Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating the July 4th holiday with family, friends or just doing what you enjoy. As we cross the mid-mark of the calendar year, I am mindful of what we must still accomplish in the remaining six months as I also reflect on all that has been completed thus far.
As I look back, I celebrate so many accomplishments by our members: the recent appointment of Dr. Brian Miller to the MedPAC — a true honor to his expertise; Dr. Maria Mora Pinzon being named a 2023 IMPACT Faculty Scholar from the National Institute on Aging — an accolade to her persistence; Dr. Chris Pernell announcing her new venture, The Esther Group, a public health consulting and health equity strategy firm — a reflection of her passion and fortitude; the promotion of Dr. Hunter Jackson Smith from Captain to Major — an indication of his career dedication and tenacity; the election of Dr. Ankush Bansal to the Council on Science and Public Health with the American Medical Association House of Delegates — truly an honor and reflection of his performance among and within the House of Medicine; and the recent retirement of Capt. Eric Deussing — a full military ceremony acknowledging the many sacrifices he made for this country and honoring a 21-year career in military medicine. As we celebrate the freedoms of this great Nation, I also salute ACPM members who have dedicated their careers to service in the military — thank you for your sacrifices. As has often been said and shared, the diversity of our membership and the career paths they take are only limited by the level of their determination — which often seems unlimited.
I also reflect on the discussions at our recent Prevention Alliance meeting where we heard a wonderful overview of our CDC-grant funded work in diabetes from our own Kate Shreve and engaged in active discussions about ways ACPM could continue to impact population health specifically addressing diabetes with a health equity lens with our current Board members, Prevention Alliance members and so many of our past presidents who stay engaged and share their wisdom and insights. This work is so critical to the mission of ACPM to advance evidence-based interventions to improve health for all. I encourage you to learn more about our initiatives.
Also, what better way to learn more about ACPM than to get engaged and involved in various activities and committees. We recently launched our call for volunteers in planning the 2024 annual conference to be held in Washington, DC. April 18-21. The four tracks have been developed and Chairs have been selected to lead this important work to ensure relevant, cutting-edge and evidence-based practice is highlighted to advance the profession. The call for abstracts will open next week, so please plan to submit your work for consideration and share your many advances with your colleagues. This is your opportunity to shine light on your important contributions to prevention. I’m looking forward to seeing who signs up and steps into these opportunities — thank you in advance for contributing to the success of your professional home.
Enjoy the days of summer,
Donna
Donna Grande, MGA
CEO