Believe in the joy of dermatology
From the President
Dr. Hruza served as Academy president from March 2019 to March 2020.
By George Hruza, MD, MBA, May 1, 2019
From AI offering a promising approach to diagnosing skin disease, to groundbreaking treatments for your patients’ chronic conditions and telemedicine technology helping us reach previously underserved patients, medicine is evolving and modernizing before our eyes on what seems to be a daily basis.
I believe in the joy of dermatology and look ahead with optimism to the future. However, keeping up with the latest payment and compliance regulations and the explosion of new treatment options and literature can be exhausting and overwhelming.
One of the major questions posed to us as we implement the AAD 2019 Strategic Plan is how can we — as dermatologists and AAD members — provide the highest quality and compassionate dermatologic care if, at times, it seems we’ve lost the joy that brought us to this profession? Through advocacy, education, practice management support, and the new strategic plan, the AAD is here to help us maintain, increase, and recapture our joy.
You may be asking yourself: How did we arrive at this new strategic plan? Rest assured in knowing that member feedback and perspective shaped the plan, which imagines what the organization should look like a decade from now and sets strategic goals to help us arrive there. Focus group and phone interviews with member stakeholders shed light on members’ thoughts about professional and workplace trends, assumptions about the future, current perceptions of the Academy, and future needs and preferences.
So how does joy show up in the strategic plan? While it’s a roadmap for the Academy that is based on member needs and shifts in the health care environment, the strategic plan is very much patient-centric. Dermatologists —no matter what stage in their career — find joy in being a leader in providing superior and compassionate patient care. That’s why, before finalizing the plan, we sought feedback from members and stakeholders representing all corners of the specialty — young to experienced physicians; from those in health systems to those who practice in academia, private practice, or private equity-backed groups; from active to inactive Academy members; from industry partners to state dermatology societies.
Like all of you, I love taking care of my patients. I want to help AAD members to continue having a fulfilling professional life in dermatology. I am confident that the new strategic plan will be the pathway to help achieve this. As I work with leadership to bring the strategic plan to life, I invite you to share in my greatest lesson: to never forget that we work in a field that brings real joy not just to ourselves, but to others.
