2019-22 Planning Playbk The American Academy f Ostepathy faces a rapidly changing envirnment that challenges lng-standing ways f creating success. Over the next 48 mnths AAO will need t cmpete fr members, custmers, attentin and financial resurces. This dcument reflects the beginning f an nging planning prcess that seeks t ensure the AAO stays agile and maintains a sharp cmpetitive edge. 1. Why the AAO must cntinue t exist: Our why, ur fundamental raisns d être, is embdied in ur guiding visin and missin statement. We envisin a wrld where all patients are aware f and have access t stepathic medical care and stepathic manipulative medicine fr ptimal health. Our missin is t teach, advcate, and research the science, art and philsphy f stepathic medicine, emphasizing the integratin f stepathic principles, practice and manipulative treatment in patient care. Our central fcus cntinues t be the supprt f stepathic fcused physicians wh prmte and advance stepathic principles and practices (OPP) in every patient encunter, and prvide high-level skills in utilizing stepathic manipulative medicine (OMM). We alne have the highest level f educatin prgrams n OPP and the greatest number f members with OMM expertise. We prvide an essential and needed stepathic perspective and expertise that permeates and impacts patient care, stepathic-fcused schlarly activity and the stepathic perspective in medical educatin. Nw, mre than ever, the AAO is vital t the future f medicine and health care. Withut the AAO, OPP may be diluted, OMM may be diminished, and stepathic identity and stepathic distinctiveness may be undermined. 2. Hw we live ur missin tday: We keep the art and philsphy f stepathic medicine alive and vital thrugh: Creating a cmmunity that supprts stepathic-fcused physicians at all career stages; Delivering educatinal prgrams that are cnsistently high quality; Delivering the mst CME with built-in palpatry experience and the applicatin f appraches t utilizing OMT; and Prmting stepathic-fcused schlarly activity.
Page 2 3. In the pursuit f ur guiding visin and living ur missin, we value: The interpersnal cnnectin, relatinships and cmmunity that the AAO prvides; Tuch the hands-n apprach t patient care; Supprting physicians in their practice and cnnecting them with the necessary resurces (mre practical applicatins); The ability t teach and learn a skill (such as OMT) that impacts patients. 4. Bld questins we are asking abut the next 12-48 mnths: 1. Hw d we capitalize n the emerging wrld f single accreditatin? 2. Hw d we stand ut and garner attentin in such a way that we capture the attentin f bth stepathic and allpathic medical students and residents and cnvert them t members? 3. Hw will single accreditatin spark brader interest in stepathic medicine and its cre principles and practices? 4. D we have the right blend f services and prducts t meet the needs f medical students, residents and physicians wh prmte and advance OPP in every patient encunter and prvide high-level skills in utilizing OMM? 5. What shuld we stp ding/prviding t ensure we have the resurces and bandwidth t d what is mst imprtant nw? 6. Is ur brand strng enugh t capture the attentin we will need t survive and thrive in the cming years? 7. D we need t becme mre practive abut marketing ur prducts and services? 8. Shuld we merge with r jin with ther rganizatins? Shuld we take ver anther rganizatin? 5. Our assumptins abut ur universe and ur rganizatin in the next 12-48 mnths: The stepathic prfessin will cntinue t grw in numbers. Allpathic medicine and the grwing wrld f integrative medicine will lk t stepathic medicine fr mre insight and cllabratin. COCA may dilute the requirement f an NMM/OMM bard-certified physician as an OMM chairpersn in ur COMs due t the grwth f the stepathic prfessin and increased difficulty in btaining individuals with this current requirement. Educatinal cntent must be integrated with different learning resurces, including the use f innvative media. The decupling f AOA membership and certificatin may negatively impact the membership f all affiliate rganizatins, including the AAO. Memberships in prfessinal rganizatins generally will decline, especially with yung prfessinals wh are less lyal and mre difficult t attract. Yunger physicians learning styles will differ frm thse f lder physicians.
Page 3 Sciety is changing its perceptin f stepathic physicians, but helping sciety understand the value f what a DO brings t health care will cntinue t be bth an pprtunity and a challenge. The AAO must cntinue t develp The AAO Jurnal (AAOJ) and create a mechanism fr the AAOJ t be searchable. [This can be achieved by utilizing a grant t supprt implementing a searchable jurnal prgram and FTE supprt f AAOJ Managing Editr t implement and maintain the database.] The AAO must becme the clear chice fr prviding educatinal resurces and prgrams t supprt distinctive stepathic training fr the prfessin. The grwth f the stepathic prfessin impacts medical educatin and health care rganizatins. Our brand (what peple think abut the AAO) must be strng and recgnized as the rganizatin fr students, residents and physicians wh care abut OPP and OMM. Emerging threats: Lss f the stepathic prfessin: Limited ACGME Ostepathic Recgnitin prgrams, lss f AOA bard certificatin, risk f lss f COMs as future cnversin t LCME schls. Absrptin by ther rganizatins. Destructive cmpetitin by ther rganizatins that can undermine the AAO Emerging pprtunities: ACGME Ostepathic Recgnitin Supprt Prgram allwing us t reach stepathicfcused physicians in training as ptential future members. Reaching ther health care prfessinals interested in OPP. The piid crisis as an pprtunity t prmte OMT. 6. Our visin fr the next 12-48 mnths (2019-22) AAO becmes the primary g-t rganizatin, cmmunity, resurce and supprt fr prgrams pursuing stepathic recgnitin and fr students, residents and physicians interested in and/r dedicated t stepathic medicine, OPP and OMM. 7. T succeed in the next 12-48 mnths we must: Be fully in the game as single accreditatin unflds Maintain financial health Be agile and respnsive Understand the market and urselves and identify ur cmpetitive edge Offer the right infrmatin, cmmunity, prducts and services Be seen and knwn by all wh share ur philsphy and perspective Field the best pssible executive team and staff Increase ur use f technlgy and attentin-getting internet and scial media tls Becme fiercely cmpetitive fr attentin, members and custmers Practively match emerging needs with prducts and services Supprt and guide prgrams seeking ACGME stepathic recgnitin
Page 4 8. Our strategic pririty (the mst imprtant thing we must d nw): Elevate ur brand as the g-t rganizatin, cmmunity, resurce and supprt fr prgrams pursuing stepathic recgnitin, as well as students, residents and physicians interested in and/r dedicated t stepathic medicine, OPP and/r OMM, s we can effectively market ur cmmunity, services and prgrams. 9. The key bjectives that supprt ur strategic pririty: Evaluate, strengthen and prmte ur brand Create a realistic and executable marketing plan that reflects ur strategic pririty and visin Grw the ppulatin f stepathic-fcused physicians that are cnnected t the AAO fr educatin and future membership Becme the primary supprt prgram fr stepathic recgnitin Cnnect with all ACGME Ostepathic Recgnitin training prgrams Recnnect with ur stepathic medical students using ur: Visiting Clinicians prgram The AAO traveling educatin team Prviding specialized educatin, including nline curses linked t hands-n pprtunities Reach ut t stepathic-fcused physicians that are nt as familiar with the AAO f the 21st century 10. The n-ging perating bjectives (what we must cntinue t d well as we pursue ur strategic pririty): Advcacy and Partnership Develp OMT billing and cding resurces and educatinal materials fr bth practicing physicians and physicians in training: Train students and residents t be successful and supprt physicians in practice. Serve as a resurce fr ther resurces with ther cmpnent scieties, states and the AOA. Reach ut t cmpnent scieties, specialty clleges and the states t cllabrate where there are cmmn interests. AAO is recgnized bth natinally and internatinally as the premier resurce fr stepathic principles and practices. Membership and Mentring Increase membership fr stepathic-fcused physicians. This includes bth stepathic and allpathic physicians. Develp membership categry t increase resident membership thrugh the AAO ACGME Ostepathic Recgnitin Supprt Prgram.
Page 5 Increase membership in practicing stepathic-fcused physicians that are utside f the academic arena. Enhance the mentrship prgram prcess t effectively match stepathic physicians t all student and resident members seeking mentrship. Develp and grw mentrship database f available mentrs. Implement a financial mdel that is nt slely dependent n membership: Include ur educatinal prgrams. Utilize fundatin grants t supprt AAO infrastructure. Increase philanthrpic effrts. Educatin Prvide a rbust spectrum f educatin frm nvice t expert in OPP/OMM. Prvide educatinal resurces and cursewrk t supprt ACGME Ostepathic Recgnitin, specifically fr allpathic physicians-in-training requiring expsure t OPP/OMM. Becme a CME granting entity r partner with anther CME granting entity t grant CMEs t all physician grups. Expand ur educatinal fferings with new, innvative mdalities t reach mre physicians. Cmmunicatins and Technlgy Increase media expsure: Facebk and Twitter presence by 10-20%. Increase prmtinal materials n the AAO YuTube channel: Develp shrt and effective vide vignettes [message, advcacy, educatinal, testimnials, etc.] [Effectiveness determined by number f viewers and % liked] Clear up miscnceptins n the AAO: Did yu knw ; Ask us Implement platfrm necessary fr the AAO t supprt all needed educatinal and prmtinal initiatives. Cntinue t enhance and expand the use f AAO mbile app fr Cnvcatin. [Increase usage 25% each year.] PwerPint branded slides are utilized fr all AAO Educatinal prgrams. Release ne e-bk annually fr the next 3 years. Transitin AAO cmmittees t utilize nline frums by end f 2018. SAAO and PAAO leadership will ntify their members f all technlgical advances. Schlarly Activity/Research Increase the awareness f the Schlar Series as a resurce available t all members. Prmting schlarly activity generated frm AAO members n all media platfrms, including pster sessins, selected AAOJ articles and research training resurces. Cntinue t transitin the AAOJ t imprve the quality and quantity f articles. Obtain listing in Index Medicus.