82 New Challenges and Opportunities Those members who are MDs are eligible to take part in the ACOFP Congress of Delegates, serve as governors or officers, and join various committees with voting privileges. This decision is underlined by the organization’s strong determination to maintain the principles and values of osteopathic family medicine. This approach aims to foster collaboration and inclusion among DOs and MDs, creating a synergistic community that can continue to further the mission of ACOFP and family medicine for both providers and patients. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES AND PRESSING ON COVID-19 PANDEMIC COVID-19 had a devastating impact on the world, our communities, patients, and the health care workforce, including osteopathic family medicine physicians, leaving indelible marks on their lives and practices. In the wake of this global crisis, ACOFP found itself at the crux between new challenges and unprecedented opportunities. The question of whether to still host conventions and meetings, which were once synonymous with in-person gatherings and interactions, was urgent. As news broke about the spread of COVID-19, the ACOFP staff team, led by ACOFP Executive Director Bob Moore, MA, MS, CAE, started mapping out a variety of options for consideration by the board of governors. A week before the scheduled meeting date, the board made the difficult decision to cancel ACOFP’s 57th Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars, which was set to take place in New Orleans on March 19–22, 2020. Over the course of the previous six months, ACOFP had underwent a series of operational updates, both in terms of technology and staffing, that helped position ACOFP to make this very quick decision. Necessity ignited innovation, and the organization rapidly pivoted to transition the event to a virtual format and platform, which attracted more than 1,600 attendees and received glowing feedback. An interesting takeaway was that this new virtual approach allowed many of ACOFP’s rural members, who traditionally did not have the ability to travel to the Annual Convention, to participate. It was at this time that ACOFP knew it had expanded access to a larger segment of its membership. Another silver lining to this crisis was that the ACOFP staff had added an insurance rider in January 2020 that protected the organization in the event of pandemics. This ended up covering all the expenses and lost revenue from the planned, in-person convention and allowed ACOFP to financially weather the storm in 2020, when other organizations took a significant financial loss. Thankfully, no staff reductions or budget deficits occurred during the course of the pandemic. Throughout this unpredictable journey, ACOFP not only adapted to navigating the digital landscape but also emerged as a leader for
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