As we emerge from yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite our triumphs as emergency physicians, it seems that many of the most important challenges in the history of our specialty persist.

From extreme staffing shortages, to the abundance of new emergency medicine residency programs, to the projected oversupply of emergency physicians in the next decade, we are at a crossroads for determining the future of our specialty. Coupled with these intrinsic factors are the external forces threatening patient care: the increase in private equity, inappropriate scope of practice expansion, and (to put it plainly) evil insurance corporations focused on a bottom line rather than the best interests of their patients. The road ahead is challenging, but it also presents opportunities to direct our future with the collective intelligence, persistence, and innovation of the strongest community in medicine: emergency physicians.

In Florida, there is no organization better equipped to lead this charge than the Florida College of Emergency Physicians. From the outset of the pandemic, we led the way in: organizing drives to secure PPE for healthcare workers; supporting mask mandates in a state where politics was seemingly more important than science; educating the lay public on the importance of, and safety associated with, vaccinations; and continuing to fight for legislation that protects our patients and healthcare professionals.

In a few short months, you are invited to see it played out firsthand as we come together in Bonita Springs for Symposium by the Sea 2022 on August 4-7 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point. Be a part of the collaboration, innovation, and opportunity that arises from this collection of some of the best and brightest emergency medicine has to offer! SBS is representative of the return to “normalcy” in a full slate of educational programs returning to live, in-person, events after our pandemic hiatus.

With all of this noted, I’m disheartened to see there are almost 2,000 ABEM certified (or eligible) physicians in Florida who are currently not members of FCEP/ACEP. I attribute this mainly to the cost-cutting measures of CMGs no longer supporting group membership, but it’s also the fault of the divisive rhetoric played out on social media daily. To top it all off, we can do a better job of spreading the word about what FCEP is doing for EM across our state and the entire country.

If you or a colleague is not a member, please reach out to myself or René Mack today. We want to ensure you have your questions answered and your voices heard. FCEP has always been about doing what’s best for our specialty and our patients — although the challenges are daunting, we can weather this storm together. There is power in numbers, and we need your support, your voice, and your membership to win this war. ■