Each year, the highlight of the conference is always our day on the Hill and this year was no exception. Before heading up to Capitol Hill, there were presentations by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who is running for the U.S. Senate. Senator Cassidy is a gastroenterologist who’s understanding of being a physician in a rapidly changing health care system provides him with a perspective that most members of Congress will never have.

Rep. Sinema shared her very personal story of being homeless as a child and experiencing the frustration of being without health care access after her father was laid off from his job. Despite the disadvantages she faced growing up, Rep. Sinema has demonstrated incredible fortitude and a “never say it can’t be done” attitude throughout her personal and political careers. She is truly a personification of the American dream , showing that with hard work and passion, everyone has the opportunity to be successful in this country, regardless of any challenges you face. In addition to being both a former state representative and now U.S. representative, she has also earned her BA, MSW, PhD, JD, and MBA degrees—a truly inspiring and amazing person!

Our day on the Hill was very successful. Focusing on issues of opioid legislation being considered by Congress, reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, and the ongoing challenge of national drug shortages, ACEP members were able to have positive and productive conversations with members of Congress and key policy staffers, advocating for real-world solutions to health care system issues affecting our patients and their constituents.

The Solutions Forum: Real-World Approaches to Real-World Issues

With a new, more focused format developed by ACEP President Paul Kivela, MD, MBA, FACEP, Wednesday’s Solutions Forum gave attendees the opportunity to do a deep dive on the issues of opioids and end-of-life care. The day was kicked off by special guest speaker Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, the U.S. Surgeon General who discussed efforts by the federal government to address the opioid epidemic and emergency medicine’s role in these efforts.

Following presentations on putting prevention and treatment into practice, the session was closed by an update from Debra Houry, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, on additional efforts to study the opioid issue and identify best practices for care. The final portion of the conference was a two-part session on end-of-life care and implications for the practice of emergency medicine.

Be There Next Year

LAC is a great opportunity for you to become more educated on the political and policy issues that affect how we care for patients at the bedside every day. It is a tremendous opportunity to have your voice be heard directly by members of Congress and other federal policymakers so that they can hear directly from those of us who serve as the health care safety net for the nation on a 24-7-365 basis.