After years of explaining the toll of boarding on patient care and physician well-being, the message finally has landed on ears that can do something about it.

Thanks to a steady drumbeat of work from ACEP leaders and advocacy staff in Washington, D.C., the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) hosted a “Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding” in October.

This multi-stakeholder, invitation-only event brought together emergency physicians, emergency nurses, hospital leaders, patients, and others for some tough talk about boarding, a national public health crisis.

A recording of the Summit is available on AHRQ’s YouTube channel, and the agency has committed to publishing an actionable report in the coming months.

ACEP proudly uses our wide-ranging influence to work tirelessly with any stakeholder who has a role in crafting solutions to the boarding crisis. We also want to ensure that emergency physicians have a seat at the table for discussions that impact your patients and your practice.

An illustrator at the AHRQ Boarding Summit captured the conversation visually. Click to enlarge each.

ACEP members were well represented at the October Summit in Washington, D.C., both on the stage and in the audience. Featured speakers included:

• Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, FACEP, chief executive officer, professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, distinguished chair, Mount Sinai Health System, and 2024 winner of ACEP’s Colin C. Rorrie, Jr., PhD Award for Excellence in Health Policy
• Ula Hwang, MD, MPH, FACEP, professor of emergency medicine and population health, medical director of geriatric emergency medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, past member of the ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA) Board of Directors
• Gabe Kelen, MD, FRCP(C), FACEP, Chair of ACEP’s Board of Directors, professor and chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
• Brandon Morshedi, MD, DPT, NREMTP, FAEMS, FACEP, emergency medicine and EMS physician, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Global Medical Response
• Jesse M. Pines, MD, MBA, MSCE, FACEP, chief innovation officer at US Acute Care Solutions and 2023 winner of ACEP’s Colin C. Rorrie, Jr., PhD Award for Excellence in Health Policy
• Peter Viccellio, MD, FACEP, professor and vice chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, associate chief medical officer, Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, ACEP Councillor

They all underscored the same message: Boarding is a public health crisis, and the best way to address the root causes is through a system-wide, collaborative effort.