Adaptable. Leadership expert John Maxwell says, “The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the leader adjusts the sails.” Adaptability is key to our success—in developing novel practice models extending care beyond the walls of the ED, in embracing new definitions of a career in emergency medicine, in creating value for alternative payment models, and in rightsizing our workforce.

Accessible. Care delivered 24/7/365, “no shoes, no shirt, no problem”—this is us; this is emergency medicine. As an emergency physician who lives and works in rural Pennsylvania, I can confirm that emergency physicians are the cornerstone of care in low-resource settings. Rural EDs can be incubators of innovation that serve as examples of accessible emergency care in every community. In keeping emergency medicine attractive, we will reimagine the delivery of acute, unscheduled, “no wrong door” care, while creating satisfying, desirable, and fulfilling careers for emergency physicians.

Engaged. Our engagement in advocacy, particularly at the local and state levels where employers and legislators influence how we deliver care, is critical to building a viable and sustainable workplace—a practice environment with adequate staffing, emergency physician-led teams, fair employment policies, provisions for our wellness, and functional clinical processes. All emergency physicians benefit from ACEP’s success. Our voices are amplified, and we achieve more when we support one another as members of the ACEP community. Together, we shoulder our burdens and celebrate our victories as emergency physicians.

What we do matters, and the good that we do is why emergency medicine has been, and can be, the most attractive specialty. Now is the time to adjust the sails. In doing so, we will reach the greater heights for emergency medicine that patients and the public need and that we, as emergency physicians, deserve.

Abhi Mehrotra, MD, MBA, FACEP

(North Carolina)

Current Professional Positions: Vice chair, strategic operations, and clinical professor for the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina; adjunct professor, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina

Internships and Residency: Emergency medicine residency, University of North Carolina Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC (2003)

Medical Degree: MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus, Ohio

Response

To ensure that emergency medicine remains an attractive specialty, several strategies can be implemented. First, it is important that we acknowledge and address the current challenges faced by our specialty. These include factors like the No Surprises Act, workforce shortages, hospital capacity concerns, and scope of practice. By recognizing these issues, we can work toward finding solutions that improve our practice environment and make emergency medicine more appealing.