I have long felt that every emergency patient deserves access to an emergency physician. Non-physician practitioners have played an important role in the U.S. health care system, but ongoing efforts for expanded scope of practice and independence is not in the best interest of our patients. I absolutely believe in the physician led team. Within my own PDG, I continue to push towards more physician coverage with selective NPP coverage where appropriate. I believe the best care is provided by an emergency physician—period. If we truly are experiencing saturation of available emergency jobs, then we need to see growing access to emergency physicians in all environments of emergency medicine. 

Three take home points for what I believe. 

There is no substitution for the physician led team. Every patient in a U.S. emergency department deserves access to an emergency physician no matter their zip code.

At no point should a physician role be replaced by a NPP for any reason, but especially as a perceived profit/control strategy. 

ACEP must continue to fight expanded scope of practice or independent practice on the state and federal level. Independent practice is the privilege earned with having a MD or DO after your name. 

The workforce dilemma is a challenge we will face for years to come. I am proud that ACEP has been willing to tackle tough questions and work towards realistic solutions in the promotion of EM and our physicians. 

Council officer Candidates

The candidates for ACEP Council Speaker and Vice Speaker responded to this prompt:

How would you navigate through the challenges that may arise when the Council and the Board of Directors

do not share the same view on an issue?

Council Speaker Candidate

Melissa W. Costello, MD, FACEP

Current Professional Positions: Staff emergency physician, Baldwin Emergency Group, PC, Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, Mobile, Alabama; staff emergency physician, Emergency Room Group, LLC, Singing River Hospital System, Pascagoula, Mississippi; staff emergency physician, Envision Healthcare, Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Nine Mile Free Standing ED, Pensacola, Florida; clinical appeals consultant/utilization review, AirMethods Corporation, Denver, Colorado; EMS medical director for Mobile Fire & Rescue and Urban Search and Rescue, Federal Bureau of Investigation Mobile Division SWAT Medical, Baptist LifeFlight/Alabama Lifesaver/AirMethods, and Mobile Police Department and Police Surgeon; medical officer, Trauma Critical Care Team–South, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Internships and Residency: Emergency medicine residency, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore