Board Meeting Minutes

American Academy of Emergency Medicine
Minutes of Board of Directors Meeting
Atlanta, Georgia
May 5, 2001

IN ATTENDANCE: Robert McNamara, MD; Carol Barsky, MD; Howard Blumstein, MD; William Durkin, MD; Antoine Kazzi, MD; Geoffrey Mitchell, MD; Margaret O'Leary, MD; Tom Scaletta, MD; Tobey Williams, MD; Leslie Zun, MD. Guest: Scott Weiner, MD. Via conference call: Drew Fenton, MD. Absent: Raymond Roberge, MD; Joseph Wood, MD, JD. Staff: Kay Whalen and Eric Lanke.

Dr. McNamara welcomed everyone to Atlanta and turned their attention to the first agenda item.

I. Approval of March 21, 2001 Conference Call Minutes

Dr. McNamara asked if there were any corrections to the March 21st draft minutes included in the agenda packet. He noted that Dr. Roberge had earlier questioned the wording of point number 6 in the legislative agenda. Dr. Blumstein moved and Dr. Scaletta seconded that the March 21, 2001 minutes be approved with one correction. Point number six in the approved AAEM Legislative/Regulatory Agenda should read: "Collective bargaining for physicians whether or not they are involved in a union." MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

II. President's Report

Dr. McNamara reported that just prior to the Board meeting, he had presented his session, "The History and Current State of Emergency Medicine," to a group of over 30 chief residents. Many of these residents were extremely interested in AAEM issues. He had also recently spoken at the MCP-Hahnemann program and was scheduled to speak at Emory later in the month.

Michael Rapp, MD, had presented the benefits of ACEP membership and ACEP's activities at the Temple program earlier in the week.

III. Treasurer's Report

Dr. Fenton gave the Treasurer's report via speaker phone. He noted that we should have the final financial figures for the Scientific Assembly by the end of May. He also reported that AAEM had invested in two $100,000 certificates of deposit and had opened a second bank account for state chapter funds.

IV. Membership Report

Ms. Whalen reported that this year's membership numbers were once again higher than those of the previous year. Full voting membership totals are 10% ahead of last year's pace and associate members are 17% ahead of last year's pace.

Dr. McNamara asked Board members once again to volunteer to call non-renewing members to encourage them to pay this year's dues.

Dr. Williams then asked the Board to consider the AAEM Resident Section request to offer free membership to student members. The Board discussed various ways to structure the proposed student membership status. Dr. Williams moved and Dr. Scaletta seconded that AAEM offer medical students a complimentary membership for one year and a $20 fee for subsequent years. A subscription to JEM would not be included for this membership. MOTION PASSED 6-5.

At this point, Dr. Fenton left the call.

V. JEM Update

Dr. McNamara reminded the Board that the Executive Committee had been empowered to negotiate the upcoming three-year contract with Elsevier. Negotiations are still underway. However, Elsevier offered us a discounted rate for residents.

VI. Stresa

Dr. Kazzi reported that planning for the joint meeting with the European Society of Emergency Medicine was well underway. The abstract deadline for this session is May 31st. The break-even number of registrants needed for this meeting is 400. The preliminary program for this meeting will be mailed to AAEM members and non-members in the immediate future.

VII. Proposed Letter to Hospital Administrators

The Board then reviewed a draft letter that AAEM's members can use to send to their hospital administrators warning them of the dangers of using contract management companies. The Board agreed that this letter should be distributed to members via Common Sense and also posted on the website.

VIII. Group Integrity Clauses Policy Statement

Dr. Kazzi then presented a draft AAEM policy statement on Group Integrity Clauses that was forwarded by an emergency physician from California for consideration by the AAEM Board. He noted that this statement was intended to address those instances when restrictive covenant clauses may be acceptable (to protect the integrity of democratic groups). Dr. Kazzi moved and Dr. Scaletta seconded that AAEM adopt the Group Integrity Clauses position statement that had been included in the agenda packet. MOTION FAILED 0-9-1 with Dr. Kazzi abstaining.

IX. FDA Authority over Tobacco

Next, Dr. McNamara turned the Board's attention to two HR bills included in the agenda packet. Dr. McNamara then moved and Dr. Scaletta seconded that AAEM endorse HR 1043 and HR 1097. MOTION PASSED 7-3.

X. AAEM Services Update

Dr. McNamara then reported that AAEM now wholly owns AAEM Services. He also noted that ten contracts have already been signed for the AAEM templates. The feedback on the template product has been extremely positive. AAEM Services is also exploring liability insurance products.

XI. ACEP Exhibit

Due to time constraints, Dr. Blumstein moved and Dr. O'Leary seconded that the issue of whether or not AAEM would have an exhibit booth at the October ACEP meeting be discussed at a later time. MOTION FAILED 3-7.

The Board then discussed the types of materials that AAEM would be able to display without violating the restrictions that ACEP has set forth of not promoting AAEM membership, JEM or the AAEM Resident Section.

The Board felt that AAEM should promote the www.911emergency website which promotes the value of board certification as well as other educational literature in an exhibit at the ACEP meeting. In addition, we could promote AAEM Services templates.

XII. CME Meetings

Dr. McNamara then turned the Board's attention to a CME joint sponsorship application that had previously been approved by the Executive Committee.

Dr. O'Leary stated that she did not feel the Executive Committee had made the proper decision due to the potential financial ramifications and the possible quality of the conference.

After much discussion, Dr. O'Leary moved and Dr. Kazzi seconded that the AAEM Board reverse the earlier Executive Committee decision to approve the CME application of a 2002 educational meeting. MOTION FAILED 3-7.

XIII. Washington Representation

Dr. McNamara noted that the proposal in the agenda book for Washington representation was no longer applicable. James Thorne, AAEM's Washington representative, had left the firm referenced in the proposal. Therefore, this issue would be discussed after we receive a new proposal.

XIV. New Business

The Board then turned its attention to the Amiodarone position statement draft included in the agenda materials. Dr. McNamara moved and Dr. Blumstein seconded that AAEM adopt the position statement developed by the Amiodarone working group which finds that the use of amiodarone in refractory pulseless VT/VF should not be considered "standard of care" for this condition. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Next, the Board addressed the possible endorsement of HR 1556 which relates to GME funding. Dr. McNamara moved and Dr. Mitchell seconded that AAEM support HR 1556. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Dr. Scaletta then reviewed the materials included in the second agenda packet regarding the "I Promise" program, a program designed to ensure safe driving habits among teens. Dr. Scaletta moved and Dr. Kazzi seconded that AAEM should support the "I Promise" program. MOTION PASSED 7-2-1 with Dr. O'Leary abstaining.

Next, Dr. Durkin moved and Dr. McNamara seconded that AAEM disclose the results of the AAEM election to any paid AAEM member who would like this information. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Dr. Scaletta then informed the Board that the Illinois Department of Public Health's Emergency Department Accreditation Program (EDAP). EDAP has granted a waiver to BCEM physicians regarding board certification programs. Dr. McNamara moved and Dr. Williams seconded that the AAEM Board members who reside in Illinois be allowed to communicate, on behalf of the AAEM Board, with the state of Illinois on this issue. MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Dr. Zun then reported that he had just attended the Academic Chairs Committee meeting. During this meeting, ACEP was allowed to update the chairs on their activities and those chairs that sit on the ACEP Board were thanked for their service. The same was not true for AAEM. Dr. McNamara will write a letter to this Committee asking to be allowed to update the chairs on AAEM activities at the next meeting.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Whalen
Organizational Director