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Research Forum closed Tuesday afternoon, showcasing hundreds of examples of the latest research in ultrasound, EMS and disaster medicine, cardiovascular cases, infectious disease and more. Abstracts for Research Forum are typically due in Spring for the following fall convention. ACEP26 is schedule Oct. 5-8 in Chicago.

In a Tuesday morning session, ACEP Immediate Past President Aisha T. Terry, MD, MPH, FACEP, explained how Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity efforts remain lawful based on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, despite recent executive orders related to DEI issued by the federal government.

“Let's take another look back at the executive order from January 21, 2025,” Dr. Terry said in the session, “The Rise of Anti-DEI Politics in Healthcare: Impacts on Physicians, Patient Care, and Medical Education". “It calls for enforcing our long standing civil rights laws, and it calls for ending illegal private sector DEI preferences. Again, this is the Civil Rights Act of 1964 upon which many of the executive orders are based. With that, in my mind, these executive orders are actually seeking to strengthen the Civil Rights Act that are already on the books. In my mind, this is not about ending DEI, it's about regulating it. It's about making sure that no one is treated differently than the other. But it's also about creating a system, an environment, a world wherein all boats can rise together.”

Dr. Terry, now a full professor of emergency medicine and Health Policy at George Washington University, opened with a sweeping history. She traced a timeline from President Truman’s 1948 order desegregating the military, to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, through the battles over affirmative action, and into the modern era of executive orders targeting DEI.

She warned that new laws and policies threaten more than ideals. They risk real consequences for patient outcomes, physician diversity, and the training of future doctors.

“There are countless studies that show diverse care teams improve adherence, satisfaction, and even life expectancy,” she said, pointing to research linking Black physician representation with longer life expectancy in Black patients,” she said.

Efforts to dismantle DEI in medical education, she noted, have already correlated with declining matriculation among Black and Latino students. Dr. Terry’s lecture ultimately focused less on history than on the present moment. She challenged her audience to move beyond misinterpretations that underrepresented means underqualified, and to recognize that equity is about opportunity, not outcomes.

“Diversity is not about doing favors,” Dr. Terry said. “It’s about creating top-shelf, dynamic, innovative enterprises. When everyone is included, everyone wins.”

Her call was not for partisanship, but for clarity and courage.

“As physicians, we must correct the misuse of DEI and recommit to our mission of caring for the vulnerable,” Dr. Terry said. “If the goal of these recent executive orders truly is to eliminate discrimination, then time will tell. But our duty remains unchanged.”

The cutting edge of emergency medicine was front and center Monday at ACEP25 when EM:Rap took the stage and delivered real-world discussion about real-world EM challenges. Audience interaction and a live podcast recording highlighted the two-hour session.

“Imagine the power of research in emergency medicine, where we can advance the science and improve outcomes for almost any injury or illness that walks through our doors—whether that’s in trauma, resuscitation, cardiac, overdose, addition—we have the possibility to really affect change and improve care.”

That is how Gail D’Onofrio, MD, MS, began Monday’s Brooks F. Bock Lecture, “ED Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Innovation and Discovery,” in which she highlighted the benefits of fostering innovative emergency medicine research and nurturing a sustainable clinician-scientist workforce.

Dr. D’Onofrio then turned to her research on opioid use disorder, where despite strong evidence for ED-initiated buprenorphine, adoption remains low. She shared national trial results offering promising data on extended-release injectable buprenorphine. Her team found that injectable buprenorphine offers consistent, safe, and effective treatment that may reduce treatment barriers and expand access.

Dr. D’Onofrio’s research underscores how emergency physicians are uniquely positioned to lead opioid use disorder care. She closed with a call to action, asking attendees to tell their stories about science and research.

“Tell your neighbors and friends, make a point of getting out there and telling them about science. Tell them what research is. Tell them what science is. Because what does emergency medicine do? We improve the health of the public. That is why we are here.”

Research Forum kicks off at 8 a.m. today with several rooms and a hall filled with the latest research. Choose from pain management, pediatrics, public health, trauma, wellness, and much more. Don’t miss today’s Books F. Bock Lecture and Abstract Session at 9-9:50 a.m., where Gail D’Onofrio, MD, will speak about ED Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Innovation and Discovery in Hall E.

As more critically ill patients arrive at the emergency department, emergency physicians are facing growing challenges providing critical care.

In Sunday’s Nancy J. Auer lecture, “How Critical Care Was Won: Frontiers in EM Resuscitation,” Scott Weingart, MD, highlighted how commitment, confidence, and preparation can empower emergency physicians and improve outcomes for the sickest patients.

His career, he shared, was influenced by an early experience with a critically ill patient who did not receive the care they needed in the ED. This experience inspired his mission to work to bring ICU-level care to the ED.

“Bringing ‘upstairs’ care downstairs will make geography irrelevant for how we care for critically ill patients in the hospital, whether there is an ICU bed available or not,” Dr. Weingart said.

Dr. Weingart introduced the term “resuscitationist” to differentiate emergency physicians with a particular focus on delivering the highest level of critical care. Through patient stories, he illustrated how a resuscitationist mindset marked by aggressive, innovative care can turn near-certain loss into recovery.

His remarks also emphasized logistics, teamwork, and the value of meticulous preparation in pursuing improved critical care in the ED. Expertise, he noted, is defined not only by skill but by anticipating failure and having other solutions ready.

Dr. Weingart called on emergency physicians to continuously refine their practice procedures so they can always be ready for the moment patients need them most.

“Critically ill patients deserve the best possible care. Their lives are in our hands. Every ED doctor has the opportunity to provide the best resuscitation in medicine.”

“I’m here to advocate for myself and to help you and everybody else understand that as patients, trans people are humans – we are humans, and we are sick,” said Jailyn Avila, MD, RDMS in her presentation at the Leon L. Haley Jr. Memorial Lecture at ACEP25 on Sunday.

Dr. Avila shared her personal journey as a transgender emergency medicine physician, exploring the unique challenges transgender individuals face in both emergency and clinic settings, including barriers to care and experiences with discrimination in everyday life.  As someone who transitioned later in life, she described her family’s decision to relocate in pursuit of a safer place for her to continue her emergency medicine and sonography career.

With practical tips on supporting transgender coworkers and patients alike, Dr. Avila closed her lecture with a request for allyship in emergency medicine and in the world at large.

The annual Leon L. Haley Jr. Memorial Lecture features a speaker contributing to diversity, inclusion, and health equity. The lecture is named for Dr. Leon L. Haley, recognized for his advocacy on behalf of underserved patient populations.

ACEP’s keynote panel discussion Sunday at ACEP25 in Salt Lake City brought “The Pitt” to emergency physicians with a behind-the-scenes look at the series, the set, and most importantly, three people who work together to make the HBOMax creation one of the most popularly shows on television.

Actor Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, entered the Salt Palace Convention Center stage to a rousing ovation, not long after hearing the news that “The Pitt” had won two Emmy Awards. It has been nominated for 13. Wyle gave credit to the realism of the show to an amazing cast and the work of two real emergency physician, fellow panelists Joe Sachs, MD, FACEP, and Mel Herbert, MD, FACEP.

Dr. Sachs is a longtime writer and producer who worked with Wyle on “ER.”’ Dr. Herbert is a medical advisor and pioneer in emergency medicine education.

Moderator and ACEP President Tony Cirillo, MD, FACEP, opened with a question of Wyle, asking him how much the medical landscape has changed since “ER” ended in 2009 when Wyle played Dr. John Carter on the show.

“One of the most interesting parts of the writing room was, what didn’t we do on ‘ER’ that we would want to do now?” Wyle said. “And very quickly, we had 20 or 30 things that weren’t even part of the lexicon 15 years ago, whether it was fentanyl or gun violence or trans rights.”

Wyle said the most rewarding aspect is seeing the show inspire new generations of physicians.

“Don’t blink, because 30 years goes by very, very quickly,” he reflected.  “I’m watching generations who absorbed that show and went into this discipline, and now we’re inspiring another generation, which is the most gratifying part of all of it.”

Dr. Sachs, who began consulting for “ER” in 1994 and now leads medical accuracy efforts on “The Pitt,” explained the immense preparation required for actors to look authentic in the emergency department. Dr. Sachs showed pictures to the audience of how the show’s set is split into two and required enormous amounts of power and planning to make it all look authentic. Teaching an actor how to perform a medical procedure while also keeping the emotion authentic is a skill, but he said it also take the skill of somebody like Noah and the cast of “The Pitt” to make it look so real.

“It’s everything,” he said. “We throw on top of acting this crazy technical gobbledygook, plus the technical moves.,” he said. “At first it looks like the Three Stooges, but within 20 minutes it’s a well-oiled machine and they look like professionals.”

Dr. Herbert, known for his work in medical education and as founder of EM:RAP, praised Sachs’ influence both on television and within the specialty.

“I don’t think that Joe Sachs has got enough love from our specialty, because most of these shows went from nobody wanting to do that to this thing that everybody wants to do,” he said.

The panel also touched on the origins of The Pitt, which grew out of the pandemic. Wyle recalled being moved by letters from clinicians during COVID-19.

“I was overwhelmed by that mail, and I didn’t know what to do with it,” he said. “So I wrote (Executive Producer) John Wells a letter, and I said, I think there might be another story to tell here.”

For Dr. Herbert, the project resonates deeply with emergency physicians. He called the show “a love letter to what you do every day, so your kid can say, ‘Mum, is that what you do?’ and you can say, ‘Yeah, that’s what I do.’”

ACEP’s new president, Dr. L. Anthony Cirillo, welcomes the crowd in his presidential address to members at the Opening General Session!

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton brought energy, humor, and appreciated for medical professionals to the stage at ACEP 25 Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Hamilton, the keynote speaker on Day 1 of the convention, knows what it’s like to need medical help. Best known as an Olympic gold medalist figure skater, he also told his story about dealing with injury and illness.

Hamilton began with gratitude: “You all are givers of comfort, givers of peace, givers of excellence, givers of the highest calling to make sure that people that are coming to you in emergency situations that desperately need you get the care that you so generously provide.”

Diagnosed with a mysterious growth disorder as a child, he endured years of hospital visits and was once told he might not live more than six months. Skating, first introduced to him as a distraction, became a source of identity and hope. “Self-esteem is the most powerful agent on the planet,” he told the audience. Determination carried him through Olympic competitions, professional tours, and later, battles with cancer. He recounted his mother’s own cancer diagnosis, and the way her resilience inspired him to take risks on the ice. His personal journey of perseverance mirrored the grit and commitment he sees in emergency physicians.

Hamilton used self-deprecating humor and spent several minutes talking about how much he appreciated the work of emergency physicians.

“The work you do is so spectacular,” Hamilton said in closing. “You save lives, you extend lives, you extend the quality of lives. And it's such an honor for me to be here as a card-carrying punch member. Thank you for the work you do. Thank you for coming together.”

Sessions begin at 8:00 am - check back soon for updates!