ACOFP Blog

By Bruce R. Williams, DO, FACOFP
ACOFP President

Looking back on 2021, it may be difficult to reflect on the year without seeing a cloud hanging over it. However, I like to look for the rays of sun pushing through the clouds and realize that, above them, is a bright, beautiful day. That was the case for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP).

Through the leadership of Immediate Past President Nicole Bixler, DO, MBA, FACOFP, ACOFP continued to move forward in meeting the needs and expectations of osteopathic family medicine. We further developed our committee structure to make it more efficient and accountable; advocated for our members and patients to maintain provisions put in place for the pandemic; provided excellent live and on-demand continuing medical education (CME); expanded outreach and communication with our members, residents and students on multiple platforms; prioritized fiscal responsibility, placing ACOFP in a financially favorable position; and looked inward to ensure the needs, expectations and perspectives of all who we represent—and care for—are considered.

As I look forward to the remainder of 2022 and my presidency, I do so with optimism. I hope to continue the great work that my predecessors began, furthering collaborations with the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, ACOFP Education and Research Foundation and the Family Medicine Leadership Consortium to strengthen osteopathic family medicine’s voice. In addition, we are upgrading our management platforms and website to serve our members in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible; we are refining our hybrid, in-person and on-demand programs to meet the CME needs of our members; and we are addressing the needs and expectations of our ever-changing demographic through education, inclusion of and recognition opportunities for our diverse community.

With this, I look to build on the fundamentals of why ACOFP exists. Our osteopathic philosophy and our techniques are central to who we are, and we need to promote the benefits they provide—not only to our patients, but also to our osteopathic family physician colleagues. Furthermore, ACOFP will continue promoting family medicine as critical to minimizing healthcare costs through advocacy and public relations. As our profession continues to experience considerable growth, we must take advantage of the opportunity to advance our mission of “working to promote excellence in osteopathic family medicine through quality education, visionary leadership and responsible advocacy.”

I am excited about the direction ACOFP is headed and what that means for our members, families, communities and, most of all, our patients.