In October of 2020, during the winter surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACR BOC Chair Howard B. Fleishon, MD, MMM, FACR, asked the Board and staff to “reimagine” the ACR. Fleishon focused on an article in the Harvard Business Review, which urged non-profit leaders to invite staff and volunteers into the process and build an organization based on broad input.¹

Fleishon asked ACR staff and commission chairs to share their ideas in preparation for the College’s winter Board meeting. The results were inspiring — with replies that underscored the commitment of staff and volunteers to boldly bring the College forward in new and innovative ways.

“The pandemic has changed many things,” says Fleishon. “The College now has the opportunity to reimagine how we deliver services and value to our members and our patients. Staff and physician volunteers are working together to evaluate our programs and services to maximize efficient, effective, and impactful deliverables. The organization’s success will depend on its investing in leading-edge infrastructure so that the ACR can modernize its processes and services.”

The organization’s success will depend on its investing in leading-edge infrastructure so that the ACR can modernize its processes and services.

Fleishon acknowledges that reimagining an organization is never easy — but it represents an opportunity be introspective about the ACR’s role, to better focus on its mission, and to reinvent better ways to serve its members and patients. This new Bulletin series will explore how the College is reimagining several of its focus areas, including advocacy, data science, member engagement (including medical students), diversity and inclusion, clinical research, and quality and safety. Fleishon notes the goal of this reimagining is for everyone to have a voice in defining success and impact. Within this framework, the College will become a much more diverse, inclusive, and resilient organization.