Rosalia Holzman, MD
Univ. of WI Emergency Medicine Residency, Class of 2020
As I have progressed through my training, I have realized more and more that I cannot expect things to change just because I believe something is wrong or unfair. It takes initiative from those who identify different issues to work towards a solution. It finally occurred to me that this includes myself. I need to speak up for what needs to change. My residency program passed along information about the ACEP Leadership & Advocacy Conference (LAC) and I knew immediately I wanted to go.
It was an amazing experience (especially for my first national conference as an emergency intern) and I cannot wait to go back again. I met so many motivated and passionate emergency physicians that are going to change our practice and our country for the better. I sat through different sessions on the opioid epidemic, medicare reimbursement, drug shortages, and more. There was an amazing panel discussing women in leadership in emergency medicine and how women like myself need to step up to the table and make ourselves heard. We also had the opportunity to listen to the Surgeon General as our keynote speaker!
On top of conference sessions and discussions, we spent an entire day on Capitol Hill advocating for 3 particular issues: the opioid crisis, drug shortages, and disaster preparedness. It was an eventful day working alongside fellow Wisconsin EM physicians. This conference really opened my eyes as to everything that is being done and all of the opportunities there are for me to really advocate for my patients and my profession. I would like to thank WACEP for helping me attend the conference, and I cannot wait to get more involved!