The ACR Board of Directors Adopts 5-Year Strategic Plan

It has a long-term vision, including goals to be completed over a five-year timeline. A functional plan reassesses and changes goals every year. We need to be more ambitious. Objective measures will be reviewed monthly by Mark Andrejeski, our executive vice president, and quarterly by the ACR Board of Directors. Most importantly, this plan was developed with shared input from stakeholders across our organization. Each voice was taken into equal consideration. Instead of a functional plan for the day-to-day management of the ACR, our plan is a strategic, multipronged pursuit of our organization’s mission and values.

5 Years, Not 3

I was one of the co-chairs of the task force that created our previous strategic plan, which wrapped up this year. Why does this new strategic plan span five years instead of three, as we have done in the past? Our current goals simply take longer to pursue and accomplish. With more time to implement, test and fulfill our goals, we can afford to be more ambitious and take the time and energy necessary to complete meaningful objectives that will truly advance rheumatology well into the 21st century.

Metrics Keep Us on Track

Another essential element of our new strategic plan is the inclusion of detailed metrics. We are not just checking boxes. We have created ways to measure each accomplished task to ensure its value. We are committed to working as a team so everyone has equal input and accountability.

The next steps include finding our new Association Management Software Tool, which must meet requirements included in our plan. This tool will facilitate communication among our members. The right software will make it easier for us to achieve our ambitious objectives as a team.

Three important, fresh elements of our new Strategic Plan are our new mission statement, vision statement and brand promise. Each reflects where the ACR is now and where we are headed in the future:

New Mission Statement: The ACR empowers rheumatology professionals to excel in their specialty.

New Vision Statement: As the leading authority and trusted partner of rheumatology professionals, the ACR will continually advance the specialty and the future of rheumatology.

New Brand Promise: We are here for you, so you can be there for your patients.

The 2017–2022 ACR Strategic Plan is a detailed, data-driven roadmap to rheumatology’s future. We developed this plan with input from every stakeholder in our organization, including those in private practice, bench research, academia and community hospitals, and people at all stages of their careers, from fellows to masters.