As we close out 2025, ACEP’s chapters shared news from the year and previewed what is to come in 2026. Chapters reported advocacy efforts, educational programming, community-building initiatives, and continued support for their members on a variety of practice and policy issues.

Alabama         

The Alabama Chapter of ACEP passed a resolution at the Medical Association of the State of Alabama House of Delegates affirming their belief that a physician should be onsite in all hospitals with an emergency department (ED) at all times.

Arizona            

AzCEP supported its members by providing several opportunities to be involved beyond clinical shifts, including its ED Doc Day at the Capitol event, a full-day CME Scientific Assembly that incorporated a research poster symposium, SIMWars competition, and Emergency Medicine Opioid Summit to earn opioid hours.

Arkansas

Arkansas ACEP hosted a CME event in Fayetteville featuring an Ultrasound Workshop supported by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The chapter continued to actively strengthen its advocacy efforts statewide, working closely with national ACEP and the Arkansas Medical Society to advance emergency medicine and support its members.

California

Many chapter-sponsored and -supported pieces of legislation improving the practice environment and patient care were signed into law. Notable bills include AB 416, which allows all emergency physicians to apply to write and release psychiatric holds; SB 351, which prevents private equity groups and hedge funds from interfering with clinical decision-making; and AB 447, which allows emergency physicians to give patients the remaining doses of medications like ointments, inhalers, and pre-mixed antibiotics that had already been started in the ED and would otherwise be thrown away.

Colorado

Colorado ACEP engaged again with Coloradans Protecting Patient Access (CPPA), a coalition of health care organizations, to support a commonsense renewal of the state’s Medical Practice Act, which sunsets in 2026. The aim is to protect patient safety by maintaining protection for peer-review and scope-of-practice standards.

Connecticut

Connecticut ACEP (CCEP) activated a dashboard on the chapter website that includes boarding data from hospitals across the state. The data will be updated annually with information provided to the State Legislature. CCEP also participated in a hospital discharge working group to find solutions to mitigate ED boarding. CCEP is proud to have Daniel Freess, MD, elected to serve on the ACEP Board of Directors. 

District of Columbia

DC ACEP had a vibrant Annual Meeting focused on chapter goals, launched a mentorship program connecting physicians with motivated medical students, and hosted a fun bowling event — complete with DC ACEP socks! Looking ahead, the chapter is expanding community-building efforts and planning CME opportunities next spring to support members and strengthen engagement.