Grateful and proud

A comic strip has been displayed on my fridge for almost five years, now.??It’s from Patrick McDonnell’s “Mutts,” and features frame after frame of a cat moving through life and reacting with?purrs?as he watches the sunrise from a window, receives a bowl of food from his human companion, is serenaded by a bird on a branch, runs through gold and bronze leaves with his feline and canine buddies, and then admires the moon and stars before heading into his house for the night.??The last frame shows him cuddled up in bed on a pillow, sighing, “We have a lot to purr about.”

In an incredibly short span of time, I have had the privilege of witnessing the evolution of many rising leaders and content experts within our physician advisor community.??Folks I met briefly at a American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA) (ACPA) National Physician Advisor Conference (NPAC) years ago, colleagues I’ve exchanged a few e-mails with over time, and individuals I’d never heard or read from before who suddenly were front-and-center sharing their big ideas.?This experience was bookended and on full display the other week during the ACPA's Board of Directors’ retreat and our first ever Essentials & Fundamentals event.??

Many may not fully appreciate it yet, but the ACPA's leadership team is filled with some terrific minds. These people not only know their stuff but are also unconditionally committed to the College’s goals involving education of their membership.??Likewise, the enthusiasm and fire I saw in the attendees at Essentials & Fundamentals outside Chicago last month has me incredibly excited about the future of our organization because there are SO many smart folks we’ll get to know in the coming years.

Along with participating in the efforts of ACPA's four committees (Government Affairs, Clinical Documentation Integrity, Observation, and Pediatric) and penning an article for their newsletter, another prime opportunity to get involved in the #physicianadvisor community and make your mark recently opened up!??Applications to speak at the 2023 National Physician Advisor Conference ( #NPAC2023 ) taking place April 17 – 19 at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida are being accepted through November 11th?at?https://acpadvisors.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=90610&module_id=541461?.??It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing this job for decades or just a year or two – if you have information or valuable insights to share, please apply!??All are welcome, even if you aren’t a physician but instead, work in other aspects of leadership within #casemanagement, #utilizationmanagement, #CDI, #revenuecycle, or #quality.??We're looking forward to learning from you!

I am so grateful for everyone who has taught me so much and provided such friendship and collegiality in the last number of years during my involvement with the American College of Physician Advisors.??I have strived to be effective in delivering a message during my presidency that ALL are welcome, you all have such important perspectives to disseminate, and I am just so incredibly, incredibly proud of all who have taken it upon themselves to step up, make a mark, and make a difference.??We have a lot to purr about, indeed.