One of the important functions of CCEP is to monitor legislation that affects emergency physicians and emergency medicine. CCEP contracts with a lobbyist firm, Guinan and Associates to help in this function. Two important bills this session are: 

Proposed Bill 5794, AN ACT PROHIBITING THE USE OF ANIMALS FOREMERGENCY MEDICAL OR RESUSCITATION TRAINING EXERCISES. 

Proposed Bill 5610, AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENTOF A SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS PROGRAM.

CCEP strongly opposes bill 5794. A crucial part of every emergency physician’s training is performance and mastering of life stabilizing procedures under supervised laboratory vivisection with animal models. Simulation models or cadaver models do not provide the same realistic variables or environment that animal models provide to mimic life threatening human conditions and do not occur often enough in the course of a physician’s training to provide familiarity. It is the vivisection practice of these procedures that maximizes the successful performance of stabilization in human patients that would die or suffer harm if the stabilization were not achieved. The practice of procedures using animal models saves human lives and, if not for this training, people would die.CCEP strongly supports bill 5610. CCEP has been closely involved with the development of this legislation. Last year, the same bill passed through all committees unanimously. However, the legislature failed to approve a new budget that would support any new funding and the bill died. Given the current fiscal crisis, the legislature is very hesitant to pass any new bill, which creates a program requiring funding. However, there are many aspects of this bill, which will eventually provide a cost savings and definitely will improve the current practice of collecting forensic evidence from sexual assault victims. Most importantly, the creation of a state wide S.A.N.E. program will provide improved, efficient and compassionate care to patients that have been traumatized physically and emotionally. Our patients and CCEP need the membership’s help to contact members of the respective committees regarding these two bills. Bill 5610 is in public health committee and needs letters of support.

This is the link to the membership: http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/MemberList.asp?comm_code=PH&doc_type=). Bill 5794 is in the environment committee and needs letters describing the positive experiences achieved for patients provided by the medical training using animal models,(http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/MemberList.asp?comm_code=ENV&doc_type=). Please take the time to contact someone from the committee, especially the chair, ranking members, or your specific representative and express emergency medicine and CCEP’s point of view. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gshangold@wcmh.org.

Thank you for your help to advance and preserve emergency care in Connecticut.

Gregory L. Shangold, MD, FACEP 

President-Elect, CCEP

Chair, Government Affairs Committee