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 Well,
let’s see, how did I become President of NJ-ACEP? First I am
a NJ native, born and raised in northern New Jersey. I
attended Union High School. I majored in Food Science at
Cook College- Rutgers University (that was before they had a
good football team), and then UMDNJ-NJ Medical School in
beautiful Newark, NJ. Needing a change at this point, my
wife and I ventured to UMASS for my residency in Emergency
Medicine in Worcester, MA. Although, our time there was a
lot of fun, family and friends in New Jersey called us home.
We are now Ocean County residents, and I currently am the
Chairman of Emergency Services at Community Medical Center
in Toms River, NJ. I have practiced there for the last 11
years.
Emergency Medicine has always been my passion, from the
early days volunteering time in a local hospital emergency
room, to becoming an EMT and serving on my local first aid
squad. Emergency Medicine is my calling. It is a privilege
to help those patients and their families who are faced with
illness no matter how large or small it may seem. Whether
you have just a cold, or are faced with a life or death
situation, I will do my best to guide you through it in the
short time we spend together in the Emergency Department.
Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to
work with my colleagues in NJ-ACEP and on National ACEP
Committees and the Council at National ACEP. I am fascinated
by the college’s ability to move forward our agenda in
emergency medicine. I am also humbled by the Presidents of
NJ-ACEP before me who have worked so hard for our specialty
in New Jersey. Politics are such that there is always an
issue confronting our specialty; overcrowding, psychiatric
holds, affordable malpractice coverage to name a few. If we
are not sharp and in touch with the issues, someone else
will decide how things should work in our Emergency
Departments without our input.
Emergency Medicine has changed in the last 15 years. The
Business of emergency medicine; obtaining affordable
malpractice coverage, adequate reimbursement, and managing
overcrowding are becoming more and more difficult. The
Practice of emergency medicine is advancing rapidly;
ultrasound at the bedside, lab results at the bedside in
minutes, imaging studies that reveal the subtlest
abnormalities. The Philosophy of emergency medicine remains
the same; competent, compassionate care to all those in
need, 24/7/365.
I am certainly no Pulitzer Prize winner so I will stop
writing here. I look forward to continuing to work with you
toward the advancement of the specialty. If you have any
questions about NJ-ACEP please do not hesitate to email me
at
LDesRochers@sbhcs.com.
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