ACEP and Oregon House Majority Leader Discuss Prioritizing Emergency Physician Autonomy

ACEP continues to work with its Oregon chapter and the Oregon Medical Association (OMA) to address the staffing situation raised at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene.

Leaders from ACEP, OR-ACEP, and the OMA met with Oregon House Majority Leader Rep. Ben Bowman and his staff on March 18 to discuss the transition of emergency department services at PeaceHealth; topics included transparency, requests for information from ApolloMD, and efforts to ensure compliance with Oregon law regarding the corporate practice of medicine. 

ACEP discussed opportunities for additional legislation in the state to further protect emergency physicians by prohibiting non-compete clauses in contracts and ensuring that emergency physicians receive the same due process as all other members of the medical staff at hospitals within the state. ACEP also spoke with the Majority Leader about the unique nature of emergency medicine, and that frontline emergency physicians who are local to the hospital they serve are not just important to the hospital itself, but to the community at large.

ACEP and OR-ACEP will continue working with Oregon’s elected officials to promote stability in physician staffing and establish clear lines of clinical authority that prioritize emergency physicians’ ability to make clinical decisions on behalf of their patients.

Both organizations continue to advocate for access to emergency care for all Oregonians and support efforts to ensure that emergency care is always physician-led care. 

Read our previous statement.

Match Day 2026: EM Reaches All-Time High in Positions Filled

More people have matched to emergency medicine than ever before as EM continues to rebound from the Covid pandemic era, with 3,058 positions filled in Match Day this spring. Data shared on March 20 by  the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) show a total of 303 programs (11 new programs), 3,196 spots (130 new spots) and 3,058 of 3,098 positions filled (a 95.6 percent fill rate).

A rise in MD and DO matches contributed to the largest number of positions filled to date.  IMG matches also increased by four. Emergency medicine continues to be a popular choice for medical students, which is good because all signs point to increasing demand for emergency care and services.

ACEP President L. Anthony Cirillo, MD, FACEP, welcomed the newest members of the specialty.

Leading EM Organizations Issue Consensus Statement on Artificial Intelligence

In October 2025, ACEP convened the first “All Emergency Medicine AI Summit” hosted at its headquarters in Irving, Texas. Invited EM organizations included members of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Council of Residency Directors, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians,  American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association, Association of Academic Chairs of Emergency Medicine, and the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine for a two-day discussion on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in emergency medical education, clinical settings, and practice administration.