Beyond Resolutions: Our Strategic Plan’s Journey to Elevate Endodontics and Patient Care

2023 has come to an end and we welcome 2024. A new year is always a time for reflection and resolution.

The last official act of the AAE Board of Directors for 2023 was the December 11^th approval of a revised Strategic Plan, which will serve the association into 2026. This revision was the result of a lot of work on the part of the Board and AAE staff alike, guided by our organization’s Core Purpose:  To advance the art and science of endodontics and to promote the highest standards of patient care. We spent the first day of our Interim Board of Directors Meeting in October working with our facilitators from Tecker International to come up with a plan to better guide us over the next couple of years.

Our previous plan included a goal that focused the public (The public will value saving their natural teeth and seek endodontists – the specialists in saving teeth – for their care) , a member focused goal (The AAE will be recognized for providing an environment that is welcoming and supports the diversity of its members as leaders for the global advancement of endodontics, and a goal focused on the dental profession (The dental profession will value endodontists as partners with advanced expertise in restoring oral health)

In my view, our public facing goal (The public will value saving their natural teeth and seek endodontists – the specialists in saving teeth – for their care) has been very successful. The Worth Saving Campaign and Save Your Tooth Month have created a new level of public awareness of the importance of saving natural dentition and of the special role endodontist play in saving teeth. I have spent considerable time this year (as did presidents who preceded me) being the AAE spokesperson in print, online, and on radio and television to get the word out about who we are and what we do. I am particularly fond of findmyendodontist.com, as when I started practice in the early 80’s, it was unthinkable that patients would be referring themselves to an endodontist. This goal will continue to expand upon past successes.

Our member-facing goal (The AAE will be recognized for providing an environment that is welcoming and supports the diversity of its members as leaders for the global advancement of endodontics, and the dental profession) will continue to create value in AAE membership regardless of the practice model or setting a member chooses. It continues to celebrate the diversity of talents and backgrounds of our members with the AAE Leadership Development Program. It includes new priority strategies aimed at supporting our current educator members and increasing the number of endodontists who teach.

The Board decided that former goal focused on the dental profession, was in need of revision and expansion. It was replaced by two different but related goals: Develop and maintain a body of knowledge to advance the specialty and Advocate for quality endodontic care.

The body of knowledge developed and maintained would include promoting endodontic studies utilizing the new Core Outcome Set, which will enhance the specialty by enabling endodontists to base their practice on a higher level of evidence and enhance the value that the dental profession places on endodontists. The body of knowledge will also include tracking provider and practice trends. The body of knowledge will inform policy going forward and aids in the development of clinical resources and assessment tools of value to endodontists and to the dental profession.

Advocating for quality endodontic care will utilize the body of knowledge developed and maintained for AAE’s growing advocacy role. More outward facing efforts of advocacy would have communities of interest looking to the AAE for our position on matters related to oral and systemic health at a state and federal level. Advocacy efforts will also increase awareness of endodontics’ relevance to oral and systemic health. The more inward focus of advocacy would be our efforts at optimizing coding and reimbursement for endodontic procedures as well as advocating that endodontic care performed by generalists be done to the same standard of practice as that performed by endodontists.

After our strategic planning exercise in October, AAE staff spent many hours refining language, adding outcomes, KPIs, strategies, and tactics necessary to implement the plan. I can’t thank them enough for their herculean effort. Some further refining was done by AAE Executive Committee in collaboration with senior staff prior to the approval by the full Board of Directors. I can’t wait to see this plan in action!

    

The responsibility of representing the AAE at meetings and functions since assuming office in May has had me in a continuous state of travel. My last trip of the calendar year found me in Chicago at AAE headquarters for the staff holiday luncheon. The AAE President is the only person from volunteer leadership invited to this annual celebration. I love working with these talented people, so I really loved the privilege of celebrating with them. We had so much fun together!  It was a beautiful end to an amazing year.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy, prosperous, and fulfilling 2024!