ACEP leadership is always working to improve emergency medicine practice and policy to benefit physicians and patients alike. Here’s a quick rundown on December initiatives. To read about all initiatives, visit Leadership Report.

ACEP was invited to a meeting of specialty societies, state medical associations, specialty boards, and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) to discuss the need for changes in Maintenance of Certification (MOC). It is very clear that there is discontent with the current programs in all specialties, and ABMS acknowledges the need for significant change. The specialty societies and state medical associations expressed the need for transparency of finances and process, reestablishing trust among the groups, flexibility of testing, retaining self-regulation, and alternatives to the high-stakes periodic examination. At the ACEP Council meeting in 2017, the American Board of Emergency Medicine announced that it, too, would be looking at alternatives to the current MOC program , including the ConCert examination.

ACEP is working closely with the American Hospital Association (AHA) on a number of initiatives: physician wellness and resiliency; a hospital flow conference; a partnership to lead opioid-related education, training, awareness, best-practice development, and research; and discussions with AHA about their support for ACEP and state hospital associations regarding attacks on the prudent layperson standard. Look for details on these in the months ahead.