ACVS Chief Executive Officer Ann Loew outlined the four objectives of the College’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan during the ACVS Diplomates’ Annual Business Meeting at the 2022 Surgery Summit in Portland, OR. The ACVS Board of Regents approved the strategic plan in July 2022.
A deliberate process
The strategic planning process included collaboration between ACVS staff and consultants with a proven track record of helping organizations like ACVS position themselves for the future. The process was informed by data and insights collected through a survey to and focus groups held with Diplomates and residents. The effort culminated in a two-day in-person session with 17 Diplomates representative of College membership and resulted in the following strategic objectives.
Cultivate an Engaged Community
The College looks forward to developing more inclusive membership opportunities that reflect what is important to ACVS Diplomates. With Diplomates’ time limited by professional and personal demands, Loew acknowledged, the opportunities for them to become involved in ACVS can be constrained. ACVS and its committee leaders will work to broaden the available chances to volunteer, including shorter committee terms, project-based roles, and microvolunteering opportunities that have Diplomates complete less time-consuming tasks that contribute to a larger overall effort.
Update Training and Certification
Success here, Loew explained, will result in improved support for residents and residency programs, a keen focus on resident wellbeing, and greater transparency of, and confidence in, the certification process.
Focus on Excellence in Continuing Education
Loew lauded ACVS’s decades-long track record of offering top-notch continuing education to Diplomates and residents, and “ACVS will work toward increasing access to CE, including access to advanced skills training to help Diplomates develop and maintain high-quality competency throughout their careers.” A comprehensive needs assessment will be conducted early in 2023 to determine the appropriate path forward.
Maximize Awareness
The ACVS team, Loew said, will ramp up marketing and communications to not only Diplomates and residents, but also the external stakeholders that Diplomates value, including animal owners and primary care veterinarians. “The end result will be an elevated awareness of your specialty and ACVS’s prominence in veterinary surgery training.”
Loew emphasized that ACVS will thread communication, data and metrics, and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout efforts to execute the plan, sharing that “we will measure our efforts and, if needed, tweak the plan as we go.”
“This plan is about you and your College,” Loew said to Diplomates attending the meeting and committed to keeping ACVS Diplomates and residents informed of the progress of its implementation.
Following Loew’s presentation, now former Chair of the Board of Regents Karen K. Cornell encouraged ACVS Diplomates to continue to support the College. “The future will be fantastic for ACVS, if you stay involved, continue to respect each other’s diverse perspectives, and support the College. ACVS is thriving because of you.”
