James A. Tacci, MD, JD, MPH, FACPM
ACPM President-Elect
As we approach year’s end, we often reflect and take stock of the past year’s accomplishments and challenges, and at the same time formulate plans for the coming year, be they in the form of “resolutions” or otherwise. To that end, as ACPM’s President-Elect, I also serve as Chair of our Strategy Committee, and I thought this would be a good time to share with everyone the year-end reflections and plans from our most recent Strategy Committee and Board meetings.
First, it has become clear that our College’s strategic plan, while it has served us well, has become somewhat dated. We will be giving it a thoughtful refresh in the months to come. Not necessarily in the laborious, word-smithing manner that many might think of when they think of strategic plans, but rather in an easier and more liberating manner. We seek to make it more concise, more clear and more impactful. If anyone has suggestions for the group, by all means please feel free to submit them to us.
Financially, our College is working through a very challenging business environment, with external forces impacting multiple revenue sources, such as membership, conference travel, and government grants, to name just a few. This has required some “belt tightening,” which has made us more efficient, without sacrificing member service. Your Board has also undertaken a bold strategy to launch new initiatives that you will learn about in the coming months. We believe they will provide the College with significant and sustainable sources of non-dues revenue. They will be structured in such a way that they align nicely with ACPM’s mission, their staffing and operations will not adversely impact member services, yet the revenues will greatly support those activities that our members value most highly … stay tuned!
From a governance standpoint, your Board has made a commitment to be as transparent and responsive as possible. You may have noticed this already with the restructuring of our election process, increased postings and discussions on our website, and the many policy positions we have taken in recent months. There promises to be even more in terms of committee activities and other areas for member engagement in 2026.
From a membership standpoint, we have worked hard to strengthen our member pipeline. This is our specialties second year in the NRMP Match, greatly enhancing our visibility to medical students and residents. The relaunch and expansion of our Medical Student, Resident Physician and Early Career Physician Sections has not only improved the engagement of our younger members, but also is helping to identify and develop our next generation of College leaders. In addition, through tireless work of ACPM staff, and effective mobilization of our membership, we have secured ongoing funding for PH/GPM residency programs in the near term. Even more importantly moving forward, we have been engaged in meaningful conversations with both Administration officials as well as senior Senate and House members on significantly increasing (and not merely maintaining) funding for education in Preventive Medicine across the educational spectrum: in the undergraduate medical education curriculum; in graduate medical education in the form of PH/GPM residency funding as well as training for other specialties; and in CME, such as our new “Artificial Intelligence in Preventive Medicine & Public Health” course . All of this, of course should be with the guidance and oversight of trained PH/GPM physicians.
Finally, all of these activities naturally culminate each year at our annual meeting. Next year’s meeting in Baltimore promises to be a great one, with increased opportunities for CME, networking, career development, and simply making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. Registration is open, so I would encourage everyone to begin making plans to attend PM2026.
In closing, I would sincerely like to wish everyone a safe, happy and peaceful holiday season and new year.
