WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is pleased to announce that Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP, has been elected president during its annual meeting, ACEP20, the world’s largest emergency medicine conference.

Through his leadership role Dr. Rosenberg will focus on pandemic readiness—including the ongoing battle against COVID-19—improving health equity, and the expansion of telehealth. Reflecting on his upcoming presidency and the future direction of the college, Dr. Rosenberg said:

“Our lives are forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a country and medical specialty. The fight against this virus has revealed the commitment and courage of emergency physicians like few other events in our lifetime. The nation has witnessed what ACEP members have known all along: emergency physicians provide incredible value to our patients and health care system.

Now, under my leadership, we will create a stronger framework for the future that focuses on improving patient access to care and empowers and protects emergency physicians’ ability to do their job.

The pandemic also adds urgency to efforts to eliminate health disparities and improve health equity in this country. Many people rely on emergency physicians because we are the best or only option for care. We are often first to confront the consequences of gaps in care and barriers to access, so it is imperative that we seize the opportunity to factor prominently into the solutions. Emergency physicians must make sure that patients of all backgrounds have more opportunities to access treatment they need.

Further, it is time to use telehealth to extend the footprint of emergency medicine beyond hospital walls. Emergency physicians are finding new ways to deliver appropriate medical attention to patients when, and where, it is necessary. We must encourage a favorable regulatory environment that welcomes more comprehensive and better-connected care.

ACEP members are leading efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, improve mental health care, and enhance the way we treat our older and most vulnerable patients, among many other initiatives to confront the nation’s most pressing health care challenges. It is the honor of a lifetime to lead ACEP as we forge the future of our specialty and build on the remarkable value of emergency medicine to make a difference in millions of patients’ lives.”  

During his one-year tenure as ACEP president, Dr. Rosenberg will move from chair to chair emeritus of emergency medicine at St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson and Wayne, New Jersey, where he is known as the innovator behind the nation’s first Alternative to Opioids (ALTO) program.

Dr. Rosenberg was first elected to the ACEP board of directors in 2015 and has served on the board of directors of the Emergency Medicine Foundation, and on the National Pain Management Task Force of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to ALTO, Dr. Rosenberg has long been a champion for advances in palliative and geriatric care, including the ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program.

Dr. Rosenberg earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM) and the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) in emergency medicine and hospice and palliative care.