A Message from ACEP President Gillian Schmitz, MD, FACEP

Good morning. I'm Dr. Gillian Schmitz, President of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

As you may know, ACEP has been laser-focused on making sure that emergency physicians are protected and have the resources they need during this pandemic and public health crisis.

Meanwhile, we are still fending off drastic reductions to Medicare reimbursement, insurance company gains ranging from narrowing networks, cutting contracts, denying reimbursement post-care, and overall just making it harder for us to do our jobs. Congress has the power to impact every part of our practice. Reimbursement, workforce, resources we need like expanded telehealth and PPE during the pandemic, to making sure the playing field is level with insurers are all within Congress's purview. The good news is that we have the power to influence who is elected to Congress through our political action committee, NEMPAC.

NEMPAC is a bipartisan fund through which we can educate legislators and help elect friends of and champions of emergency medicine and our patients. Only ACEP can donate to NEMPAC, so we are only as effective as the support that is behind us. Today, I am asking you to join with me and thousands of ACEP members in supporting this effort. NEMPAC opens so many doors so we can educate legislators and candidates about what is best for emergency medicine. And NEMPAC is bipartisan.

We look at candidates based on their record of support on emergency medicine issues and their willingness to work with us, not because of their party affiliation. Although we have been busy on the front lines taking care of patients, there is no medical specialty out there that has more to gain from having a strong voice in Washington DC for our future and for our patients.

Can I count on you? Thank you for your time, thank you for your donations to NEMPAC, and thank you for all that you're doing for the specialty.