Andres Patiño, MD (right, above), in his role as ACEP Ambassador to Ecuador, co-chaired the first forum about the Future of Emergency Medicine in Ecuador, with Professor Augusto Maldonado, MD, from the Universidad Santiago de Quito, on September 5th and 6th, 2019, in Quito, Ecuador.
Emergency medicine has existed as a specialty in Ecuador for almost 30 years. There are 2 residencies in the country, both in the capital city. Despite its long history, the growth of the specialty has been slow. There are very few EM specialists outside the capital and most of the emergency care in the country is still provided by general practitioners or non-EM specialists.
In order to cultivate stronger leadership within the specialty, the Forum sought to help connect Ecuadorian EM specialists with the international EM community, foster international flow of ideas and collaboration, and bring Ecuadorian EM specialists together to brainstorm solutions to the main challenges faced by the specialty in the country. Topics included quality improvement, residency education, research, leadership, and government advocacy.
More than 80 EM specialists and residents attended. Speakers included Nicole Franks, MD, Bryan McNally, MD, and Jeffrey Siegelman, MD, from Emory, as well as Ecuadorian EM experts, the president of the Latin American Federation of Emergency Medicine, and the immediate past president and the chair of the International Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
The Forum was a success and led to a comprehensive reform proposal by the Ecuadorian Society of Emergency Medicine and Disasters.