Update from July 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

I hope you are well. To maintain transparency between AMIA leadership and the AMIA membership, I would like to provide a brief update about what is happening at AMIA.

There are a few key items I would like to report to you from our Board of Directors meeting last month:

Executive Search Task Force

The Board has decided to kick off the search for a new Chief Executive Officer. The search will begin later this fall with an Executive Search Committee chaired by Peter Embi and Vicky Tiase. The committee will enlist the assistance of a firm to find the optimal candidate for AMIA and we will include updates on the progress in other member communications.

Strategic Planning Task Force

Over the course of the last several months, the Strategic Planning Task Force has convened to discuss AMIA’s strategic priorities moving forward in the next five years. A report was constructed by the Joan Garry Consulting Group based on these last several months of discussions. Joan Garry spent a full day going through the report with the Board and the Board actively discussed the initiatives. They focused on how to move the plan forward and what initiatives were paramount to the success and growth of the organization. We have developed this document to outline these initiatives that will take precedence in our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan.

Governance Task Force

Part of the recommendations from Joan Garry’s team referenced the governance structure of AMIA. We plan to establish a governance task force and consider structural changes that will enable more voices at the table. We also intend to review AMIA election rules and bylaws with an eye towards diversity, equity and inclusion, and will consider alternative options to achieve this goal.

Financial Overview

The Board and Executive Committee have spent a substantial amount of time in discussions regarding AMIA’s finances. Like most organizations, the pandemic has caused a multitude of program shifts, all of which have significantly impacted the finances of AMIA. We have had a financial task force in place since March working behind the scenes to protect our members’ $3.5 million in reserves and do real-time forecasting to provide financial guidance to the Board. It has not been an easy task as we have needed to cut nearly $3 million from our total organizational expenses to mitigate losses of meeting, membership, and sponsor revenue. More than 60 percent of AMIA’s revenue comes from live meetings so the impact is significant. There is a misconception about virtual meetings and while we are expending half of what we typically spend for a live event, we also anticipate to only bring in half of the revenue. I know I can speak for the AMIA leadership and AMIA staff when I say we truly appreciate the support you continue to give to AMIA programs. It is critical to assuring our future.

AMIA 2020 Virtual Annual Symposium

The AMIA staff gave an update in their search for an Annual Symposium platform, based on discussions with the Executive Committee and the requirements gleaned from our past virtual conference. The staff plans to reveal their platform choice in the coming weeks. ICYMI: AMIA announced the addition of a special fireside chat with Anthony Fauci, MD, at the Virtual Annual Symposium. This event will be live-streamed and is available to Virtual Annual Symposium registrants only. The Early Bird deadline is approaching: August 27. Register now to ensure your member savings.

AMIA 2021 Virtual Informatics Summit

As recently announced, the AMIA Board voted to shift the 2021 Informatics Summit to a virtual event. We have no way of knowing how the pandemic will be affecting us at that time. The Scientific Program Committee has extended the call for participation deadline to August 27. This community continues to grow each year and I have no doubt 2021 will beat the 2020 submission record!

I hope that you and yours remain safe and healthy.

Please reach out to me or any of our board members with questions, concerns, and your suggestions for AMIA’s role as we work to advance health care through informatics.