Board of Directors.

It is the intention of the College,

as we move toward the fall of 2009, to hold elections of Board members on-line through its member section on the website. Nominations will be made by the Fellowship and Nominations Committee for a slate of 8 candidates and balloting is expected to be made available to members between mid-August and midSeptember with the results of the elections being announced to the Membership at its Membership Meeting on September 29th in Boston. Details for this process will be made public to the Membership during the late spring and with dues notices in August.

ACOEP has recognized William Mencke, Jr. Financial Advisor Financial Planning Specialist (800) 621-2842, ext. 3338 As a Financial Advisor for: Investments, Lending, Insurance and Financial Planning.

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Seeking a Safe Haven Most of us have read about newborn children being abandoned on doorsteps of public buildings, left in parks, or worse, placed in dumpsters. Thankfully, municipalities and states realized several years ago that desperate people do desperate things, especially when infants are involved. To counteract desperate acts, all the states have now adopted safe haven laws allowing birth parents to relinquish parental rights by leaving newborns at hospitals, fire stations, and police stations, without the onus of prosecution.

Previously, these laws covered only newborns under 72 hours old, however, recently the laws were adjusted and expanded to include newborns 7 days old or younger under this umbrella. These laws now also require the newborns to be left with staff members at safe havens and do not indemnify parents who abandon children outside of these facilities.

While I cannot comment on what all states require should a parent wish to relinquish a child at emergency rooms nationwide, and I would advise you to visit the safe haven websites in your particular states, I can inform you on what the Illinois law does address when newborns are presented at Illinois hospitals.

If a parent wishes to relinquish his or her custody, at a hospital, police or fire department the infant must be left with staff and not just left outside the facility. If the infant is left at a police or fire department, he or she will be transported to an emergency medical facility. In Illinois, an emergency medical facility is described as an emergency department in a hospital, a trauma center or a “free-standing” emergency room.

An urgent care center is not considered a free-standing emergency facility in Illinois.

If a parent of the newborn arrives at the hospital to relinquish a newborn, a physician must reasonably be sure that the newborn is 7 days old or less and has not been abused or neglected. The parent must be verbally informed that by relinquishing custody in this fashion he or she will have to petition the court to prevent the termination of parental rights and obtain custody once again. The parent must be offered a

packet of information that addresses the law (in Illinois it is the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act); must inform the parent that his or her acceptance is completely voluntary as is the completion of specific forms applicable to adoption. In Illinois there is also a form that may be completed by the parent to remain anonymous if they wish to remain so. Likewise, parents may wish to have their medical history remain anonymous. Personnel accepting the newborn must ensure the parent that these forms, if completed will be submitted to the appropriated Department.

After the physical exam is completed, and no abuse or neglect is noted, the parent has the right to leave the hospital, fire station, police station or emergency medical facility. If tests indicate abuse or neglect after the parent leaves he or she will not be prosecuted, but the hospital must report this abuse and/or neglect to the appropriate State agency as required by state law.

In Illinois, hospitals must report the abandonment within 12 hours of acceptance to the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS); however most states have similar departments and procedures. This report allows this department to begin placement of the newborn.

At the point of relinquishment of parental right, the intake hospital or physician may take care of the newborn under applied consent rules. The hospital must accept and provide all necessary emergency medical service to the abandoned infant. In Illinois, placement of the infant will be provided to a child-placing agency and the DCFS takes responsibility for the payment of all bills and responsibility for the infant. Public Aid will reimburse the hospital for its expense.

For further information members are encouraged to visit agencies in their various states for the specific rules and regulations pertinent to your individual states. You can find these agencies by googling safe havens for abandoned infants; or abandoned infants. In Illinois you can find teaching information and explanation of the Illinois State laws and the packet of information at www.saveabandoned babies.org. Another

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source is www.pediatrics.about.com/od/ newbornsandbabies/p/06_safe_haven.htm.

This site has all the state laws available to those interested. Also, for those interested in an information video can visit You Tube and type in Georgia’s Story or type http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=RaGAaCwKQ14 into your browser This is important information for each emergency department staff member to know and for the emergency departments to have the appropriate forms available for use in the event that this scenario plays out in your department.

Special thanks to Dr. Michael Oster for bringing this topic to the ACOEP for distribution to its members.

—Janice Wachtler

Emergency Department Ethics Bernard Heilicser, D.O., MS, FACEP, FACOEP

What Would You Do? In this issue of The Pulse we will review the case of the 34 year-old female who presented to the ED with end-stage HIV and died.

This case was presented in October 2008.

The diagnosis was unknown to her family.

The family consisted of three daughters and one son, all minors. The patient lived with her stepfather and her three daughters. The son lives with a paternal grandparent and had minimal contact with his mother and siblings. The only adult blood relative is an aunt of the patient.

The dilemma: 1. How do you inform the children of their mother’s death?

2. Would you tell them the diagnosis?

What would you do?

This tragic case presented a most difficult situation for the ED D.O. Who is the appropriate surrogate that should be informed of the patient’s death? Should the diagnosis be revealed? What about the children, and their safety, in the context of HIV? What happened?

The ED D.O. concluded that the only adult blood relative should initially be told. This was a reasonable decision as she would have highest standing under the Health Care Surrogate Act. With her permission, the other adult family members were informed. Fortunately, as a group they all agreed that the children should be told of their mother’s death.

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Regarding the diagnosis of HIV, the wellbeing of the children is essential. Ultimately, they should be tested. The family concurred that allowing the emotional aspect of their mother’s death to be addressed over the immediate period of time would be prudent. In a few days, they would, as a family unit, speak to the children, inform them of the HIV and gently explain the need for testing. This approach was successful.

This was a very sad and challenging situation for all involved. Logic, compassion and support prevailed.

If you have any cases in your practice that you would like to present or have reviewed in The Pulse, please fax them to (708) 9152743. Thank you.

Report of the President-elect Anthony W. Jennings, D.O., FACOEP

Facing Change

The ACOEP Board of Directors latest edition anxiously looks forward to the upcoming years of service. This current version of your Board faces an economy which is sputtering, a Country moving into a new, exciting presidential change, and a healthcare system tasked with making more of less. The challenge of making crucial decisions will be met by a Board which is mixed with both seasoned leadership and fresh new thinking members as well. This mix will provide us an opportunity for a more diverse decision making process.

The first hurdle for the Board was made in November when we reached agreement with the AOA. This agreement will ensure that our Colleges’ offices remain in the

AOA Building. This will help solidify ongoing positive workings with the AOA as we face the challenge of guiding our membership through the next few years. The new, expanded office space will provide opportunity for our College to continue to grow much as our membership has grown.

Our next year will feature an exciting change of venue for the spring and fall meetings. We will move away from the southwest to the southeast for the spring meeting. Orlando should provide a nice change of venue. The membership response to this meeting site is being anxiously awaited. Our College’s membership will move to Boston for its Scientific Assembly.

This will mark the first return to Boston

in over 10 years for our College. The fall meeting will not run concurrent with the ACEP meeting for the first time in years.

However, it will be coupled with the ACEP meeting also in Boston and this should make for a great meeting site.

As we navigate the next few years we will be interacting with you at meetings, via the web site, email and in many other ways.

Our board looks forward to providing a level of service which will enhance your membership. We view this as a commitment that is as important as family because you are our family! And as another President-elect says, “Yes, We Can!”

Presidential Viewpoints, continued from page 3

by your elected officials in Washington, DC. If your schedule however, precludes you from participating, there are 364 other days in the year that you can send emails, write letters, or make phone calls to those same officials. You can do the same for your state and local officials too. By expressing your opinion on the topics that deal with medicine, you will help to improve our ability to care for the patients that seek our expertise.

The time we take to advocate on behalf of our patients has significant value and the politicians realize that fact.

As I begin my term as your President, I again thank you for having the confidence in me to pick up the lead of this dynamic organization. Please help me make the ‘dash’ between 2008 – 2010 represent many advances and achievements that will make the ACOEP even greater than it is today. I assure you that the greatest value that you will be getting as a dues paying member of the ACOEP will come with your active participation. Don’t settle for being a spectator, be a player on this winning team!

Executive Director, continued from page 5

assure the most cost-effective use of your College’s money. We will also make financial and investment decisions based on the sound advice of our contracted investment firm. Even in difficult economic times, our conservative decisions have allowed us to maintain a strong financial position. We will continue to work with our advisors to maintain this strong position as the economic conditions evolve. We will continue to demonstrate the value of active membership in the ACOEP to increase our number of dues-paying members. The word of mouth advertising about the quality of our CME programs will entice more emergency physicians to take advantage of our educational opportunities. We will also continue to pursue addition revenue streams.

Involvement and advocacy in Governmental Affairs, nationally and locally, will be another area that I want to further build upon. We are the best advocates for ourselves and our patients. The best way to realize this fact is to experience it. DO Day on the Hill is a fun and very productive way to let your opinion and voice be heard

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profession. We must continue to develop cutting edge faculty development programs to train our physicians to be the best that they can be as academicians and researchers.

We must also develop mechanisms within our training programs and CME programs to develop leadership within our membership. This will provide us with leaders for the continued growth and progress of our College.

We must also grow the staff to accommodate our growth in membership to provide the services that you require. To do this the ACOEP will be relocating to a new suite within the AOA Building on March 1st.

This new space will allow us to increase our staff and to provide management services for other associations, should this opportunity be presented to us in the future. But most of all we will continue to serve the needs of the emergency medicine community and physicians with the best support that is possible.

Call for Nominations At its meeting of October 2008, the ACOEP Board adopted new criteria for the solicitation of nominations for its Board of Directors. In accordance with the new policy, the Chair of the Nominations Subcommittee of the Fellowship and Nominations Committee, will solicit nominations from the membership of the ACOEP. This Call for Nominations will occur in each January issue of the College’s publication.

Each year, four positions are available on the Board of Directors. Current Board members whose term of service is expiring will be contacted by the Executive Director of the ACOEP to determine if he or she wishes to be re-nominated; if so, that Board member must submit a letter of intent to seek re-election; a brief biographical summary of his or her career and a passport sized

photograph. Failure to do so by March 1 will indicate that he or she does not wish to seek re-election.

Members of the ACOEP meeting the following criteria may also apply for consideration for a position on the Board: - Membership for 5 or more years; - Fellowship status for a minimum of two years; - Service to the ACOEP in a past or present leadership role, i.e., Chair or Vice Chair of a Committee , for a minimum of two years; or - Membership in the ACOEPSC or ACOEPRC for a minimum of two (2) years and currently holding the position of President of either of these Chapters.

Letter of Intent, a Biographical Sketch and current CV, and a recent passport-sized photo of themselves to the Chair of the Nominations Subcommittee by March 1.

Letters postmarked after March 1 will be retained for consideration in the next nominations period.

Send information to: Peter A. Bell, D.O., MBA, FACOEP Chair, Nominations Subcommittee American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians 142 E. Ontario Street Suite 1250 Chicago, IL 60611

Interested Members must submit a formal

An Open Letter to ACOEP’s Membership On October 27, 2008 I was humbled by my college to receive the Ben Field Mentor of the Year Award. This award was given in honor of Dr Ben Field. Dr Field’s service to this college will remain a legacy for us all. It is with great pride that I serve this college. I count my blessings daily.

The previous recipients of this award were:

2003 Michael Q. Doyle 2004 Ben Chlapek 2005 Douglas McGee / Steven Parrillo 2006 Mark Mitchell 2007 Victor Scali

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Thank you!

Anthony Jennings, DO, FACOEP

The PULSE JANUARY 2009

Is Your Company Looking to . . .

Reach New Markets?

Find Job Candidates?

Identify Qualified Faculty?

We can help.

The ACOEP has mechanisms available for vendors that include reasonable advertising rates; exhibit and sponsorship availability all to help those wishing to reach Emergency Medicine Physicians and Residents.

Contact ACOEP for further details at 1-800-521-3709 and ask for Yvonne Treacy

The PULSE JANUARY 2009

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r u o Y k ars Mar d n e l a C 2009

2010

Emergency Medicine: An Intense Review Westin Chicago River North Chicago, Illinois January 7 – 12, 2009

Emergency Medicine: An Intense Review Westin Chicago River North Chicago, Illinois January 6 – 11, 2010

Program Directors Workshop Hilton Marco Island Resort Marco Island, Florida February 1 – 3, 2009

Program Directors Workshop Hilton Marco Island Resort Marco Island, Florida January 31 – February 2, 2010

Spring Seminar Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort Orlando, Florida April 14 – 18, 2009

Spring Seminar Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa Litchfield Park, Arizona April 6 – 60, 2010

Scientific Assembly Westin Copley Plaza Boston, Massachusetts September 29 – October 3, 2009

Scientific Assembly Hilton Hotel – San Francisco San Francisco, California October 25 – 27, 2010

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage

PAID

Chicago, IL Permit No. 2177

142 E. Ontario Street, Suite 1250 Chicago, Illinios 60611

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The PULSE JANUARY 2009