Our role, our promise: To protect, promote, and advance the veterinary profession
It seems to be a little known
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
fact that the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association enjoys and, in fact, has always enjoyed editoriTed Cohn, DVM al independence. So what is editorial independence? It is the philosophy that the editor-in-chief has full authority over the content of the journal, including the selection of which articles—not just scientific articles, but also news stories, commentaries, and letters to the editor—will be published and when. Of course, this policy isn’t unique to the JAVMA or even the AVMA, but is the recognized standard throughout the field of biomedical publishing. For scientific journals, editorial independence from the parent organization is inextricably linked with perceptions of integrity, credibility, and value for readers. At the AVMA, this independence is recognized as a valuable separation of powers that empowers our JAVMA staff to perform their jobs without outside censorship or control over content, thereby providing an unbiased view of events within our profession. Starting with this issue of JAVMA, there is going to be one exception to that editorial independence. I’d like to introduce to you the first President’s Column, the start of a monthly JAVMA feature that will bring you news, notes, and insight from the AVMA president’s perspective. This column marks the first time AVMA leadership will have a direct voice in JAVMA on key issues in the veterinary profession, and we hope to use it to explore issues that are relevant to our members, our association, and the veterinary profession from a slightly different point-of-view. This month, I’d like to share with you an update on our Strategy Management Process and where we’re headed in 2015 and beyond. Our recently approved 2015–2017 Strategic Plan is a direct result of this process, whose ultimate goal is to grow and enhance the value of AVMA membership. You can see the 2015–2017 Strategic Plan by visiting newcourse.avma.org. Our strategic plan is built on the results of an unprecedented approach to information gathering.
We listened to and learned from our members to determine what you want and expect from the AVMA. We sent a survey to 16,000 AVMA members, all AVMA volunteers, and 5,000 veterinary students that was designed to compare member expectations with their perceptions of how well the association was meeting those expectations. We learned that our members highly value the AVMA’s role in many activities, most notably in the areas of advocacy, accreditation, veterinary economics, member services, and providing leadership for the veterinary community. We also learned, and are continuing to learn, how we can do a better job of meeting your needs in each of these areas. As we begin implementing our strategic plan, we have reorganized our staff into three Strategic Business Units—advocacy, products and services, and accreditation—each of which is charged with protecting, promoting, and advancing the veterinary profession. Today, we are focused squarely on three primary goals: • Protecting and enhancing the lifelong value of the veterinary medical degree. • Providing valuable member products and services. • Enhancing the public image and reputation of veterinarians and the veterinary profession. We’ve also recommitted ourselves to an enhanced member outreach program that will improve how, when, and why we communicate with you. One thing we’ve learned through the Strategy Management Process is that our members don’t have a good appreciation for all the things their AVMA offers and all that we do for you on a daily basis. And that’s our fault! Our improved marketing and communication plans and initiatives will change that, ensuring that we openly communicate the right message to our members, at the right time. So stay tuned over the coming months—and especially at next month’s AVMA Annual Convention in Boston—for our new focus and new messages and a new look from and for your AVMA.
Things are changing. These are exciting times. And you’re the focus of all our efforts.
COM_PresidentSpread_JAVMA_060115.indd 2
5/8/2015 9:27:57 AM
It seems to be a little known
PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
fact that the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association enjoys and, in fact, has always enjoyed editoriTed Cohn, DVM al independence. So what is editorial independence? It is the philosophy that the editor-in-chief has full authority over the content of the journal, including the selection of which articles—not just scientific articles, but also news stories, commentaries, and letters to the editor—will be published and when. Of course, this policy isn’t unique to the JAVMA or even the AVMA, but is the recognized standard throughout the field of biomedical publishing. For scientific journals, editorial independence from the parent organization is inextricably linked with perceptions of integrity, credibility, and value for readers. At the AVMA, this independence is recognized as a valuable separation of powers that empowers our JAVMA staff to perform their jobs without outside censorship or control over content, thereby providing an unbiased view of events within our profession. Starting with this issue of JAVMA, there is going to be one exception to that editorial independence. I’d like to introduce to you the first President’s Column, the start of a monthly JAVMA feature that will bring you news, notes, and insight from the AVMA president’s perspective. This column marks the first time AVMA leadership will have a direct voice in JAVMA on key issues in the veterinary profession, and we hope to use it to explore issues that are relevant to our members, our association, and the veterinary profession from a slightly different point-of-view. This month, I’d like to share with you an update on our Strategy Management Process and where we’re headed in 2015 and beyond. Our recently approved 2015–2017 Strategic Plan is a direct result of this process, whose ultimate goal is to grow and enhance the value of AVMA membership. You can see the 2015–2017 Strategic Plan by visiting newcourse.avma.org. Our strategic plan is built on the results of an unprecedented approach to information gathering.
We listened to and learned from our members to determine what you want and expect from the AVMA. We sent a survey to 16,000 AVMA members, all AVMA volunteers, and 5,000 veterinary students that was designed to compare member expectations with their perceptions of how well the association was meeting those expectations. We learned that our members highly value the AVMA’s role in many activities, most notably in the areas of advocacy, accreditation, veterinary economics, member services, and providing leadership for the veterinary community. We also learned, and are continuing to learn, how we can do a better job of meeting your needs in each of these areas. As we begin implementing our strategic plan, we have reorganized our staff into three Strategic Business Units—advocacy, products and services, and accreditation—each of which is charged with protecting, promoting, and advancing the veterinary profession. Today, we are focused squarely on three primary goals: • Protecting and enhancing the lifelong value of the veterinary medical degree. • Providing valuable member products and services. • Enhancing the public image and reputation of veterinarians and the veterinary profession. We’ve also recommitted ourselves to an enhanced member outreach program that will improve how, when, and why we communicate with you. One thing we’ve learned through the Strategy Management Process is that our members don’t have a good appreciation for all the things their AVMA offers and all that we do for you on a daily basis. And that’s our fault! Our improved marketing and communication plans and initiatives will change that, ensuring that we openly communicate the right message to our members, at the right time. So stay tuned over the coming months—and especially at next month’s AVMA Annual Convention in Boston—for our new focus and new messages and a new look from and for your AVMA.
Things are changing. These are exciting times. And you’re the focus of all our efforts.
COM_PresidentSpread_JAVMA_060115.indd 2
5/8/2015 9:27:57 AM
