From the Desk of the ACCP President
August 06, 2020
Brian L. Erstad, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS
ACCP’s Core Values
ACCP’s Board of Regents spends considerable time dealing with new or emerging critical issues, strategic directions, and associated objectives as part of its ongoing strategic planning process. Although likely less apparent to the general membership, the Board also reviews ACCP’s mission statement and core values during this process, despite the recognition that the College’s mission and values are unlikely to change, given that they represent the organization’s existing and deeply held beliefs. Moreover, as stated in one discourse on nonprofit governance, an organization’s values are particularly important for guiding action when “no one [is] there to provide direction, or when a new situation arises for which there is no precedent.”1 As a nation – and as an organization – we are currently in a pandemic for which there is little precedent, at least in modern memory.
Many of ACCP’s core values such as its “passion for extending the frontiers of clinical pharmacy” and its “dedication to excellence in patient care, research, and education” have an obvious, direct relationship to the College’s mission. However, one issue that has come up during the Board discussions on strategic planning is whether ACCP’s core values concerning integrity, honesty, reliability, and accountability are appropriate for retention, considering that they should presumably hold true for any individual or organization. During my years of service on the Board, I have nevertheless advocated for their retention, particularly in light of the seeming lack of these values in much of our nation’s political and business discourse.
After the 2020 ACCP Annual Meeting this October, when I become the immediate past president of ACCP, I will have served on the Board of Regents for more than 5 consecutive years, including a partial year as a new Board member undergoing training, 3 years as treasurer, 1 year as president-elect, and now 1 year as president. I can say with full confidence that all of the Board and staff members with whom I have interacted over these years exhibit the positive character traits of integrity, honesty, reliability, and accountability embedded in our core values, and I am proud to be part of an organization that recognizes and lives by these values.
Reference:
- Lakey BM. Nonprofit Governance: Steering Your Organization with Authority and Accountability. Washington, DC: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 2000.