Dear AAIM Member,

 

It certainly is very comforting to me to be stepping into the AAIM President’s role knowing what great shape our organization is in! This year ends on a note of continued financial security and following another successful meeting with excellent attendance in Chicago. Assuming this role is also a bit daunting though, knowing how important it is to keep up that momentum and continue to expand upon new opportunities, but thanks to the excellent ongoing support of our members, our family of corporate sponsors, and the volunteer physicians who assume the organization’s various responsibilities, I’m hopeful that further strides will be made.

 

We now are looking forward to 2012 and our 121st annual meeting to be held in San Diego at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines. I believe this will be an enticing venue for our combined Annual and Triennial meeting. Dr. Marianne Cumming and her program committee are closing in on an agenda that will build upon the many strengths of prior meetings and also introduce new ways to best enlighten all about the latest in medical knowledge, as well as to creatively address the many challenges we encounter in our duties in insurance medicine. I have no doubt it will be a memorable meeting!

 

As time nears for renewing your AAIM membership, I’d like you to consider not so much whether you can afford this membership as whether you can afford not to renew! Please consider the many benefits of AAIM membership which include the Journal of Insurance Medicine, a registration discount for members attending the annual CME-accredited meeting, and access to the AAIM website with JIM articles access, member profiles, job postings, and the AAIM Wiki site discussions. In addition, AAIM members can take pride in belonging to and owning a robust, high-quality, financially-sound professional organization that is now 120 years old. We publish a peer-reviewed journal, have our own board certification, hold a seat at the AMA, and provide members with annual meetings that any physician in any specialty would respect. Being a relatively small group allows for great networking and the development of friendships not often encountered with other medical specialties. Given our limited size however it is important that we all take responsibility for nurturing our Academy with membership dues and volunteer contributions of time and effort when called upon, for without this support we risk losing these many benefits and our distinction as a recognized specialty.

 

In closing, I’d like to urge you all to continue your support of AAIM and to encourage others in the industry to join as well. And if you have any ideas, suggestions, criticisms, or other random thoughts pertinent to AAIM, please share them with me or any of the Executive Council members; I always look forward to hearing from my colleagues and making new connections.

 

I wish each of you the very best for the upcoming holidays!

 

Bradley Heltemes, M.D.

President