Another year ends and we’re happy to report on another successful Scientific Assembly at ACEP19 in Denver, CO. Dr. René Mack and I once again served as councillors representing the great state of Florida during the ACEP Council Meeting, which preceded the conference. A number of resolutions were adopted expanding the breadth of emergency medicine, including those geared at promoting and protecting our specialty, while continuing to be the leaders at the forefront of the ongoing fight to provide the highest quality care for our patients. The Scientific Assembly is a tremendous gathering of some of the biggest and brightest minds in medicine! If you haven’t given it a try, we hope you’ll join us at ACEP20 in Dallas, TX.

As the new year begins, FCEP hits the ground running. Emergency Medicine Days is the premier advocacy event of the year, and it’s coming up soon! Each year, a contingent of FCEP members travels to Tallahassee to meet with and educate our elected officials on issues important to our patients and our specialty. This is a unique opportunity to converse with our leaders and advocate for the future of emergency medicine. In past years, we have counted many successes in the areas of balance billing, prudent layperson, PIP reform and opioid-related issues. We hope you’ll join us for EM Days on January 27-29 in Tallahassee so we can continue protecting our specialty and providing the highest quality emergency care for our fellow Floridians.

While membership naturally comes to the forefront, professional development is also an integral part of our committee’s objectives. Our goal is to turn more attention to this important subject, and we welcome your input! What does professional development mean to you? What would you like to see us offer? And how can FCEP and ACEP further support you?

Wellness is another significant topic that cannot be overstated. Burnout in emergency medicine continues to be an obstruction, and physician suicide is increasing in dramatic fashion. Emergency medicine clinicians have been defending the front line and providing the safety net since the inception of our specialty. Our knowledge and skills allow us the privilege to save lives on a daily basis, but this responsibility can take a toll. Finding effective means of burnout mitigation and promoting wellness in and out of the workplace can benefit us all. What do you do to promote wellness? We’d love to hear about it and share your advice with others.

As always, we welcome your input and want to know how we can best serve you! Becoming an active participant is the best way to enact change, and we welcome any and all to attend our committee meetings either in person at the EMLRC in Orlando or via phone. We look forward to seeing everyone at EM Days in Tallahassee! ■