Statement Opposing the Health and Human Services Proposed Policy Change

The current administration has proposed changes in Health and Human Services policy that would allow healthcare providers to deny or change medical care based on their personal religious or moral beliefs.  Although the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) supports everyone's right to their opinion and beliefs, this seems to inherently violate the oath physicians take to serve humanity, and jeopardizes the vulnerable in our society that we in emergency medicine protect and serve every day.  The Hippocratic oath says first do no harm.  However the proposed changes have the potential to do harm, especially for women, minorities, disadvantaged, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) patients, and to anyone who cares about and expects competent unbiased emergency care.  We as emergency providers will deliver the most culturally-competent and equitable care to all patients and we must stand united to oppose any policy that serves to alienate and deny basic competent healthcare.  This is not a political matter, it is a human one. One that organized emergency medicine should stand and firmly oppose.