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American College of Emergency


Physicians

Spring 2016, Issue 4

The ACEP newsletter is


produced monthly to
provide readers and
patients with the most upto-date and popular news
and events regarding
emergency medicine and
physicians.

A Man Whos Really Done it All? What the Heck?


From his deployment to

emergency physician to be elected

In 1991, Heck began his service to

Iraq, to surgeries in the ER, to

to the United States Congress when

our countrys military. He received

pushing legislation in the House of

he was elected to the House to

direct commission in the U.S.

Representatives, Dr. Joe Heck has

represent the 3rd congressional

Army Reserves Medical Corps, and

pretty much done it all. Picture a

district in Nevada.

currently holds the rank of

humble family man from


Henderson, Nevada, who has
dedicated his life to public service.
Joe has one heck of a resume, pun
intended. Over a course of 35
years, he has worked as a
physician, firefighter, search and
rescue team member, ambulance
attendant, SWAT physician, a
member of the Army Reserve, and
he now holds an office on Capitol
Hill. In 2010, Heck became the first

Born in Queens, NY, but raised in


Pennsylvania, Heck attended Penn
State University for undergrad and
went on to pursue a medical degree
at the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine. After
completing his residency at the
Albert Einstein Medical Center,

most recently in Iraq to run the


emergency services and
aeromedical evacuation section of a
combat support hospital as part of
the Operation Iraqi Freedom in
2008.
As the first emergency physician

at the Las Vegas Humana Hospital-

elected to Congress, Heck serves

Sunrise.

on the Armed Services Committee,

Dont be Afraid to Visit the ER,


The Importance of a Living Will

called to active duty three times,

Heck worked in the ER department

Inside This Issue


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Brigadier General. He has been

Annual ACEP Leadership Conference

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Education and the Workforce


Committee, and Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence.
Heck decided to run for office so
he could represent emergency
medicine and have input on issues
at the national and state level that
are decided everyday that will
affect the future of emergency
medicine and patient care. He
sadly admits that most physicians
are politically apathetic, and
encourages ER doctors to get
involved in the political realm.
Democracy is not a spectator

certainly at a national level, and


even somewhat back home on a
statewide basis. I guess my hope
would be that I would have the
opportunity to do more good for
more people if Im elected to the
U.S. Senate, says Heck.
When running for the House

an effective advocate, says Heck.

versus running for the Senate, the

all, Joe Heck is going for another


first. After three terms in the
House, Heck is running for the

its portrayed. Rather than


focusing on differences, Heck tries
to find a member from the other
side of the aisle that shares his

sport, you have to participate to be

Just when you think hes done it

Congress isnt really as partisan as

biggest difference for Heck is


geography. While running for his
House seat, he was able to focus
solely on his district, however,

concern on a specific issue.


To me, being a member of
Congress is not about passing bills
in D.C., its about taking care of
the people back home, says Heck.

running for U.S. Senate requires

Running for Senate puts Heck at

him to be present everywhere in

risk for giving up his seat in the

the state. Heck travels long

House of Representatives. If the

distances to get to every small

election results in a loss, Joe is

hamlet and town where the voters

perfectly content with his backup

are, but thats what the election is

plan. Everyday in Washington I

really about, says Heck, making

remind people that I am an ER

While I am honored to serve in

sure that you let every voter know,

doctor first and a member of

the U.S. House, there are 435 of us

no matter how small the town they

Congress second, says Heck, I

there, and there are limited

live in, they matter to you.

have always known that at some

U.S. Senate from Nevada for


retiring Senate Minority Leader
Harry Reids seat. If elected, Heck
would be the first emergency
medicine physician with a seat in
the Senate.

chances to make major policy


changes. With only 100 members
of the U.S. Senate, there is
potential to have a greater impact
on policy development,

The hyper-partisanship that


many people believe exists within
congress is not something Heck
agrees with. Heck believes

point I was one election away


from being back in the emergency
department, something that I am
totally OK with.

Dont Hesitate,
Go to the ER
San Diego County recently launched

Emergency physicians have long

a campaign that discourages patients

advocated for patient symptoms to be

from visiting the emergency room

the determinant on whether

unless its a true emergency. The

emergency care is necessary. In

American College of Emergency

1994, the California ACEP chapter

Physicians and its California Chapter

sponsored legislation that was passed

are voicing concerns about this

that protects patients right to visit

message, and caution patients from

the ER whenever they felt as if they

The concept of a living will is a

being hesitant to visit the ER.

needed emergency care.

tough thing to think about, and

We never tell people not to go to

Many emergency room visits are due

the emergency department because

to patients being unable to find

its not always possible for them to

physicians willing to accept their

know when symptoms reflect a true

insurance, despite the Affordable

emergency, said ACEP president

Care Acts legislation to fix this

Jay Kaplan, For example, is my leg

issue. The emergency department is What is a living will? Its a

broken, or is it severely strained? Its

the only place people can get help

document that expresses ones

not always possible for a patient to

anytime day or night. Its an

healthcare wishes in written form

known unless he or she gets a

incredibly valuable service that we

if one was unable to do so

medical examination. In addition,

all need to support, said Kaplan.

themselves.

The lack of primary physicians and

Only about a fourth, 26%, of

urgent care locations that take

Americans have living wills,

patients insurance already causes

according to a 2014 study by the

people to be hesitant about seeking

American Journal of Preventative

care for their medical needs. This

Medicine. The top reason for why

This campaign may intimidate San

campaign may discourage people

not is due to lack of awareness.

Diego residents from seeking out

even more from getting the

emergency care who should be,

assistance they need.

some patients, with conditions such


as shortness of breath or indigestion,
make the mistake of delaying
seeking medical care when they are
truly having an emergency.

which could lead to unfortunate


outcomes that could have been
preventable.

Additionally, many people visit the


ER after first seeking help from
urgent care who were unequipped to
assist in their medical needs.

Most Americans Dont


Have a Living Will,
Do You?

even more difficult to take action


on. ACEP is urging adults to take
the step and get their affairs in
order regarding their medical
wishes.

If you were in a coma from an


accident, for example, and never
wanted a feeding tube- your living
will would need to say that, said
Jay Kaplan, president of the
American College of Emergency
Physicians.

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A Message
From ACEP
on the Zika
Virus
In response to
mounting concern about the
Zika virus and the lack of
vaccine, the American
College of Emergency
Physicians advises the
public to avoid mosquito
bites as much as possible,
and delay travel to known
affected areas if pregnant or
attempting to become
pregnant. The World
Health Organization has
designated the Zika virus
an international emergency
and has cautioned that
transmission may develop
in the southeastern part of
the continental U.S.
For more information,
please visit
www.ACEP.org

This campaign may discourage

unnecessary use of emergency

people even more from getting the

care look at patients diagnoses, when

assistance they need.

they should look at their symptoms

Additionally, many people visit the


ER after first seeking help from
urgent care who were unequipped to
assist in their medical needs. In a
2015 poll, 71% of physicians said
they treated patients daily who were
originally at an urgent care location.
Also, more than half of the
physicians responded saying that

and reason for seeking emergency


care instead. In a 2013 study
published in the Journal of American
Medical Association, researchers
found that a majority of the patients
with primary care treatable
diagnoses come to the ER with
identical symptoms as patients with
true emergencies.

urgent care facilities are now being

Urgent care centers are appropriate

marketed as alternatives to the ER.

and convenient for common medical

The San Diego campaign could lead

problems such as the flu, a fever,

to patients visiting an urgent care

nausea, minor bone fractures, and

instead, who dont have the same

minor cuts requiring stiches. They

equipment and trained staff that

are not, however, a substitute for

emergency departments do. ER

emergency care or a solution to the

departments have a federal mandate

overcrowding of emergency

to care for patients regardless of their

departments.

ability to pay, while urgent care


locations do not have the same
mandate.
A report done by the Center for
Studying Health System Change
states that multiple assessments of

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Spring 2016, Issue 4

Hundreds of Emergency Physicians Gather with Congress to Celebrate and


Further Emergency Medicine
WASHINGTON, D.C. 13, May

Participants head up the hill on

Leadership Day gives conference

2016. This weekend, 500 emergency

Lobby Day to meet with their

participants the chance to expand

physicians from across the country

legislators and key staff to discuss

leadership skills to become more

are coming to the nations capital

critical issues facing emergency

productive in their hospital and state

from May 15-18 at the American

medicine and patients. Advocacy

while earning Continuing Medical

College of Emergency Physicians

training sessions precede Lobby Day

Education credit. Live activities will

annual Leadership and Advocacy

for participant briefing on current

be going on throughout the day, and

Conference (LAC). The LAC is a

issues and to prepare them for face-

can accredit up to five hours of

celebration of emergency medicines

to-face meetings. Discussions often

ACEP Category 1 credit.

accomplishments and an opportunity

serve to seek support for certain bills

to better the political environment of

or legislative initiatives, as well as

the health care specialty.

opportunities to ask legislators to

Each year the LAC continues to


grow and sends a stronger message
to the United States Congress.
Physicians will meet with key
lawmakers and policy leaders on
Capitol Hill and discuss issues
facing the specialty of emergency
care. The LAC provides training for
advocators to educate their Members
of Congress and the opportunity to
build upon Congressional
connections. Experts will be brought
in to lead discussions about the
implementation of health care
reform, medical liability, Medicare
and Medicaid, psychiatric care, and
the future of emergency medicine.
Main events of the conference
include ACEPs Lobby Day and
Leadership Day.

become and advocate for ACEPs


legislative and public policy agenda.
Its important for physicians to
advocate on behalf of their patients,

The goal of the LAC conference is


to provide participants with
advocacy skills and health care
policy education, as well as advocate
for legislation furthering emergency
care, regardless of party labels.

said ACEP President Jay Kaplan,

For more information and a

they are the people in power to

complete list of events, please visit

create a major impact in the political

http://www.acep.org/lac/

world regarding emergency


medicine, and its practices.

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