The Rape of Emergency Medicine was first published anonymously by “The Phoenix” in 1992, as a quasi-fictional account of the physicians and patients harmed by egregious emergency medicine contract management group abuses. This engaging book was a catalyst for AAEM’s formation, after the author, James Keaney, MD MPH FAAEM, revealed himself during a 60 Minutes investigation of the abuses detailed in the book. Hundreds of emergency physicians, who had similar negative experiences and felt they were not properly represented by organized emergency medicine, contacted Dr. Keaney and began plans for what eventually became AAEM. Dr. Keaney served as the first President of AAEM.
