86 New Challenges and Opportunities The organization continues to move forward as a leader in helping to ensure that these tenets are an important part of all health care initiatives and advocacy. ACOFP CONTINUES TO EVOLVE WITH TIME Since the 1980s, ACOFP inhabited a 22,000-square-foot headquarters in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Despite the size and location in the suburbs of Chicago, the space was becoming financially difficult to maintain. It proved harder to find tenants for upstairs spaces; building utilities, maintenance, and improvement fees were expensive; and property taxes increased $100,000 each year. While the location had served ACOFP well for much of its history, it was time to reconsider moving. The question of whether to move locations or not came prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it became a more ascertainable reality once remote work became the new normal in 2020. ACOFP showed strong proficiency when it came to managing work and collaborating despite the new digital platform for the office, so it made it clear that a downsize in office space would not only be possible, but it would also be an effortless change. ACOFP officially moved to 8501 W. Higgins Rd, Suite 400, Chicago, Illinois, in November 2022, and the office hosted its official open house and welcome reception for ACOFP Illinois State Society members on Dec. 5, 2023. ACOFP President Bruce R. Williams, DO, FACOFP dist., and President-elect David J. Park, DO, FACOFP dist., participated in a ribbon-cutting event with staff. The new office space saves the organization about $100,000 a year, even though it is leased instead of owned, and it is customized to fit the staff’s needs, with flexible and collaborative From L to R: ACOFP Executive Director Bob Moore, 2023 ACOFP President David Park, DO, FACOFP dist., and 2023 AOA President Ira Monka, DO, FACOFP dist., accepting the Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Unification Award at the OMED awards ceremony in Orlando, FL. Blog posts were one channel in which members shared personal stories on how their backgrounds affected their experiences within the field of medicine. By participating in ACOFP’s online platform, members were able to deeply engage in a written discussion with an audience of their peers. Impactful conversations did not stop here. One of the most notable examples of ACOFP’s commitment to DEI was evident at the 2023 Annual Convention, where there was a track dedicated to DEI content. Interactive poster boards had messages of integrating inclusivity and empathy into physician practices, and attendees could engage with these throughout the hall.
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