I want to congratulate and thank America’s Blood Centers’ Meetings Committee, ABC staff and members for an excellent Annual Meeting event. The topics were compelling, participant engagement was excellent, and a professional discourse of the highest caliber occurred throughout. These characteristics reflect an association founded on sound fundamentals, which despite our recent change in leadership remain the cornerstone of our work. Indeed, an unwavering focus on our core values as an association has never been more important.
Our challenges are daunting, but ABC’s tradition of quality service over the years argues for optimism in the face of these hurdles. Working together, we can leverage our collective expertise and talents to help us continue delivering excellent service for our communities.
Thanks to the superb leadership of outgoing ABC President Dan Waxman, MD, a refocusing on ABC’s core values of Data Integration, Education and Information, and Advocacy enhanced clarity surrounding ABC’s reason for being. ABC’s board of directors intends to remain committed to these values.Â
A laser-like focus will be crucial to our success as an association as we navigate an increasingly complex environment including healthcare reform, increasing competition, changes in our scientific, medical, and technical world, and unprecedented shifts in hospital system relationships. Clearly defining and successfully delivering value to the members will be critical as ABC helps shape the environment to help members thrive, while holding the line on costs. Advocating for member center interests, convening member-based groups and outside perspectives to tackle difficult issues, translating data to inform key decision makers, and fostering an environment of trust among members and ABC staff, all based on appropriate transparency and absolute confidentiality, will produce an exchange of ideas advancing the interests of member centers. ABC offers a wealth of tools for our use but it is up to us as members to engage together in order to bring those to bear on the challenges at hand.
We are fortunate during this transition to have Bill Coenen serve as our interim CEO. A tested problem solver and advocate for ABC members, Bill is uniquely well suited to work alongside our staff to execute the board’s plan on behalf of the members, while preparing for the association’s next CEO.
Most importantly, I want to thank you, the members. As a member-driven organization, you are ABC. I look forward to serving with a committed board and talented staff on your behalf.
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