ACEP Councillors, including 10 from Virginia, gathered this month in Philadelphia to discuss a series of resolutions to improve the practice of emergency medicine. Here’s a look at them with VACEP Board member and Councillor Caroline Cox, MD.

A new psychiatric and behavioral health ED in Lynchburg, plus a new one coming soon in Hampton Roads, are seen as an answer to reduce boarding in EDs and give mental health patients a safer, more personalized, compassionate space with care from specialists.

VACEP leaders met with a leadership forum comprised of state chief medical officers and physicians to educate them on Virginia’s screening process for psychiatric patient admissions from emergency departments to a psychiatric hospital, inpatient psychiatric facility, or crisis stabilization unit. Get the presentation and learn about the challenges we’re working to overcome.

Effective August 1, VACEP signed a full-service management agreement with Ruggles Service Corp. to handle day-to-day association leadership at VACEP. (The Board and physician leaders remain unchanged).

This month, emergency physicians from Carilion Clinic review a study that considers whether acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that reduces proximal tubular sodium reabsorption, can improve the efficiency of loop diuretics, potentially leading to more and faster decongestion in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with volume overload.

An overnight Norfolk emergency physician whose bedside manner, ability to stay cool under multiple critical patients, and mentoring of students and residents has been recognized by the American College of Emergency Physicians with a teaching award.

With the Downcoding Provision dead and ruled a violation of federal law, medical groups in Virginia are making moves to recover Medicaid reimbursements dating back to July 2020.

A new report shows that while emergency physicians account for the vast majority of Virginia balance billing arbitrations with insurers, overall, the process is working.

Due to redistricting, every seat in the House and Senate is open. and Virginia will see the most crucial General Assembly election in recent history. Last week, Virginia held its primary elections to determine who will be on the November ballots. The results were a mixed bag for the emergency physician community.

A new law will put trained security in EDs 24/7, and every ED must develop a security risk assessment and plan for implementation. If you are an emergency department medical director, it’s not only in your best interests to be involved in this process — your participation is required by state law. Here are your next steps.

VACEP secured a number of wins in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly. Our efforts will soon be apparent in every emergency department statewide. Get the rundown of new EM laws that go into effect on July 1.

This month, a federal judge in Richmond ruled in favor of hospitals and physicians, saying the Virginia policy is not in accordance with federal law and the prudent layperson standard, and should be removed. The decision is subject to appeal, but represents a positive development for Virginia emergency medicine.

Statewide, there's been a dramatic uptick in Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP) in-person investigations based off patient complaints. The physician and provider community believe many of these stressful and time-consuming in-person visits can be avoided with a preliminary review — and DHP seems to agree.

Virginia emergency medicine leaders volunteered three days in Washington this week at the American College of Emergency Physicians Leadership & Advocacy Conference. There, they learned about the inner workings of federal legislation and regulations, brushed upon the latest emergency medicine topics, and on Tuesday spent the day on Capitol Hill meeting with Virginia’s federal lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Physicians from Riverside Health System review a December 2021 study that considers palliative care training for pre-hospital personnel, who may hold a key to an unwanted, avoidable, and potentially costly emergency department visit or hospital admission.

The growing role of peer counselors as partners in providing specialized services was addressed during a panel at VACEP’s 53rd Annual CME Conference in Williamsburg in February. The counselors’ emergence dovetails with healthcare’s recognition of substance use disorder (and its relapses) as a medical condition.

Last week, Virginia emergency physicians joined three other prominent state healthcare groups to call on the Governor to regulate the sale of illicit, intoxicating THC-infused products. These are sold in convenience stores in every corner of the state, none are subject to regulatory oversight, and many contain illegal amounts of THC and other intoxicating, synthetic THC derivatives.

With few exceptions, it was a banner year for emergency medicine in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly. Here’s a recap of VACEP’s priority legislation.

Our members look at an April 2022 study evaluating ECMO versus conventional rewarming for severe hypothermia patients.

Emergency physician leaders from Virginia and the American College of Emergency Physicians briefed attendees at VACEP ‘24 on key legislation considered in Richmond this year.