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Tag: William Jaquis

  • Mental Health and Emergency Medical Experts Encourage Support for Clinicians Health During Pandemic

    Mental Health and Emergency Medical Experts Encourage Support for Clinicians Health During Pandemic

    WASHINGTON, D.C. —In a joint statement, emergency medicine and other leading medical associations, academics and psychiatry experts outline steps to support the mental health of emergency physicians and other health professionals currently risking their lives to treat patients during this pandemic.

    “A physician’s choice to address his or her mental health should be encouraged, not penalized,” said William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). “Efforts to preserve and protect the mental health of emergency care teams should be prioritized now and in the aftermath of this pandemic.” 

    Optimal physical and mental health of physicians and other medical clinicians is conducive to the optimal health and safety of patients, the joint statement reads. Physicians and other health care professionals should feel comfortable seeking treatment for psychiatric symptoms, just as anyone else should. A health professionals’ history of mental illness or substance use disorder (SUD) treatment should not be used as an indicator of their current or future ability to competently practice medicine.

    These leading medical groups believe that credentialing entities should refrain both from discouraging physicians from seeking professional help and from dissuading physicians from joining peer support groups. There should be no reprisals for a physician who engages in such therapeutic endeavors.

    According to the statement, “For most physicians and clinicians, seeking treatment for mental health triggers legitimate fear of resultant loss of licensure, loss of income or other career setbacks. Such fears are known to deter physicians from accessing necessary mental health care. Seeking care should be strongly encouraged, not penalized.”

    “As important as providing personal protective equipment is the need to ensure the mental health of our frontline clinicians is attended to during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said American Psychiatric Association President Jeffrey Geller, MD, MPH. “Each health care professional should seek help if needed without hesitation and should be helped to do so by a colleague if such assistance is necessary.”

    The joint statement is signed by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR), American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP), American Association of Suicidology (AAS), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Physicians (ACP), American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Epilepsy Society (AES), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), American Geriatric Society (AGS), American Medical Association (AMA), American Psychiatric Association (APA), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Society of Nephrology (ASN), American Thoracic Society (ATS), American Urological Association (AUA), Coalition on Psychiatric Emergencies (CPE), Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD), Council for Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA), Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), North American Spine Society (NASS), Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants (SEMPA), Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).

    The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 39,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org.

     

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  • ACEP Stands in Solidarity with Emergency Physician in COVID-19 Related Custody Dispute

    ACEP Stands in Solidarity with Emergency Physician in COVID-19 Related Custody Dispute

    In response to news reports that an emergency physician has temporarily lost custody of her child because of her job on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis, the president of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, released the following statement:

    “It is unconscionable to force Dr. Theresa Greene or any emergency physician to choose between their family and their oath to their patients. These are scary and uncertain times, but emergency physicians are expertly trained in how to protect themselves and their families during a pandemic like COVID-19.

    “ACEP stands in solidarity with Dr. Greene and any health worker who is in this heartbreaking position. On behalf of all our members, we have released an official statement urging that a parent’s role in the fight against COVID-19 not be a factor when considering child custody or visitation matters.

    “Emergency physicians, along with emergency nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and others, are leading the battle against the public health crisis of our lifetime. But they are also human beings, who need and deserve the comfort of their families when they are off duty.”

    The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 39,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org. 

    Photo credit: MGN online

     

     

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  • ACEP Introduces Stop the Spread: A Patient Guide to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    ACEP Introduces Stop the Spread: A Patient Guide to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is providing guidance for patients to minimize their risk of getting or spreading the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. A new resource from ACEP, Stop the Spread: A Patient Guide to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), provides tips on how to minimize the risk of contracting the virus—including whether you should wear a face mask—and how to determine whether patients should visit an emergency department.

    “We are in the middle of flu season, which means emergency departments are already strained. To make sure that everyone can get the care they need, it’s important to know when to go to the emergency department if you think you have COVID-19,” said William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP.

    Older patients and those with chronic or pre-existing conditions have the highest risk of serious cases or complications. If you think you are sick with COVID-19, consider your symptoms. Call your doctor if you’ve been in contact with someone who already has COVID-19 or has traveled to an affected region and with 14 days you develop a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

    If your symptoms are mild, contact your primary care physician to discuss your best options for care. Call 911 or visit your closest emergency department if:

    • You’re experiencing a medical emergency,
    • You’re sick enough that you need to go to the hospital, especially if you recently started experiencing shortness of breath, or
    • You’re sick and you are a high-risk individual, such as an older patient or a person with an already weakened immune system.

    The situation with the outbreak is evolving daily, and while the federal government has taken steps to significantly expand COVID-19 testing, it will take time for the health care system to ramp up its testing capabilities and locations

    “Your local emergency department may not yet have the COVID-19 test. Your primary care physician can decide if you meet the criteria and help determine where to get tested if necessary,” said Dr. Jaquis.

    As anticipation grows for more widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in the U.S., emergency physicians are on the frontlines caring for those affected. ACEP has a series of resources for patients, policymakers and emergency care teams. Visit www.acep.org/COVID19 for physician resources including clinical guidance and best practices, checklists and the National Strategic Plan for Emergency Department Management of COVID-19. The latest patient information is available at www.emergencyphysicians.org/COVID19.  

    The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org. 

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