Registration is now open for EMRA’s Job Fair & Residency Fair held during ACEP’s Scientific Assembly in San Francisco, CA. Visit the EMRA Website for detailed information!!

    SAEM Annual Meeting 2011 (06/01/2011)  Wednesday June 1, 2011 10:06 Steven Horng:  Welcome to the EMRA live-blog feed from SAEM 2011. Stay tuned for live coverage including pictures, video, and commentary from the Annual Meeting. Wednesday June 1, 2011 10:06 Steven Horng 10:07 blomkalns:  SAEM conf code for internet access on meeting flrs is 01D6B4 [...]

EMRA is excited to be involved with the Emergency Medicine Action Fund!

ACEP has been working hard to bring this initiative to reality – and now it is finally taking shape. The Emergency Medicine Action Fund (EMAF) is a group created by ACEP that is designed to bring EM organizations together. EMRA has been part of the discussions leading up to the fund’s launch, and we are enthusiastic to be the newest member of the Board of Directors.

Being involved will allow EMRA to be on the front lines of issues that are of specific concern to members. Workforce. GME Funding. Poison Control Centers. We were all excited about EMRA’s advocacy efforts before – and this is the next step in ensuring that the voices of residents, students, and fellows are heard.

Check out www.emra.org for more information!

Jordan Celeste, MD – ACEP Representative

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This week on Friday, March 4th from 2pm-6pm EMRA has organized a resident specific educational track at the CORD Academic Assembly in San Diego.  The resident track contains resident and fellow specific information for those interested in pushing academic positions within emergency medicine.  A resident and faculty mixer sponsored by EMRA will be occurring immediately [...]

If the House budget proposal passes, Poison Control Centers stand to lose $27.3 million out of the current $29.3 million they receive in federal funding. With this kind of dramatic cut, many poison control centers would be forced to close, and emergency physicians and our patients facing toxicologic emergencies would lose a valuable resource. To learn more about this important issue, visit the American Association of Poison Control Centers website at www.aapcc.org.

-Alison Hadock, EMRA Legislative Advisor

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released interpretive guidelines in February 2010 that were very restrictive of the use of procedural sedation in the ED. In response, ACEP held a meeting with CMS in April, 2010. Given the unique environment in the Emergency Department, CMS revisited these guidelines and has finally released revisions which will allow hospitals to use different clinical guidelines in different areas of the hospital. For example, they state that ACEP guidelines may be used in the ED and the American Surgical Association’s (ASA) guidelines for surgery suites. However, the underlying regulation is still controlled by each hospital, meaning the individual hospital still ultimately determines clinical privileges for anesthesia administration.

Given these recent changes, it is important for us to advocate for the use of procedural sedation in the emergency department at our local hospitals. There are still many training facilities where certain anesthetic medications, like Propofol, are banned from use in the emergency department. Residents are graduating from these programs without knowledge of an anesthetic they will most likely be expected to use as an attending. We are one step closer to changing these outdated practices.

Thanks to all who have worked hard on this issue. Continue the good work!

Angela Fusaro, MD

Just when you thought that we were finished – the 2011 EMRA Antibiotic Guide is available for your Palm OS and Pocket PC/Windows Mobile! You can purchase this through the ACEP Bookstore and EMRA members receive a discounted price! Order yours today!

PEPID Emergency Physician Suite is the only point-of-care tool that truly supports emergency residents in making decisions. PEPID ED provides access to a complete medical and pharmacological reference that allows you to quickly drill down to protocols and other critical information that can improve patient safety and speed of care.

PEPID ED Platinum Contains:
• Differential diagnosis generator
• Drug database including trade names, generics, OTCs, herbals and supplements
• Drug interactions generator
• Medical and dosing calculators
• Emergency-specific evidence-based inquiries and practice recommendations
• Disease profiles and clinical conditions
• Emergency protocols and algorithms
• Assessments
• Diagnostic tests
• and much more!!

For December 2010 ONLY – Medical Students and Residents that are members of EMRA save 50% on PEPID’s 12 month subscription. Alumni members save 20% on this valuable tool!

Purchase your subscription today before the offer expires on December 31, 2010!

Visit EMRA’s Website to order today!

Read this great article written by C.C. Halloran, MD about why she decides to be an EMRA Alumni member: