Take Medicine Back began with Emergency physicians organizing to take emergency medicine back from corporate interests that exploit patients and physicians alike.

The vision of the "Reclamation of Emergency Medicine White Paper" is that emergency physicians will be re-empowered to advocate for their patients and communities without fear of job loss, disciplinary action, or other professional retribution.

Mitch Li is a practicing emergency physician and currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine - Locum Group. Dr. Li completed residency training in Detroit, MI where he served as a medical director for the Wayne County Special Response Team. He is also the founder of Thrive Direct Care, PLLC, predicated on the direct primary care model and providing transparent access to an emergency physician without the need for insurance.

Robert McNamara, MD, MAAEM currently serves as Chairman at Temple University Hospital. He is a founding member of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM). Dr. McNamara served as AAEM’s President from 1996 until 2002 and is the Chief Medical Officer of the AAEM Physician Group which seeks to preserve physician-owned practices in emergency medicine.

Dr. Vicki Norton is a community emergency physician and on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. She is a strong opponent of the corporate control of medicine, specifically the interference in the physician-patient relationship that puts profits before patients.

Arthur Smolensky, MD is a partner, Chief Financial and Chief Operating Officer for Middle Tennessee Emergency Physicians, an independent private practice group in the Nashville area. Dr. Smolensky is also an assistant professor and the Director of Informatics and Documentation with the University of Tennessee-Nashville/Murfreesboro emergency medicine residency.

Natalie Newman, MD is a board-certified emergency physician and U.S. Army veteran who has been practicing for over two decades. Dr. Newman is also an advocate for patients and physicians. She blogs at authenticmedicine.com.

This is in recognition of the numerous dedicated and fierce young patient advocates who represent the next generation in emergency medicine and other specialties and helped to found Take Medicine Back. Many must remain anonymous for fear of retaliation from oppressive corporations and employers while shouldering an increasing burden of educational debt and an uncertain future sold away from them by the greed of a previous generation.