President's Message

My first thought is to express my sincere gratitude to our Immediate Past President, Board of Directors, and Executive Director with whom I’ve had the privilege of serving this past year and in years prior. The amount of thought, effort, and heart they each put into their responsibilities is truly impressive as well as humbling. Earlier this month, we held our CONNECT 2026 Annual Meeting in Rockwall. The venue was outstanding, and the level of participation was fantastic! We had 125 Medical Students, 68 Residents/Fellows, and a similar number of Attending Physicians participating in didactics, skills labs, CME, exciting competitions, and a Research Forum feature 60 posters. 

The meeting also brought to our attention two issues that require our ongoing attention. During the conference, we learned of the detention of Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, a first-year EM Resident in McAllen. ACEP President Dr. Tony Cirillo was in attendance, and we immediately collaborated with him and national ACEP to post public statements in her support, demanding her release. We continue to be engaged at both the state and national levels advocating for her and offering our full support. The Board of Directors was also updated by Dr. Rob Hancock and Brian Jackson of the Texas Alliance for Patient Access (TAPA) about an active lawsuit that has been filed in federal court. The key issue for us is, that rather than alleging malpractice, the claim is that the patient’s civil rights were violated, which resulted in his death. Because the case was filed in federal court, Texas tort law does not apply, and malpractice insurance cannot cover the physician defendants. This is new territory, and no one can tell which way the case will go. 

Both of these issues drive home the point that physician engagement in public policy is critical. We need to support each other individually, and we all need to work collectively to protect our specialty and our ability to practice medicine in our patients’ best interest. Watch this newsletter and our social media accounts for updates on these as well as other important items that will affect us all. 

Best, 

Bryan M. Dunn, MD, FACEP