Annals will no longer routinely carry editorials written by the ACEP President. This departure from the practice which dates back to the journal's first volume in 1972 is a reasonably insignificant event. It is, however, reflective of a period of obvious but subtle transition that is occurring within emergency medicine.
If the developmental period in emergency medicine occurred in the early 1970s, the recognition of the specialty of emergency medicine in 1979 represents for emergency medicine a rite of passage in the medical/ political world. It also represents the final achievement of goals of almost unanimous support within ACEP, and has opened a new era for emergency medicine replete with responsibilities and opportunities.
In these last presidential editorials, some of the issues facing emergency medicine, and the methodologies we must utilize to deal with them, will be discussed. A brief outline of those topics follows.
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We must not fail to continue to develop the definition of emergency medicine, and to sustain the momentum which specialty recognition has provided. Recognition of a new specialty is not synonymotis with the full acceptance of emergency medicine within each hospital where there are emergency physicians.
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The achievement of unanimously supported national goals can create a sense of vacuum in which planning and direction already established within ACEP are much less well known. Therefore, a broader consensus in planning is necessary within the College; we must focus on communication between the membership and the College to maintain an understanding of these goals; and national goals must be selected which will facilitate the achievement of state and regional goals.
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Emergency medicine must establish its academic foothold by emphasizing the characteristics of the specialty. a) Emergency medicine is a critical care Specialty. This is the real reason for the existence of the specialty.
b) Research must be emphasized in the academic and practice settings. Research must be directed at the critical care aspects of emergency medicine. It is imperative that emergency medicine organizations assure this development as a high priority.