Frank J. Lexa, MD, MBA, FACR, Co-Chair of the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) Strategic Planning Committee, contributed this piece.
Strategic planning is essential for the success of all organizations and becomes even more important during times of unprecedented change, such as what we have experienced in the last 18 months. ACR leaders, guided by a member-driven strategic planning committee, are developing a new strategic plan to position the ACR for success over the next three to five years.
The foundation of a successful strategic planning process is a thorough review of the environmental landscape. We set a goal to listen to as many voices as possible to gain a shared perspective of the factors that will impact the future of radiology. Keeping member expectations, concerns and key issues at the forefront was a priority. In total, more than 1,000 ACR members and other key stakeholders – including staff, patient advocates, industry partners, healthcare leaders, payers and other radiology society leaders – provided input to the research phase.
The strategic planning committee used this extensive environmental scan to develop informed perspectives on member expectations and the factors, industry trends and internal drivers that will influence our future success. A deep-dive understanding of the current landscape gave the team the insights needed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for the ACR.
The SWOT analysis will inform the next steps of the strategy development process. The strategic planning committee will consider the ACR mission, overarching goal and key drivers of success as the basis for a strategic plan to guide the ACR as a member-driven organization for the next three to five years. The research to date will be a reservoir of environmental information to drive the team’s thinking on critical issues, challenges and strategic opportunities impacting the future planning horizon. Foresight and continued environmental awareness will be crucial building blocks of strategy development and implementation.
Stay tuned this fall for further updates on the strategic planning process.
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