Leadership

Hello Louisiana ACEP!

I am excited to take over as President of LaACEP and am looking forward to expanding our chapter. First, I want to thank Ochsner Health for hosting our annual meeting in March. We had great attendance both in person and via Zoom.  We are looking forward to being at LSU Baton Rogue in March of 2026.

I’m a community ED physician in Shreveport and have only recently come to fully appreciate the importance of organized medical groups. I remember doing my EM residency at Earl K. Long (many years ago) and thinking — “I just want to work hard to pay for vacations.” So much has changed in medicine since then, especially in emergency medicine. Corporate medical groups (CMGs) are now widespread, and scope of practice encroachment—a real threat to patient safety—is becoming more common. We must speak up and become the new leaders in healthcare.

I’m sharing an article titled “Developing the Next Generation of Physician Changemakers: ‘You Have to Love the People, and Love the Process’.” I have to admit, I don’t always love the process of advocacy—but I do love the people—our patients and fellow physicians—and I have a heart to make things better. So, how can we do this locally?

First, at our annual meeting, we launched two new committees: Membership and Education. These committees are key to helping us grow and strengthen LaACEP. We need member involvement—I know everyone is busy, but our goal is to develop the next generation of Louisiana emergency physicians and changemakers. For both the Membership and Education Committees, we are seeking volunteers to serve as Chair, Vice Chair, and committee members.

• For the Membership Committee, the goal is to grow LaACEP by 5% (20 physicians) of the ABEM non-member base. This would also help us gain additional councillor positions and expand our impact at the national level. Louisiana has been well-known at Council, thanks to many of our stellar past councillors, but it’s time to grow our influence. If you’re interested in Council, please let us know! We can appoint unlimited alternate councillors, and we’d love to have more people involved in learning the process and testifying in reference committees.
• The Education Committee will support educational initiatives, including planning our annual meeting and reviving the CME CRAWL!
  Save the date: November 1, 2025
  (It’s an LSU bye week and a Saints away game weekend—we’re hoping for a great turnout!) We’re currently seeking speakers, so please consider volunteering.

Joining one or both of these committees will not only benefit our specialty but will also look great on your CV!

Second, we must collaborate with other physician networks to advocate for real change. Many of us are already active in other professional groups—let’s use those relationships to move the needle. I’m personally involved with Physicians for Patient Protection (PPP) and Take Medicine Back, and I co-founded Louisiana Physicians for Patients with Jamie Kuo a few years ago. While Louisiana’s legislative session will likely be over by the time you read this, we’re already planning ahead. We aim to introduce a “Physician in Every ED” bill next spring. This legislation has already passed in Indiana, Virginia, and most recently, South Carolina. Also, if you’re interested in scope of practice research, PPP currently has a research grant available.

Please consider becoming more active in LaACEP. Jamie Kuo and I are passionate about this group, and we truly believe you will be too with greater engagement. As the saying goes: “If you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.” So let’s get to the table—together.

—Debbie Fletcher
[email protected]