emergency physician organizational involvement 
in the governance structure of the Surviving 
Sepsis Campaign serves to limit the perspectives 
offered by practicing emergency physicians in 
the United States when guidelines are being 
developed. ACEP will continue to work to ensure 
that guidelines developed for the care of patients 
with sepsis are based upon the strongest and most 
up to date science and are developed to ensure 
ease and effectiveness of implementation, while 
also reflective of the experience and realities of 
practicing emergency physicians.
2026-2027 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 
The ACEP Board finalized the following  
Strategic Priorities: 
1. Advocacy 
2. Clinical Excellence, Research, and Scholarship 
3. Practice Innovation 
4. Career Fulfillment  
5. Member Engagement and Trust
The Board reaffirmed the College’s vision, mission, 
and purpose.
THE BOARD APPROVED THE  
FOLLOWING POLICIES
• Support for Scientific Integrity in Medicine and 
Public Health Policy (new policy)
• Clinical Guidelines Affecting Emergency 
Medicine Practice (revised policy)
• Staffing Models and the Role of the ED Medical 
Director (revised policy)
• Unannounced Standardized (Fictitious)  
Patients (formerly titled “Fictitious Patients”) 
(revised policy) 
• Compendium of Financial Policies and 
Operational Guidelines 
Board Meeting – April 29, 2026
The ACEP Board of Directors met at ACEP’s DC 
Headquarters on April 29, 2026. 
• The Board heard updates on the ongoing 
discussions with the American College of 
Surgeons to ensure that trauma centers have 
emergency departments staffed by physicians.
• The Board also heard updates on significant 
engagement with the College’s “Built on Results” 
communications campaign. (https://www.acep.
org/results)
• During the meeting, the Board approved the 
following:
  — Consolidation of ACEP’s Medicaid-related 
policies
  — Recommendation from the Finance 
Committee and Executive Leadership to pay 
the remaining mortgage balance on the ACEP 
Headquarters building in Texas
  — Unscheduled procedural sedation 
multidisciplinary Delphi consensus guidelines
  — Multiple annual College awards for 2026
  — Leadership and volunteers conduct policy
The Nominating Committee met on April 15, 2026, 
and selected the slate of candidates for president-
elect and the Board of Directors. All candidates 
have accepted the nomination and have no private 
disclosures. Elections will occur during the Council 
meeting in Chicago on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
President-Elect
Heidi C. Knowles, MS, MD, FACEP 
Kristin B. McCabe-Kline, MD, FACEP 
James L. Shoemaker, Jr., MD, FACEP
"
ACEP will continue to work to ensure 
that guidelines developed for the care of 
patients with sepsis are based upon the 
strongest and most up to date science...
continue reading on page 27
23
Spring 2026

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.