As a member of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians, you have the privilege of casting your vote for the 2008-2009 FCEP Board of Directors. Please read the candidates' statements below and complete the ballot. Ballots must be received no later than Monday, July 28, 2008. Return information is located on the ballot itself.

This is a chance for FCEP members to choose those who will shape the course of the College over the next few years. This year, there are five very qualified candidates vying for the five open slots on the FCEP Board.

Here are this year’s candidates:

Ashley Booth, MD, FACEP

     For those of you who don’t know me, I have lived in Florida for seven years and am an emergency physician with the University of Florida’s Emergency Medicine Residency in Jacksonville. I am an ardent patient advocate and have worked consistently to improve standards and performance within the University of Florida- Jacksonville’s emergency department. I have been actively involved at the committee level in national ACEP, serving on the Academic Affairs and the Federal Governmental Affairs committees as well as the NEMPAC Board of Directors. I currently sit on FCEP’s Academic Affairs Committee and have lectured the last two years at FCEP’s Symposium by the Sea conference and EM Days. I believe I have the experience and skills necessary to help lead FCEP and I would be honored to serve on your Board of Directors.
     Organized medicine faces many challenges: the increasing cost of medical practice teamed with decreasing reimbursement, decreasing access to care, a growing number of uninsured, an unfavorable medical liability climate, nursing shortages and hospital overcrowding, to name a few. These issues require an immediate and coordinated response from us. As physicians, we have the opportunity to make changes now that will improve healthcare delivery and safety in the future. My goals for FCEP are to expand our advocacy efforts and continue to advance FCEP’s sovereign immunity bill in Congress. In addition I want to help expand FCEP’s educational initiatives. I look forward to working with the members of FCEP as well as the Board of Directors.

Gary W. Gillette, MD, FACEP

     A graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, I completed my emergency medicine residency right here in Florida, at Orlando Regional Medical Center. I am serving as Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at North Florida Regional in Gainesville Florida, and am currently chief of staff this year. I am a practicing ER physician.
     I have been a member of the Florida College of Emergency Physicians for many years, having served on the Governmental Affairs Committee, and I have represented FCEP several times at Emergency Medicine Days in Tallahassee, supporting those issues that will improve the practice climate here in Florida. Through being a member of the FCEP Board of Directors, I would like to continue the fight for on-call specialty coverage, the shortage of nursing, reducing patient boarding in the ER, and better reimbursement.

Steven Kailes, MD, FACEP

     There are many issues facing Florida’s emergency physicians and the patients we serve. I want to contribute my time and energy to effect positive change by addressing these problems. The list of issues includes, but is not limited to, the continued crisis from the lack of on-call physician specialties, challenges for our reimbursement, Emergency Department overcrowding, the boarding of patients in the ED, a continued need for effective tort reform, and pressures from those outside of EM attempting to dictate policies and practices within the ED. Furthermore, I hope to help bring cohesion to our specialty and to foster cooperation with other groups that influence our field.
     I served proudly in the U.S. Navy for nine years, including one deployment with the 2nd U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Group to Al Anbar Province, Iraq from 2005-06. Since my return, I have participated in several FCEP forums and Board of Directors meetings, including the EM Days legislative affairs activities in Tallahassee. My wife and I have chosen to make Florida our home and we are raising our family in the Jacksonville area, where I practice as a member of an independent, democratic EM group.
     I pledge to be an advocate for Florida’s EM physicians and patients. I promise to be a strong voice promoting a practice environment that enables us to provide the best possible care for our patients. I will also work towards the enhancement of our specialty within the fields of medicine and to help us fulfill the ideals that drew us to this specialty in the first place. Please support my efforts by electing me to the FCEP Board of Directors.

Leila Posaw, MD, FACEP

     Hello! I would very much like to serve on the FCEP Board of Directors. Though I have been a member of ACEP since my first year of residency in 1995, it was primarily with my eyes wide shut. It is only recently that I have awoken to a larger sense of purpose, and I now find it unconscionable to linger on the sidelines and hope that somebody else is going to take care of the larger issues that micromanage our every shift on the front lines.
     As Assistant Editor of the EMpulse, I have become uncomfortably familiar with the myriad issues facing us emergency physicians in Florida today. Over the past decade, the dramatic increase in emergency visits along with the contraction in the number of emergency departments and hospital beds, declining reimbursements and high malpractice rates have resulted in a scenario where we emergency physicians are finding it exceedingly difficult to practice quality emergency care.
     I am proud to belong to the FCEP and fight for the issues that affect us and our patients. We have a long struggle ahead of us.
     As member of the Board, I hope to bring my passions and my energy to the forefront. I believe that through commitment, teamwork, collaboration and dedication I can contribute positively to our cause. I look forward to making a difference!

Anil Sahijwani, MD, FACEP (Incumbent)

     I have gained a tremendous amount of experience serving this past term on the Board and I would like to be elected to serve again. I have been actively involved in FCEP since my residency years at Orlando Regional Medical Center, and my passion for the advancement of our field continues to grow each year.
     I am currently a partner at Tampa Bay Emergency Physicians, as well as an active participant in several FCEP committees, and I continue to attend the annual EM Days in Tallahassee. Through my experiences with FCEP, I’ve learned how important it is for us to inform and educate others about the intricacies of Emergency Medicine ultimately allowing us to provide the best care possible for our patients.
     Just like all of my colleagues throughout the state, I face the daily struggles that plague our field and it is this desire for change that drives me to be an active part of FCEP. This organization has already made great strides for our field and I would like to continue contributing towards bringing our goals to reality through my hard work, commitment, and desire. I respectfully request your vote for this upcoming term on the Board of Directors and pledge my continued efforts towards advancing our field for both my colleagues and our patients.