AACE members: Please watch the accompanying video as Drs. Leslie Eldeiry, Scott Isaacs, and Matthew Levine provide an important AACE member update on behalf of the Board of Directors on two upcoming changes regarding our brand and community. These will be further discussed at the Annual Business Meeting on September 11, 2020, and you can find more information on registering for this meeting here.
Below is the transcript of the video message:
Dr. Leslie Eldeiry:
Greetings AACE community,
I’m Dr. Leslie Eldeiry, joined with Dr. Scott Isaacs and Dr. Matthew Levine -- and on behalf of our peers on the AACE Board of Directors, we are here today to share with you additional information on some exciting new developments at AACE that will impact the future of clinical endocrinology and clinical endocrinologists, as well as overall global health.
As you know, for the past 18 months, multiple committees and AACE leadership have been working to better position AACE for future growth and maintain relevance in modern times. We must always strive to adapt to the ever changing needs of our community. We are currently facing some critical decisions on bylaws upon which we, the AACE membership, will need to vote at the upcoming AACE Business Meeting on September 11 – including a new community model that could decrease your annual dues substantially. An affirmative vote of these Bylaws is essential to ensure that AACE is sustainable for years to come.
Our president, Howard Lando, recently shared with you coming changes in two key areas that we would like to expand on with additional information now – first in regard to our AACE brand, and next on our improved community engagement model. Scott, I will toss it to you to speak more on the branding.
Dr. Scott Isaacs:
Thanks Leslie, and hello everyone. As you have been hearing, we do have a refreshed AACE brand preparing for launch on October 20. This new brand took months of research guided by experts using input from membership surveys, qualitative interviews and quantitative research as well as focus groups with many AACE members and important stakeholders, including many of you - to really help move AACE forward and better position us to meet the needs of our members and to improve our recognition globally.
When it comes to branding – we all know that a brand is much more than a logo. While you will be seeing those visual elements come to life soon – including new colors, new logos, new designs, and more – I feel it is important today to share with you a few key elements from our brand positioning so that you are informed on the true direction of our AACE brand change.
First and foremost, the goal of AACE is to position endocrinologists as THE leaders in endocrinology and of endocrine care teams around the world. Endocrinologists have always been the core of AACE, and our refreshed brand approach will only open more opportunity to elevate you as the experts. We are not steering away from being THE home and voice for clinical endocrinologists.
Besides our goal, our brand also contains a new mission statement – which states that the mission of AACE is elevating the practice of clinical endocrinology to improve global health.
While our brand goal and mission may seem simple, our brand statement goes more in depth to our purpose – and I am pleased to share it with you now for the very first time (on screen). Our brand statement says:
“We are the human face and the professional hands of endocrinology that touch tens of millions of patients a year with the latest clinical advances, to improve the health and the lives of those who live with endocrine & metabolic disorders.
“As the vital hub of knowledge and experience in Clinical Endocrinology, we define the best paths of patient care and disease prevention, educate multi-disciplinary care teams and our patients, and set the factual record straight about endocrine diseases.
“Together, we are elevating the practice of clinical endocrinology to benefit each individual patient and the health of our society.
- For our members, we offer an inclusive community that shares and disseminates our collective knowledge, experience, ideas, and ideals, giving each member a voice.
- For our patients, we translate the complex science of some of the world’s most serious, endemic, and fast-growing diseases in order to optimize their care.
- With our partners, we collaborate to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based best practices so that patients can benefit from medical advances as soon as possible.
- For the public, we proactively educate and communicate about endocrine diseases and the valuable role Endocrinologists play in treating them.
“Together, we are the human face, and the human touch, of Endocrinology.
“Together, we are AACE."
And there it is, the statement behind all that you will see coming with our AACE brand. Every element within that statement is driving home our mission of elevating clinical endocrinology. You also heard within there the importance of the valuable role endocrinologists have, as well as the need to provide an inclusive community to our members that shares and disseminates our collective knowledge. We are THE essential community for clinical professionals in the field of Endocrinology, and that is not changing.
There is much more to come still on the new AACE brand, and you will be invited to share in the launch on October 20 – but now I want to toss it to Matthew Levine who will speak more on how we intend to bring the more inclusive community aspect of the brand to life.
Dr. Matthew Levine:
Thank you, Scott. I could not be more excited about finally seeing the activation of the AACE brand that so many members spent time creating.
Now that you have heard the basis of the new brand, our new Community Engagement Model that will be launched this fall for the 2021 calendar year supports this expanded community with Endocrinologists leading from the core. Yes, this community will provide more access to those on our clinical care teams such as primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants so that they can learn more from endocrinologists on clinical practice and how together we can all provide the best care for patients.
You have read about a few changes in the Bylaws that will be necessary for us to move the community model forward, and a few key points I want to stress include:
- Our new model provides member opportunities for as little as $99. Yes, you heard right. We have long heard of the financial struggles from members to pay annual dues at amounts over $350, and this year is no exception. The turmoil stemming from a global pandemic has put increased financial burden on many around the world, and it is our hope that one outcome of our new community model is that it makes membership more accessible and affordable for all. We hope that keeping entry costs as low as $99 will make AACE attractive for generations to come.
- Beyond costs, we want to support our brand in that we are a very human, interpersonal organization that is welcoming and inclusive to not only endocrinologists but to the entire endocrine care team.
- Research and surveys were collected from endocrinologists that gave us data to make decisions, and some of those include…
- 76% of endocrinologists agreed with this statement that said: I believe that the more NPs and PAs can be educated in endocrinology, the better off my patients will be.
- 73% of endocrinologists agreed with this statement that said: I am open to having adjacent care providers (such as Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Dieticians, Educators, etc.) be part of the medical association(s) I belong to.
Overall, beyond the expanded community and lower costs to join, it is with this new community that we will elevate clinical endocrinologists as the essential leaders of the endocrine care team around the world.
Dr. Leslie Eldeiry:
Thank you to Scott and Matthew for providing more information on those two important changes. As you heard in the updated brand platform, the key words in our mission include elevating clinical endocrinology, but our goal of positioning endocrinologists as THE leaders in endocrinology and of endocrine care teams around the world stays the same. Every one of your voices matters, and we personally ask you to use your voice in support of these positive changes. Please join your colleagues on Friday September 11 at 4pm ET to vote for the Bylaws decisions to position the AACE brand for future growth leading to overall better patient care. You should have received an email with information on registration, and should you need further assistance you can visit the webpage on AACE.com or contact AACE staff.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to continuing to build the best AACE for clinical endocrinology professionals today, tomorrow, and the many years to come.