What is ABEM doing to support physicians and destigmatize mental health challenges?

ABEM works with physicians who have had medical license issues as a result of mental health or substance disorders so that they don’t lose their certification. We supported 2019 Council Resolutions that addressed these concerns. We work with physicians in recovery programs to help them maintain their certification. ABEM believes that seeking assistance for mental health challenges is a sign of medical professionalism. Physicians are encouraged to contact ABEM prior to surrendering any state medical license to understand potential implications to their ABEM certification.

What is ABEM doing about the issues of advanced practice providers?

ABEM recently issued a statement and press release stating that the delivery of emergency care is best led by ABEM-certified physicians. While ABEM honors the contributions to emergency care by other providers, the path to become a nurse practitioner or physician assistant is not equivalent to the complex training required to become an ABEM-certified physician. ABEM-certified physicians should be leading team-based care in the emergency department.

Finally, what would you like ACEP members to know about you that they might not know?

While my vitae reads of an academic physician, it’s my early career experiences in military medicine, as well as the years spent practicing emergency medicine in rural and community hospitals, that continue to inform and shape my service commitment to ABEM’s mission of ensuring the highest standards across our specialty. But there’s life and lifelong learning to be had outside of the professional classroom, too. My husband and I enjoy long weekends hiking, wading, and roll-casting in the Great Smoky Mountains, where we are awed by the natural beauty of its streams and continually humbled by the innate brilliance of its wild trout