Vote to #getonBoard
This month I attended and spoke at a couple of events that have looked at the importance of diversity and gender equity in emergency medicine. Check out one of the videos here. As you know, after a lot of discussion with our members and through the work of the Board and the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, we will be holding a vote to change our Constitution. If approved, the changes will give you the opportunity to join the Board as a Fellow from the general membership by removing some of the barriers that currently exist, such as the need to be a deputy chair of CAPP or COE. If approved, the changes would also lead to the appointment of a community representative to the Board.
There will be more information provided to you in the next few weeks, I really encourage everybody to #getonBoard.
Also, shortly we will announce the Executive of the newly formed section of ACEM, Advancing Women in Emergency (AWE). I look forward to working with AWE to bring much needed change to not only emergency medicine and the challenges for women in our specialty, as well as driving a culture of change through hospitals and health.
Thank you, Christchurch ED
It’s usually out of the worst of times that we see the best of the human spirit, and that’s what we saw in response to the terrorist attack in Christchurch through the emergency department and other staff at Christchurch Hospital who worked rapidly and efficiently to provide care for patients and whānau affected by the tragedy.
Read President-Elect Dr John Bonning’s tribute, and the College welcomed the New Zealand Government’s move to strengthen its gun laws in the wake of the attack.
Any form of violence is unacceptable, and we must continue to call out scapegoating, stereotyping, hate speech and xenophobia.
Wellness Week
One of ACEM’s strategic priorities is to develop and support activities that contribute to the wellbeing of doctors and other health professionals delivering emergency medical care.
As part of this, I encourage you to get involved in the activities of Emergency Medicine Wellness Week, scheduled for 7 to 13 April. Created by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the week aims to remind all emergency physicians and their colleagues to take the time to self-renew while, at the same time, working the long and at times very difficult hours we do.
The College will be supporting the week by promoting emergency department involvement, College wellbeing resources and wellbeing advocates via social media (#iEMwell19), along with engaging College staff in wellbeing activities.
Finally, check out the ACEM Wellbeing Network.
ACEM events
I would encourage everyone to come to the Winter Symposium. To be held in Rotorua from 30 April, it’s sure to be a unique experience. Check out the Winter Symposium website for full details of the program, workshops and social functions. At the Symposium, we will launch ACEM's inaugural strategy to deliver equity for Māori in EDs. The launch of the ACEM Strategy Manaaki Mana: Excellence in Emergency Care for Māori will be an interactive session, led by the Manaaki Mana Steering Group.
Even though we are only at the end of March, planning is well underway for our signature event, the Annual Scientific Meeting in November. This year’s meeting will take place Hobart, and registrations are now open. Don’t wait, register now.
And you can keep up-to-date on all the events that are happening across Australia and New Zealand by visiting the ACEM website. Check it out and see what is happening in your local area.
Supporting members and trainees advocating for better patient care
This month has been busy on the advocacy front, speaking out about conditions at Perth’s Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and traveling to Wagga Wagga, in Southern NSW, as well as Queensland, and meeting the extraordinary women and men providing quality emergency care often in hospitals and health systems that are, quite frankly, broken. In Queensland, for example, we called for urgent action to address systemic issues which lead to violence.
Off the back of these trips, the College has received widespread media coverage and, as a result, secured meetings with health ministers, and hospital leadership and health department executives to prosecute our case and to ensure our members are part of the reforms so desperately needed to continue to improve our health systems.
Fellowship examinations
It was great to be able to attend the Fellowship Clinical Exam this month and witness the efforts of everyone involved to ensure all ran smoothly. This is an enormous undertaking , and the efforts of the staff and the examiners is applauded. To those candidates who sat, it’s an anxious time waiting for the results, but also a good time to take the opportunity to enjoy not studying, but to exercise, read and reconnect with family and friends.
Until next time,
Simon