ACEP Calls for Congressional Action on Boarding Crisis, Violence

September 23rd, 2024

ED docs reemphasize need for diverse workforce

By Gary Evans, Medical Writer

In a recent Congressional advocacy campaign, the American College of Emergency Physicians emphasized several legislative priorities and reiterated their strong stance on diversity, equity and inclusion in the healthcare workforce.

ACEP advocated for bills that would address the psychiatric patient boarding problem in emergency departments and prevent violence in healthcare. The latter included the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act” (H.R. 2663/S. 1176) and the “SAVE Act” (H.R. 2584/S.2768).

ACEP reiterated the tenets of its diversity policy, which include:

• “Hospitals and emergency physicians should work together to promote staffing of hospitals and their emergency departments with highly qualified individuals of diverse race, ethnicity, sex (including gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status), nationality, religion, age, [and] disability.”
• “Culturally congruent health care interactions can improve adherence, trust, and patient experience, thereby expanding quality of, and access to, care for traditionally hesitant or disengaged populations.”
• “Strategies should be implemented to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, including mentorship programs, scholarships, and grants. At the system level, implicit and unconscious bias should be recognized and meaningfully addressed.”1

References

1. American College of Emergency Physicians. Workforce Diversity in Health Care Settings. Revised June 2023. https://www.acep.org/patient-care/policy-statements/workforce-diversity-in-health-care-settings