Some of our early advocacy efforts were described in an ACEP Now article in May, including our work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide you with more regulatory flexibility (such as allowing you to perform medical screening exams via telehealth); our attempts to secure additional funding for emergency physicians from the Provider Relief Fund; and the steps we have taken to help improve your access to mental health treatment.

ACEP has had weekly conversations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to discuss best clinical practices, share experiences from the ground, and hear more about current or upcoming guidance that could impact you and your patients.

We have also shared your stories about ongoing struggles obtaining PPE or being able to use your own PPE without fear of reprisal with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), The Joint Commission (TJC), and the American Hospital Association. We met with the TJC in March prior to the Commission issuing a statement that supports your right to bring your own PPE to work when your health care organization can’t routinely provide it. While the TJC statement was helpful, we are still hearing painful PPE-related stories from you—similar to the ones from the survey, and therefore have recently asked OSHA for a meeting to further discuss your concerns.

The survey reaffirms our need to continue fighting for you every day. We have created, and are continually updating, a list of advocacy priorities that guide our daily work.