Strategic Planning Update

You've read about AMDA's strategic planning process, now well underway. At a weekend retreat, state chapters were well represented by Board of Directors representatives, Mike Bither, MD, CMD; Chuck Crecelius, MD, PhD, CMD; Len Gelman, MD, CMD; and Janice Knebl, DO, CMD; and past and present chapter presidents Buzz Baker, MD, CMD; Laurel Coleman, MD, CMD; Jacob Dimant, MD, CMD; Ralf Habermann, MD, CMD; Steve Levenson, MD, CMD; Dan Osterweil, MD, CMD; Keith Rapp, MD, CMD; and Dan Swagerty, MD, CMD. Joining 26 staff and leaders, the group had the task of identifying five priority areas for the next five years. The group also reviewed the AMDA mission statement:

The American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) is the national professional association committed to the continuous improvement of the quality of patient care by providing education, advocacy, information, and professional development for medical directors and other physicians who practice in the long term care continuum.

In an effort to shorten and strengthen the statement, emphasizing our physician constituency and the association's recognition of long term care as more than just nursing homes. The revised statement and a description of the discussions that took place, including some points of controversy are now posted on the web along with mechanisms to provide feedback.

The overall plan and schedule for the strategic planning is:

• July/August - Web Site Postings
• August 20 - Team Assignments Due
• September 21 - Board Presentation
• October - 2003 Budgets/Planning
• November - Publish 2003 Direction
• January - Status Report
• March - Strategic Update
• April - Board Report

Our goal is to integrate strategic planning into our internal process of budget and work plans.

As the group considered a scan of the association's external environment and an assessment of internal association characteristics, consensus quickly emerged around five major areas for the future. Working from a list of over 100 issues and areas identified through a traditional brainstorming process, the five areas were determined by a voting process:

• Education
• Staff/Volunteer Strategies
• Strategic Alliances
• Communication
• State Chapters

State chapter relations were raised as an issue in many of the discussions and were a clear choice for the top five. The group discussed the need to strengthen national/local communications and relationships to bring successes earned at the national level to chapters--from survey reform to membership development, expansion of education to attending physicians--it was clear, state chapters will be crucial to continued growth and success.

The needs of chapters for resources and support to advance their own development into a more consistent, effective local force were recognized early on. The group felt strongly that AMDA was, is, and wants to continue to be a grassroots organization. AMDA has devoted considerable resources and staff to supporting chapters, but a gap remains.

Clearly, national wants more response and participation from chapters. Accountability was a theme that surfaced in this discussion. The group recommended increased accountability to assure solid grassroots governance for AMDA's future.

As a first step towards this goal, please log onto www.amda.com and give your comments on the weekend's discussions. Reports on each area of priority will be posted on the web for comment.

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