The Relationship Between Chapters and National

ACEP is made up of its members who belong to chapters. Physicians who join the College are automatically dual members – belonging both to the national organization and to one of 53 ACEP chapters, with the exception of international members.

The ACEP Bylaws establish and govern the structural relationship between the College and its chapters. Answers to questions about the chapter-to-chapter relationship and the national-to-chapter relationship can generally be found in the Bylaws. 

Each chapter is a separate corporate entity organized pursuant to the laws of its state. Its bylaws determine its organization and governance. National ACEP developed model chapter bylaws that chapters can adapt to their organizational structure. 

Chapters are chartered as ACEP chapters by National ACEP.  Chapters qualify for and maintain their charters through compliance with ACEP’s Bylaws and policies.

Three policies of which ACEP chapters should be aware:

• The use of the ACEP mark (logo)
• The sale of chapter-generated labels (see below)
• The collection of funds for chapter political action committees (PACs) – (see below)

Use of the ACEP Mark

ACEP developed and registered a unique trademark to identify its products and services. In use since 1968, the ACEP logo consists of the well-known 64-square box with one component square missing and the words, "American College of Emergency Physicians, Advancing Emergency Care"

The ACEP logo may be used only to identify publications, materials, or services produced or endorsed by the College or for other uses authorized by ACEP in writing.

The ACEP logo may be reproduced only in a solid color and may not have any other design element superimposed over it.
The missing square in the ACEP logo is always the same – fifth from the left in the third row from the top.

No words other than "American College of Emergency Physicians, Advancing Emergency Care" may be used in connection with the logo except terms identifying chapters, programs, or activities of the College.

For questions on the use of the mark, contact Chapter Services or the Communications Department.

By law, the College must strongly oppose the unauthorized and inappropriate use of its logo and will require organizations that use it in this manner to discontinue all improper use.

The sale of chapter-generated labels (see below)

• The collection of funds for chapter political action committees (PACs) – (see below)

ACEP's leadership process begins with chapters and their councillors. As outlined in the Bylaws, each chapter, based on its size, sends a fixed number of councillors to the annual Council meeting. Each section with a minimum of 100 members is allocated one councillor. The Emergency Medicine Residents Association (EMRA) is allocated four councillors. At the Council meeting, held in conjunction with Scientific Assembly, the Council currently elects its speaker, vice-speaker, the members of the Board of Directors, and the president-elect.

The Board elects the following officer positions: chair, vice president, and secretary-treasurer. The president and immediate past president are also officers of the Board. These officers, along with the president-elect, form the Executive Committee of the Board. The Council speaker also serves as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee.

The Board directs College activity through committees and task forces appointed by the president and through ACEP's executive director and staff.

There are 53 ACEP chapters – one in each state plus three additional chapters for members in Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and those in government services. Chapters provide a wide range of activities including educational meetings, state legislative lobbying, public relations, and member services.

Chapter membership dues are set by each chapter and billed to members by ACEP as part of the annual dues statement. Some chapters have reduced dues rates for residents, medical students (candidate members), retired, or first year members in the chapter. A listing of membership dues charged by ACEP chapters is included.

Chapter membership dues changes must be authorized by the appropriate parties in compliance with your Chapter Bylaws and the decision must be recorded in the meeting minutes. Chapters must complete this form and submit here to request that ACEP update the amount of dues to be charged for specific categories of membership in the chapter.  

National membership dues are set by the ACEP Board of Directors.

Sections are similar to “special interest groups”. They provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and information and allow members to speak as a unified group to the College leadership. More importantly sections provide an opportunity for members to network with other emergency physicians who share common interests. The concept originated in 1988 and has grown to 33 sections with participation of about one third of the College membership.

Sections differ from chapters. Membership in a section has no impact on a member's required chapter membership. Membership in sections is optional and is determined by personal interest rather than by geography. Since chapters are incorporated, they are considered a separate legal entity. Sections are a subcategory of membership and are part of national ACEP, they are not separate legal entities.

Learn more about ACEP's sections of membership.

The Council meets annually for two days in conjunction with the annual Scientific Assembly. The body varies in size from year to year depending on the membership rolls of ACEP's chapters and sections on December 31.

The role of the Council is to provide advice and direction to the Board of Directors in all areas affecting the College. Its activity is guided by the speaker and vice-speaker, elected to two-year terms by the members of the Council. They also participate in all Board of Directors meetings as representatives of the Council.

The Council recommends preliminary ACEP policy through action on resolutions presented for its consideration. Resolutions may be prepared and presented by at least two ACEP members or group of members or submitted by chapters or sections. Bylaws and regular resolutions are due 90 days before the annual Council meeting. In the case of a chapter, section, or committee- sponsored resolution, a letter of endorsement must accompany such resolution from the president or chairperson representing the sponsoring body. Each resolution must be submitted to the College's executive director.

Resolutions adopted by the Council are forwarded to the Board of Directors for action. Results of the Board’s action are forwarded to the Council Steering Committee for review. (See Bylaws)

The ACEP Council Steering Committee is appointed by the Council speaker and has at least 15 members. In addition to reviewing Board action on resolutions, the committee represents the Council between annual meetings. All action taken by the Steering Committee is subject to final approval by the Council at its next meeting.

The Board sets the strategic direction and establishes policy for the College. Its members – 12 elected by the Council plus the immediate past president of the College – are responsible for the management and control of the College, subject to the requirements of the Bylaws.

The Board elects officers (except the president-elect) to one-year terms from its own membership. These elected officers – chair, vice president, secretary-treasurer – plus the president, president-elect and immediate past president – form the Executive Committee and have the authority to act on behalf of the Board.  Actions of the Executive Committee are subject to ratification by the Board at the next Board meeting. The Council speaker is included in all Executive Committee meetings.

The ACEP president appoints committees to assist the Board in accomplishing its work each year.  Committees analyze issues, draft policy, and develop recommendations to the Board. The committee structure varies each year depending on the College’s priority objectives. ACEP members volunteer for committee appointment each spring by completing a committee interest form, which is available electronically on the ACEP Web site or can be obtained from their chapter or by calling the national office. Committee chairs and members are selected each summer by the president-elect, and serve for a specific period of time.  Committee terms coincide with the annual Scientific Assembly.

The president may also appoint task forces for a focused objective on a topic of critical importance to emergency medicine. Task forces operate much like committees, but generally their function is for a limited period of time and deactivated once their work is complete.

College programs are developed in accordance with Board policy and implemented by ACEP leaders, members and staff. The College's organizational structure includes such traditional support departments as Finance, Human Resources, Information Services, and Member Services, as well as program-related departments working in specific areas related to emergency medicine, such as practice management and emergency medical services (EMS). (See staff organizational chart.)

Although chapters may contact any department directly, they are encouraged to call Chapter Services first. Chapter Services staff can coordinate responses to chapter requests and identify areas in which it can better assist chapters.

Office of the Executive Director (OED) staff members are responsible for planning and implementing  the functions of the ACEP Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Council, Steering Committee, Executive Director, committee operations, and the liaison program.  OED staff also develop and implement orientation programs for new leaders and officers. Staff members communicate regularly with the ACEP president and other national officers and assist them in their leadership roles.  They provide administrative support to the Executive Director, who is responsible for the day-to-day overall management and operations of ACEP.

ACEP's liaison program facilitates communication of information and strengthens the College’s leadership role in the provision of high quality emergency medical care through formal and informal relationships with other organizations. These organizations include medical and allied health care providers; government agencies; third-party carriers; scientific and research groups; and others important to the future of emergency medicine. While the president may delegate liaison functions to the representatives, they are not empowered to commit College resources or support for positions of other organizations. OED staff provides information and support to each of the ACEP members appointed by the president as liaisons to these organizations.

Academic Affairs Department

The Academic Affairs Department is responsible for communication, consultation, and development of products and services to meet the needs of the academic emergency medicine community. Staff monitor the activities of the Residency Review Committee for Emergency Medicine (RRC-EM) and the National Residency Matching Program, and provide staff support to the Academic Affairs Committee, Research Committee, NIH Task Force, Section of Young Physicians and the Research Section. The Academic Affairs Committee nominates recipients for the national faculty teaching awards and national medical student awards.

The Academic Affairs Department staff also coordinates visits to residency programs by the ACEP Board of Directors and Council officers. Under this program, a visit to each residency program is funded at least once every two years. In addition to a clinical or management presentation selected by the program, leaders discuss ACEP's goals and initiatives on behalf of the specialty and encourage residents and faculty to become active members. Chapter presidents and executive directors are encouraged to participate in these visits.

The department develops and implements three educational, faculty development products.

1. The Research Forum held at Scientific Assembly provides a forum for the presentation of original research.
2. The Teaching Fellowship is a 12-day, two-session program that helps residency faculty become better teachers and educators.
3. The Emergency Medicine Basic Research Skills (EMBRS) Workshop is a 12-day, two-session program that covers the basics of research design, methodology, and statistics.

Chapter and State Relations Department

The Chapter and State Relations Department is organized into two components that link the College and its chapters, providing information about ACEP programs and coordinating services designed to help chapters become active and effective. This support is designed to help chapter leaders and staff build and maintain effective chapters.

Chapter Services

Chapter Services assists chapters with annual planning and leadership development; provides orientation activities for chapter officers and staff executives in conjunction with the annual ACEP Leadership and Advocacy Conference; administers the chapter grant program; maintains the Fundamentals of Chapter Management; coordinates forums for chapter leaders and executives to share ideas; acts as a clearinghouse on chapter development topics; and coordinates leader visits to chapters (complete list of chapter services; list of clearinghouse topics; and information on the leader visit program).

The National/Chapter Relations Committee, composed of chapter leaders and staffed chapter executives appointed by the ACEP president, acts in an advisory capacity to the department to assess chapter needs and strengths.

State Legislative Office

The State Legislative Office assists chapters by:

• developing and managing a state legislative and regulatory resource clearinghouse;
• identifying, prioritizing, and tracking state legislative and regulatory issues of importance to emergency medicine;
• consulting and assisting chapters on state legislation and regulation;
• providing a legislative matching service to chapters; and
• providing assistance to chapters in enhancing their state advocacy programs and legislative tracking capabilities.

For a complete listing of State Legislative Office activities and services and of legislative clearinghouse topics.

The State Legislative/Regulatory Committee, composed of chapter leaders and chapter executives appointed by the ACEP president, acts as an advisory committee in this area.

Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Preparedness Department

The Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Preparedness Department staff members develop and implement programs related to out-of-hospital emergency care and disaster preparedness. They coordinate a network of ACEP members involved in EMS, trauma, and disaster medicine; develop policies on pertinent aspects of emergency services; and conduct out-of-hospital care research. Projects include information on medical control, suggested guidelines for paramedic training, interaction with other EMS organizations, and EMS educational programs for physicians. The department provides staff support to the College's EMS Committee and three member sections: EMS, Disaster Medicine, and Air Medical Transport. They also coordinate the development and distribution of the National EMS Week kit to emergency departments and EMS providers across the nation and to several foreign countries. Chapters receive a complimentary of the EMS Week Kit to use in planning chapter activities. The department is responsible for coordinating the College's activities in response to all hazards disaster preparedness and biological and chemical terrorism, which includes development of specialized training curriculum.

Emergency Medicine Practice Department

The Emergency Medicine Practice Department (EMPD) monitors, analyzes and reports on the emergency medicine practice environment and recommends policies and programs related to the clinical and administrative aspects of emergency medicine.
Staff provides consultation and information to chapters and members on issues, products, and services related to the practice of emergency medicine.

Ongoing department activities include, but are not limited to: clinical policy development;  medical legal issues; physician well-being; The Joint Commission (TJC); EMTALA; public health; observation medicine; and ultrasound.

Reimbursement Department

The Reimbursement Department monitors and analyzes information to make sure the College is appropriately positioned on reimbursement issues. It provides a wide range of information to the members on reimbursement and coding issues including the Medicare Fee Schedule, Current Procedural Technology (CPT), and compliance. Educational material is posted on the ACEP Web site and it is frequently updated. The most requested information is also listed in the Frequently Asked Questions. The department presents reimbursement and coding seminars semi-annually to keep members informed of the ever-changing rules and regulations in emergency medicine.

The Reimbursement Committee and Coding and Nomenclature Advisory Committee are supported through this department. They provide College members with reimbursement and coding knowledge that enhances emergency medicine practice. Members of these committees represent emergency medicine at the American Medical Association (AMA) Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) and the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel Advisory Committee. These members bring forth new CPT code applications when necessary and participate in the review of existing CPT codes.

Public Affairs – DC Office

The Public Affairs Division of ACEP is located in Washington, D.C. led by the Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs.  The Public Affairs Division advocates for emergency physicians and their patients on a daily basis. Many members might be surprised to know how active this office is, doing full-time legislative, regulatory, quality, and grassroots advocacy activities throughout the various divisions of the federal government. Additionally, the office coordinates the public relations activities and media relations of the organization. The departments within this division include:

• Congressional Affairs (Legislation)
• Federal Affairs (Regulatory)
• NEMPAC & Grassroots Advocacy
• Public Relations
• Quality & Health Information Technology

The general mission of the Washington Office is to assist the President, Board of Directors, committees of the College, and membership in the development of an annual legislative and regulatory agenda. After approval by ACEP Leadership, the office works to advocate for that agenda. While each of the office's functions may appear separate, they are in fact, strategically integrated to provide a visible and multi-faceted presence in our nation's capital.

The Associate Executive Director for Public Affairs provides executive leadership to the staff and activities of the College’s Public Affairs Division. He develops, recommends, and ensures the implementation of goals, objectives, strategies, tactical plans, operational processes and budgets that will achieve the objectives set by the ACEP Board of Directors. He is a member of ACEP’s Senior Management Team that establishes and evaluates College operations, budgeting and planning processes to provide long-term direction for the College.

ACEP's interaction with members of the U.S. House and Senate on federal legislative issues is primarily handled by the Congressional Affairs Director and Congressional Affairs Manager. The ACEP Board of Directors, in consultation with the Federal Government Affairs Committee, establishes the legislative objectives for the year and the congressional affairs team works with Members of Congress to advocate for, and implement, those goals.

The Federal Affairs Director provides representation to federal agencies to make ACEP's views known to policymakers, and draft policies, formal comment letters, and position statements regarding regulatory issues facing emergency medicine. The Federal Affairs Director also coordinates and participates in meetings with federal officials in executive branch agencies and departments and with allied medical groups in Washington, D.C.

The NEMPAC & Grassroots Advocacy Director directs the activities of the College's political action committee, known as the National Emergency Medicine Political Action Committee (NEMPAC). NEMPAC is a separate segregated fund that provides financial support to candidates running for federal office based on decisions made by NEMPAC Board of Directors. The NEMPAC Board of Directors relies on the input of ACEP state chapter leadership, individual 911 Network members, and NEMPAC supporters when evaluating candidates. Established in 1980, NEMPAC is currently one of the top five medical specialty PACs in the nation. In the 2012 elections, NEMPAC raised more than $2 million from ACEP members that was donated to candidates for the U.S. Congress and national political committees.

One of the priorities of ACEP's political education efforts is to work with emergency physicians and the state chapters to build and enhance our political grassroots organization, known as the "911 Legislative Network." ACEP established the 911 Network in 1998 to encourage emergency physicians to cultivate long-term relationships with federal legislators, convey ACEP's legislative and regulatory priorities in an effective manner, and affect the final outcomes of federal legislation important to the specialty of emergency medicine. Today, nearly 1,700 ACEP and EMRA members participate in the 911 Legislative Network to act as resources and health care issue experts for federal legislators in order to maximize the voice of emergency medicine in the federal legislative process. All 911 Network members receive legislative, regulatory and political updates via emails from the Washington, D.C. office.

The Quality/Health IT Director and Quality/Health IT Manager, working in conjunction with ACEP members, advances the development of quality and performance measures for emergency medicine. As part of this process, ACEP interacts with organizations recognized as leaders in the development and approval of consensus-based national standards. These standards are used for measurement and public reporting of health care performance data and to provide meaningful information about whether care is safe, timely, beneficial, patient-centered, equitable and efficient.

The Public Relations Director, along with the public relations staff, promotes the specialty of emergency medicine and supports accomplishment of ACEP's strategic goals, including its legislative and regulatory advocacy goals, using public relations tools. It seeks to strengthen communications from the specialty through promoting consistent messages at the national, state, and local levels. The Public Relations Committee coordinates with the department to develop key messages about emergency physicians and the specialty.

Chapter leaders are encouraged to use the resources created nationally to communicate at the state and local levels and to take advantage of opportunities, such as media training classes, which are offered free at national meetings. As ACEP and its he Federal Affairs Director takes the lead on developing ACEP comment letters on proposed federal regulations and assisting in the development of testimony to be delivered on Capitol Hill where a regulatory perspective is needed.  The Director also coordinates and participates in meetings with federal officials in executive branch agencies and departments and with allied medical groups in Washington, D.C.

The Washington ACEP office coordinates federal advocacy components of the annual Leadership and Advocacy Conference in Washington. Approximately 350 ACEP members come to the nation's capital to participate in briefings and congressional visits. The "School of Political Advocacy," the political education and training program for all 911 Legislative Network members, is also offered at this meeting.

Educational Meetings Department

Staff members of this department are responsible for the design, development, implementation, evaluation, and marketing of clinical and non-clinical Continuing Medical Education (CME) revenue meetings, those that charge registration fees. Educational Meetings is also responsible for managing and administering the ACEP Category I course approval process, and reviewing and granting ACEP credit to approved CME programs covering topics in emergency medicine. Educational Meetings is also responsible for conducting market research to define future meeting products as well as development of educational meeting spin-off products such as the Scientific Assembly Syllabus on CD-ROM, audio recordings from courses, and the virtual exhibit hall on the ACEP Web page.

Staff members work and negotiate with hotels, airlines, convention and visitors' bureaus, convention centers, and other vendors to ensure that meetings are planned and implemented smoothly and provide the highest CME value for our customers. Exhibits, satellite symposia, and sponsorship programs are a growing component of several of our meeting products. Staff promote, design, implement, and evaluate these programs. In addition, department staff members assist other College departments and divisions with meeting arrangements for leadership activities, Board and Council meetings, and other programs.

Each year, the department provides chapters with opportunities to increase their visibility at the Scientific Assembly through:

• Providing information for the Scientific Assembly portfolios;
• Holding chapter meetings and receptions;
• Displaying chapter information and products in the exhibit hall;
• Providing chapter executive staff with hotel room reservations at a discounted rate.

Educational and Professional Publications Department

The "Pubs" Department has four board-assigned objectives. They are: to develop and implement processes by which member needs are continually identified; to provide high-quality publications that address identified needs; to provide customers with knowledge and skill in efficiency and effectiveness in patient care; and to meet Board-approved revenue targets each year.

The department seeks to achieve its objectives in a number of ways. In some cases, staff works with authors to develop manuscripts from scratch, edit them, and produce finished books and newsletters. The process can easily take 2-3 years for a single book. For this reason, the Pubs staff also looks for completed manuscripts that the College can acquire, rather than develop. Additionally, through its "Partnered Pubs Program," the department negotiates arrangements with many of the leading medical publishers in the US to permit the College to acquire their titles at a discount and resell them. This is why you will see books of many different publishers represented in the ACEP Bookstore Catalog and on the Bookstore Web site.

To market ACEP's line of publications, the department makes extensive use of direct mail, ranging from postcards and brochures to full-blown catalogs, and sends an e-mail newsletter, "Advance Notice," to all ACEP members and Bookstore customers every month. It also runs ads in Annals and in ACEP News. The entire ACEP Bookstore catalog appears online. Pubs are also marketed through the ACEP Bookstore, a traveling retail exhibit that is operated on site at Scientific Assembly and other ACEP meetings. The Pubs staff does the copywriting for all promotional material, and they work with the manager of design and production to design and produce the promotions as well as books that the department produces.

Annals of Emergency Medicine

As the official journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Annals of Emergency Medicine is the leading peer-reviewed medical research journal for the specialty. The journal is dedicated to its mission to improve the quality of care by serving as an excellent educational and communication vehicle for emergency medicine and related specialties.

Annals publishes original research, clinical reports, opinion, and educational information related to the practice, teaching, and environment of emergency medicine. In addition to general topics, Annals regularly publishes sections on emergency medical services; pediatric emergency medicine; injury and disease prevention; health policy and ethics; disaster management; and toxicology. The journal welcomes submissions from domestic and international contributors through its Web-based system, AnnEmergMed.editorialmanager.com.

Communications Department

The Communications Department is responsible for internal communication with members. It differs from the Public Relations Department, which focuses on external communication with the media and the public.

The Communications staff is responsible for producing ACEP News, Emergency Medicine Today, VitalCare, and the ACEP Reference and Resource Guide.

Technology Services Department

The primary responsibility of the Technology Services Department is to maintain the ACEP Website, ACEP.org, by managing all content and ensuring a successful, enjoyable and useful experience to all Website visitors.

Technology Services maintains and improves the databases and applications that run the College’s Membership and Finance Systems. The Department also provides reporting on member and nonmember information for Marketing and Member related services. In addition to the previous responsibilities, Technology Services manages the ACEP E-lists and provides technical support to members for various ACEP computer products and applications.

ACEP.org is the College's Internet Website and is available to members and chapters twenty-four hours per day. The Website contains more than 5,000 documents related to ACEP and emergency medicine. Approximately 80% of the site is open to other health care providers and the public. The remaining 20% is designated "members only." Resources available on ACEP.org include meeting information; ACEP bookstore; ACEP policy statements and clinical policies; newsletters; public education materials; and the latest news. The Website is continually updated to better serve our members. ACEP.org is also linked to hundreds of other related resources on the Internet.

Working in tandem with our Communications, Member Services, and Internet Services departments, Membership Marketing develops ways to encourage new membership growth and retention.

Member Services Department

The Member Services Department handles all processing required to keep the ACEP membership roll up-to-date and accurate – processing applications; collecting and recording dues payments; maintaining membership statistics and sections of membership; billing and collecting section dues; and creating programs to retain current members and to attract new ones.

Member Services staff help chapters with statewide membership campaigns, provide ACEP chapter officers with regular membership reports and statistics, and manage the College's member benefit programs, including the insurance and credit card programs.

Grants and Development Department

Through this department, staff members raise funds to support ACEP programs and Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) research grants. Funding for ACEP programs is obtained through government, foundation and corporate resources. Some current streams of funding include:

• Federal grants from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support disaster preparedness and response trainings.
• Corporate funds to support educational conference and meetings, such as Scientific Assembly, Leadership and Advocacy Conference, and EMS Week Summit.
• Pharmaceutical grants for continuing medical education (CME) courses.
• Foundation grants to support research projects such as the Emergency Medicine Workforce Study.

This department is responsible for ensuring all deliverables, progress reports, and financial reports are in compliance for the grant projects. Staff also provides ACEP members and chapters with grant opportunity information.

EMF is the 501(c) (3) charitable foundation that serves as the research and education arm of ACEP. In addition to raising funds for EMF, this department also administers the grant awards program. This includes writing the requests for proposals, disseminating funding opportunities, coordinating the submission and review of proposals, and awarding and monitoring the grants. 

Since ACEP provides staff support and pays all the administrative expenses for EMF, 100% of donations go directly to fund research and education in emergency medicine. EMF receives donations from ACEP members, chapters, physician groups, corporations, and foundations. EMF funds a number of research projects each year for investigators ranging from medical students and residents to faculty and established investigators. EMF also helps fund, in conjunction with ACEP, the Teaching Fellowship and the Emergency Medicine Basic Research Skills (EMBRS) Workshop.

"NO COST" SERVICES

College services available to chapters at no cost include collection of dues, tracking of financial transactions, promotion of membership, professional consultation, and insurance benefit programs.

Dues collection

ACEP bills and collects national, chapter, and section dues simultaneously. Chapters set their own dues level, and that amount is included on the invoices received by members of the chapter.

When a chapter decides to change its dues level, the chapter informs ACEP by submitting a completed Dues and Disbursement Authorization Form signed by the chapter president and treasurer. This form must be received 120 days prior to the specified due date of members affected by the change. NOTE: Volume and group billings to residency programs require that dues adjustments effective July 1 be received no later than March 1. Since ACEP members are invoiced 90 days prior to their renewal dates, it may take several months for a dues increase to affect chapter revenues.

Collected chapter dues are deposited in an interest-bearing account with ACEP. Interest will be credited to each chapter's account balance monthly. The amount to be credited will be calculated monthly as follows: the 90-day Treasury Bill rate on the last day of the previous month. This amount will be credited to each chapter on or before the 10th day of the current month. (For example, the 90-day Treasury Bill rate on 6/30/20 would be credited to the chapter's account on or before July 10, 2020.)

Chapter funds are available for investments, cash requirements, and any other purpose determined by the American College of Emergency Physicians during the period they are left in the control of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

No ACEP management fee is assessed for billings, collections, or financial information provided to/for chapters. Withdrawals from this account can be made by chapter officers according to the procedures outlined in the Dues and Disbursement Authorization Form.

Financial statements

Five days after the end of each month, chapters that have a PAC contribution listed on the ACEP dues notice receive statements indicating contributions received during the month. The contributions are credited to a member, but copies of the payment documents are provided to the chapter to insure that accurate reporting and compliance can be conducted by the PAC treasurer. Chapter PACs receive an ACEP check for the total amount contributed during the month.

Ten days after the end of each month, all chapters receive statements from the Finance Department indicating revenues (dues collected and interest paid on the chapter account) and expenses (chapter withdrawals, payments authorized by the president, treasurer, or chapter executive, and payment for chapter services purchased from the College). ACEP chapters may choose to leave funds on deposit at ACEP, or have the funds sent directly to their bank via electronic transmission.

If a chapter receives an invoice for an ACEP service and does not question or pay the charge within 30 days, payment is automatically withdrawn from the chapter account. If the balance in the account is not sufficient to cover the cost of the service, an additional invoice is sent to the chapter. A chapter may elect to have their invoices paid immediately by utilizing the direct access method—a form must be signed by the chapter giving permission to deduct these charges from their funds held by national.

Records maintenance

Changes and corrections are made constantly to the membership database. This maintenance ensures the accuracy of mailing labels, membership counts, and other records. Chapters can help ensure the accuracy of the database by forwarding changes received directly by the chapter.

Membership development

The Member Services Department works with chapters on joint recruitment designed to increase chapter membership. Section 6, Membership Development, provides details on these campaigns.

Administrative consultation

Staff experts are available by telephone and often by a personal visit to assist chapters with chapter management, strategic planning, educational program preparation, government affairs, practice management, public relations, establishing a chapter office, selecting a computer system, membership development, and more.

Working together, chapters and national ACEP can make a difference for emergency physicians by providing service to members and by fostering public understanding of the specialty of emergency medicine and the important role of emergency physicians in improving patient care.