Emergency Department Accreditation and Physician Burnout with Gillian Schmitz, MD: Episode 127

Beloved past-president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Dr. Gillian Schmitz joins us to discuss an emergency department accreditation program that aims to address systemic problems and reduce burnout in emergency medicine. The program proposes different levels of accreditation based on criteria such as staffing, supervision, social work support, and patient care resources. The goal is to improve the practice environment and ensure physician-led care. Dr. Schmitz emphasizes the importance of physician involvement and advocacy in driving change and creating a better future for emergency medicine. She invites hospitals to participate in the pilot program and encourages physicians to provide feedback and support the initiative. Gillian Schmitz, MD, FACEP is a board certified Emergency Physician and Associate Professor in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine at USUHS. She works clinically in the Emergency Department and serves as the Vice Chair of Education at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. She is a nationally renowned educator and leader, currently serving on the National Board of Directors for the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Within USUHS, Dr. Schmitz is the clerkship site director for SAMMC, the Program Director for the Advanced Life Support Program, and faculty for Bushmaster, ACME, and Gunpowder.Dr. Schmitz has served in numerous national leadership positions within the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and serves on the Board of Directors. She is a former Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, subcommittee Chair for the Medical Legal Committee, Chair for the Young Physicians Section, and former Board member for the Emergency Medicine Resident’s Association (EMRA). She has been a leader in the Government Services Chapter, serving as President from 2015-2016.Dr.Schmitz has also been involved with emergency medicine research and is a former Emergency Medicine Foundation and DoD research grant recipient, published author, and reviewer for several medical journals. Her research interest is wound care, skin infections, and infectious disease.Dr. Schmitz has received awards for her leadership roles including the prestigious National Mentorship Award, the National Early Career Faculty Award from the Academy for Women in Academic Emergency Medicine (AWAEM), the Early Career Achievement Award from the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, and numerous teaching and mentoring awards from her residents and students. Keywords: emergency department accreditation, systemic problems, burnout, physician-led care, staffing, supervision, social work support, patient care resources, physician involvement, advocacy   Takeaways An emergency department accreditation program is being developed to address systemic problems and reduce burnout in emergency medicine. The program proposes different levels of accreditation based on criteria such as staffing, supervision, and social work support. Physician involvement and advocacy are crucial in driving change and improving the practice environment. Hospitals are invited to participate in the pilot program and provide feedback to help refine the accreditation standards. Sound Bites "80% of burnout stems from systemic problems" "Staffing and supervision are key differentiators in emergency department accreditation" "Physician wellness is a focus of the accreditation program" Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:52 Emergency Department Accreditation Program 08:07 Criteria for Accreditation 12:06 Levels of Accreditation 15:54 Physician Involvement and Advocacy 23:03 Getting Involved and Providing Feedback https://www.acep.org/edap [email protected]