Georgia

GCEP completed the second year of applications for its Georgia Diversity Scholarship, designed to help an underrepresented, minority, 4th year medical student participate in an emergency medicine rotation in the state. GCEP continues to support a successful leadership fellowship program that equips its participants for advocacy at multiple levels. The chapter will have three new leadership fellows in 2024, and many graduates are actively involved in GCEP, ACEP, and the AMA. GCEP hosted three excellent CME conferences. The Rural Emergency & Critical Care Conference continues to draw attendees from many states and is considered the premier course for this topic. The chapter also hosted a Leadership and Advocacy conference, as well as the Coastal Emergency Medicine Conference, which is a tri-state event among Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Government Services

In 2023, GSACEP hosted its largest Government Services Symposium in Austin, Texas, welcoming more than 150 participants. The event featured three days of outstanding educational programming, product exhibits, a research showcase, KSA labs, friendly residency program competition in its annual SimWars, and the opportunity for collaboration between active duty and reserve military, VA and other federal agency physicians. GSACEP also selected CPT Katey Osborne, MD as the inaugural COL (Dr.) Dave Barry Leadership Development Fellow, designed to develop and prepare future military and federal EM leaders by combining elements of coaching with skills in organization, education, advocacy, and involvement. At the ACEP23 Council meeting, GSACEP also sponsored two resolutions – Metric Shaming and Compensation for Required Training – which both passed with minor amendments. GSACEP also continued its advocacy efforts to decrease boarding in military and federal hospital facilities, ensuring health care readiness in the military, and providing mental health resources and support for GSACEP physicians, their patients, and members of the U.S. armed forces.

Hawaii

Hawaii ACEP had several legislative successes this year, including:

• Incorporation of Senate Bill 397 into the state budget (originally SB397), which mandates an increase in Medicaid reimbursements to be equal to Medicare reimbursements.
• Passage of SB674, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which creates an expedited pathway for currently licensed physicians to become licensed in multiple states.
• Incorporation of HB661 into the state budget, which provides an addition of $10 million in fiscal year 2024 and $20 million in 2025 for the Hawaii State Loan Repayment Program for Healthcare Professionals.

Idaho

With the partnership of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, the Idaho Medical Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Idaho chapter achieved greater clarity on abortion-related language. HB 374 eliminates the affirmative defense standard (guilty until proven innocent), but solely focuses on the life, not the health, of the mother. The bill includes exceptions for ectopic or molar pregnancy, the removal of a deceased unborn child, and the treatment of a woman who is no longer pregnant. For the upcoming year, the chapter plans to collaborate with IMA to designate EMS as an essential service and reform the process for mental health holds, aiming to enable physicians to release the hold, aligning with practices in other states.