President's Message

August 2025

AJ Kirk, MD, FACEP

Colleagues,

Last week, the TCEP Board of Directors, Councillors and TLAF Fellows came together for a very productive and collaborative series of meetings. The real recognition, however, goes to those who ventured out to Chicken & Pickle for a local TCEP networking reception to try their hand at some pickleball (which I heard became somewhat competitive and resulted in some skin being left at the court!).

Our day began with a Leadership & Advocacy Fellow session, followed by Councillor discussions. Once again, we have talented Fellows excited to make a difference for our patients and our specialty. During the Councilor meeting, we reviewed background information, discussed each ACEP resolution, and outlined our planned approach. While asynchronous testimony closed earlier today, you can still review the resolutions and share any specific feedback with your Board members or Councillors.

We also held a Board of Directors meeting during which we reviewed our finances, plans for our CONNECT 2026 Annual Meeting, and discussed future endeavors. The College remains in a solid financial position, and our membership is continuing to grow. The best way to maintain this momentum is to speak with your colleagues about the value that TCEP brings - from staving off very real attempts to challenge willful and wanton statutes, advocating for adequate reimbursement and lobbying for adequate resources for our members as they care for patients throughout our great state, including in rural and remote areas! As always, we welcome your feedback so we can best represent you.

I am also continuing to work with ACEP to build local member participation to collaborate within ACEP’s 911 grassroots network, an important part of our ability to help our elected national representatives understand our needs and positions. This is by far the most effective way of ensuring our message is heard, so please stay active in your districts as a resource for your local political leaders.

I look forward to seeing many of you in Salt Lake City in a few weeks and will provide another update after the Council and Assembly.

Warm regards,

AJ Kirk, MD, FACEP