Hrev_master [page 90] [Emergency Care Journal 2025; 21:14083] Emergency Care Journal 2025 volume 21:14083 The 27th of May marks the birth of the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM) thanks to a group of visionary people, known as the club of Leuven, who signed the founding act in London in 1994 to create a system model to grant to every citi- zen in Europe a professional, competent and above all timely response to any life, organ or limb-threatening acute condition.1 Over time, EUSEM has grown to encompass 38 national societies across Europe and now represents over 40,000 healthcare profes- sionals working in the field of Emergency Medicine (EM). The great mission of EUSEM is to enhance research, educa- tion, practice, and standards of the specialty of EM across Europe. This includes promoting teaching, training, and research in EM, as well as facilitating the sharing of information through meetings, courses, research, and publications. EUSEM also encourages the development of standardized information systems and data banks in EM, fosters cooperation among national EM associations, and promotes international collaboration in the field of EM.1 Currently, emergency care systems are central to the healthcare system, with a mission to provide appropriate, high-quality care regardless of why patients seek help or the reasons for their visit, even when their condition may not seem serious enough to warrant a trip to the Emergency Department (ED). Facing this significant challenge, EM remains a relatively young specialty in many European countries, as many physicians transition from various clinical settings and strive daily to meet their patients’ needs. In this context, the role of EUSEM is multifaceted and can be execut- ed at different levels. By offering high-quality training opportuni- ties, whether face-to-face or online, and involving participants from diverse countries, EUSEM enhances the cultural growth of healthcare professionals and facilitates the sharing of experiences and solutions to common challenges faced in clinical practice. In addition to training, creating research networks, collecting data, and analysing results contribute greatly to the specialty’s growth across Europe and are essential prerequisites for developing new solutions and improving our models of care. At a higher level, one of the first needs of countries that recog- nize EM as a separate specialty is to define the specificity of Emergency physicians. ED is a clinical setting where time is cru- cial, and where, sometimes, you treat the patient before a definite diagnosis, where the question is “what does this patient need” and not “what do they have”. Emergency physicians are specifically trained to work under time pressure, at any time, with undifferen- tiated patients and with the primary aim, in front of any chief com- plaint, to rule out life-threatening conditions and develop an ade- quate management plan for non-urgent conditions. Recognizing the value of this profession and promoting a sustainable work envi- ronment is a task that involves local hospital administration and national politics, adequately supported and addressed by national and supranational societies.2,3 The 27th of May 2025 has recently come and gone, and with this new issue of Emergency Care Journal we would like to express our gratitude to all the emergency medical staff around the world who are working tireless and compassionately to care for all patients, regardless of their origin, faith, gender, or social condi- tion. We are thinking of all the healthcare professionals, but partic- ularly those who are working under bombs, in dreadful conditions, providing first aid for both adults and children. In 2025, there are 56 active armed conflicts worldwide, the highest number since the end of World War II. These conflicts involve at least 92 countries.4 More than 100 million people have been forced to migrate due to conflicts. Gaza,5 Ukraine,6 Afghanistan,7 Mexico, and Venezuela are just a few examples that highlight our responsibility in this cri- sis, not only as emergency doctors and nurses but also as fellow human beings. We must promote a culture of peace, solidarity, and respect for Correspondence: Erika Poggiali, Emergency Department, “Guglielmo da Saliceto” Hospital, Via Giuseppe Taverna 49, Piacenza, Italy. Tel.: +39.0523.303044 E-mail: E.Poggiali@ausl.pc.it Key words: emergency medicine, emergency medicine day, EUSEM. Contributions: the authors approved the final version and equally contributed to the work. Conflicts of interest: EP and LG are members of the editorial board of Emergency Care Journal. This work was not supported by any grant. Availability of data and materials: The datasets used during the cur- rent case report are available from the corresponding author on rea- sonable request. Ethics approval and consent to participate and informed consent: not applicable. Acknowledgements: Erika Poggiali thanks Davide Bastoni for being a great example of an open-minded emergency doctor with a big heart and great attention to all the patients. Received: 18 June 2025. Accepted: 18 June 2025. Early view: 18 June 2025. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (by-nc 4.0). ©Copyright: the Author(s), 2025 Licensee PAGEPress, Italy Emergency Care Journal 2025; 21:14083 doi:10.4081/ecj.2025.14083 Publisher's note: all claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. Not only a day. Emergency Medicine Day is every day, at all times Erika Poggiali,1 Francesca Innocenti,2 Lorenzo Ghiadoni3 1Emergency Department, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza; 2High-Dependency Unit, Emergency Department, Careggi University Hospital, Florence; 3Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care, Pavia, Italy human rights at all times and in every place. We must care for oth- ers, regardless of their origin, culture, language, beliefs, orienta- tions, bodies, or ways of thinking. This is the essence of humanity — immense and extraordinary — defined by its diverse stories and identities. We have a moral duty, a commitment to society and the future of all, to ensure that every patient has the opportunity to be accepted and treated without fear of being themselves. Not dis- criminating does not mean erasing diversity; rather, it means embracing it as a shared value. It involves providing the care and respect that every human being deserves.8 Change must begin with us — emergency doctors and nurses — who are the first to welcome those in need of care, attention, and help. It depends on the words we choose, our gestures, and our ability to listen to the stories of others, recognizing their value and meaning. Every patient has the right to respect, attention, and care. Yet, we still hear stories of discrimination, even in the Emergency Room, a place that should embody democratic care, as guaranteed by Article 32 of the Italian Constitution. Unfortunately, our society often fails to condemn discrimination, choosing instead to justify it. This undermines the quality of care and the integrity of our pro- fession. As emergency doctors and nurses, we are the first defenders of equity because health and care should be available to everyone; they are universal rights, not privileges for a few. Effective, ethical, and fair medicine can only exist in an environment free from dis- crimination. Therefore, we encourage everyone to engage in per- sonal reflection, acknowledging their own cultural and mental lim- itations. It is essential to strive for improvement by listening — both to others and to ourselves. Recognizing our limits, reflecting on our (in)voluntary preju- dices, and rethinking our behaviours and models is the first step in combating discrimination and working with true respect and awareness. Being a genuinely good doctor or nurse goes beyond simply fulfilling a role; it involves promoting a respectful and inclusive work environment, always acting with humanity, even in the chaotic and challenging atmosphere of the Emergency Room. Good emergency medicine starts with respect and listening — these are the foundational and irreplaceable elements of care. References 1. European Society for Emergency Medicine (EUSEM). Official website: https://eusem.org/ 2. Coen D, Casagranda I, Cavazza M, et al. Facing the Emergency Department crisis in Italy. Emerg Care J 2021;17:10331. 3. Poggiali E, Barbieri G, Salvatore V, Salinaro F. The Emergency Rooms and Emergency Medicine should not be the answer to the weakness of the Italian National Health System. Emerg Care J 2021;17:10304. 4. Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). Conflict watchlist. Available from: https://acleddata.com/conflict- watchlist-2025/ 5. Qandil M. Gaza: providing emergency care under fire. Emerg Med J 2024;41:272-3. 6. The Lancet. Ukraine's humanitarian disaster: priorities for health. Lancet 2022;399:1023. 7. The Lancet. Peace and health in Afghanistan. Lancet 2020;395:921. 8. Poggiali E, Bastoni D, Fraticelli C, et al. A call to action against gender-based violence and discrimination from the Emergency Departments. Emerg Care J 2023;19:12211. Editorial [Emergency Care Journal 2025; 21:14083] [page 91]