Editorial Corner

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”
—AA Milne

It is with mixed emotions that I write this final Editor’s column for the ACLGIM Leadership Forum. For 16 years, the ACLGIM Leadership Forum has brought leadership pearls, new ideas, and thought pieces to support the growth and development of leaders across general internal medicine. However, as with times changing, so has our readership. As we transitioned to a fully online venue, our reach and readership has declined. Thus, as good leaders must do, we must acknowledge our realities and evolve to meet the needs of a changing world.

As Socrates stated, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” As your editorial team for the ACLGIM Leadership Forum, we are not saying goodbye but instead are transforming our work into something new that improves reach and recognizes that all SGIM members are leaders. To that end, we will be integrating leadership content into the SGIM Forum, starting with the August 2024 issue.

In our final issue of the ACLGIM Leadership Forum, we further our conversations about improving our practice environment. Willens et al discuss the importance and strategies to operationalize and optimize team-based care. We also learn about the creation of a Division “float position” to decrease burdens with changing faculty roles and maintain access to care. Finally, we hear a call to leadership from Vineet Chopra, Chair of Department of Medicine at University of Colorado. As generalists, we possess a unique lens and skillset that is much needed in health care—we should step up to the challenge to lead the change we want to see.

We close the Web edition of this issue with reflections from our early leaders of ACLGIM and the history of the ACLGIM Leadership Forum. And we look both backward and forward with gratitude. Thank you for being part of the journey of the ACLGIM Leadership Forum. We could not have done this work without your contributions, your readership, and your support over the years.

We are truly grateful.