Every engine needs a tune-up.
Secretary-Treasurer Report
By Daniel D. Bennett, MD, FAAD, November 1, 2023
The key to longevity in any endeavor is consistent maintenance. The AAD’s strategic plan is the engine that drives our mission to “advance excellence in dermatology,” and like any machine, our strategic plan requires re-examination every so often.
In 2023, the AAD’s Board of Directors gathered for an intensive two-day process to update our strategic plan, which was previously reviewed in 2019. To produce this update, we examined the organization’s strengths in the context of a post-pandemic world, carefully considered the needs and priorities of our members, and sought to determine how the Academy will have the most success and impact now and into the future.
Rest assured, the updated plan maintains the Academy’s focus on fulfilling our promise to members to: provide gold standard practical dermatology education from today’s thought leaders to develop the thought leaders of tomorrow; advocate for the specialty through the collective power of thousands of voices; listen to the diverse opinions of our members; and facilitate innovative approaches to dermatologic education and patient care.
Through the new strategic plan, over the next several years we will focus our work around advancing four critically important goals, each with a set of focused objectives:
Advocate to ensure that all member dermatologists can effectively and efficiently practice dermatology.
Design and deliver the gold standard of dermatologic education.
Strengthen and safeguard access to dermatologic care for all.
Facilitate optimal patient care through the collection, analysis, interpretation, and utilization of data.
Under this plan you will see the continuation of many important programs and initiatives our members rely on, like the AAD Annual Meeting, the specialty’s premier educational event; federal advocacy to achieve Medicare payment reform, including annual inflation-based updates; public outreach to position the specialty as experts via the Your Dermatologist Knows strategy; resources to help members practice efficiently; timely, data-driven guidelines of care; and more. You will also see careful consideration given to any gaps we need to close in pursuit of our objectives and goals.
So why am I sharing this in my Secretary Treasurer report? This entire exercise ultimately directs the Academy’s operations and budget as we deploy programs in support of our mission, vision, and goals. As Secretary-Treasurer, I work closely with our CEO, senior staff, and the Board of Directors to ensure that our annual budget reflects our strategic priorities.
The Academy is committed to fiscal responsibility. Each year, the Academy employs an outside auditing firm to review and verify our Academy’s finances from the previous year. This is considered a best practice and essential in a non-profit organization like ours. I am pleased to report that the Academy’s financial position is strong.
Our member dermatologists endeavor daily to provide high-quality patient care while also preparing for the future. By the same token, your Academy, as directed by your Board of Directors, works hard to support your diverse practice types while harnessing your energy and talent to ensure that our specialty is constructively engaged in our rapidly changing world. The Academy maintains and pursues excellence by making careful choices about where and how to focus our finances, the talents of our professional staff, and energy of our extraordinary member volunteers. The Academy’s engine is well-maintained. Learn more about the AAD 2023 Strategic Plan at staging.aad.org/strategic-plan.
Additional DermWorld Resources
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