Current Professional Positions: General Partner and Senior Director of Provider Relations, Vituity

Internships and Residency: Emergency Medicine Residency, University of California San Diego (1996); Internal Medicine Internship, University of Colorado Health Science Center (1993)

Medical Degree: MD, Duke University (1992)

Response

Increasing membership involves a strategic approach that focuses on attracting new members while also retaining current ones. Here are several strategies the College could consider:

1. Targeted Outreach: Tailor outreach efforts to residents, young emergency physicians, and recent graduates. Additionally, ACEP should perform a gap analysis by soliciting feedback from current and prospective members to understand their needs, preferences, and challenges. Use this feedback to continuously improve membership offerings, communication strategies, and member engagement initiatives. ACEP needs to effectively communicate with nonmembers on how ACEP membership can benefit individual emergency physicians. Highlight the value of membership, such as access to educational resources like board preparation material, networking opportunities, advocacy successes and professional development. Illustrate how ACEP membership can (1) improve reimbursement (2) protect emergency physicians’ rights, for example, banning noncompetes and preserving due process (3) help advocacy efforts to reduce overcrowding (4) provide advocacy and leadership training (5) teach practice management skills (6) allow members to participate in research, and (7) assist with career development. Consider direct outreach through phone calls, texts, e-mails or social media. Offer new members incentives, including credit or free subscriptions to educational material like ACEP Anytime and/or registration to ACEP conferences. As a condition of the incentive offer, prospective members could be required to meet with Officers, Board Members and/or ACEP staff at ACEP meetings to talk about the benefits of membership. In-person marketing is a proven method for convincing prospective members to join.
2. Referral Program: Allow current members to receive discounts or benefits when referring prospective members or emergency physician groups that eventually join ACEP. The referral program could allow a member to bring a friend for free or at a discount to an ACEP-sponsored event. By attending networking events, conferences, and regional meetings, prospective members will have the opportunity to connect with other emergency physicians, share best practices, and collaborate on research or quality improvement projects. Emergency physicians that seek a network of colleagues may be inclined to join ACEP.
3. Member Benefits and Discounts: Offer a range of member benefits, such as discounts on conferences, publications, and educational resources to new members. Group discounts could also include packages that include advertisement or registration at ACEP-sponsored events. ACEP should also consider offering new members more free benefits or discounts for multi-year memberships.

By implementing a combination of these strategies, the College could effectively increase membership and strengthen its community of emergency medicine professionals.