It’s hard to believe I am writing my final article as president of AOSW. The end of this year seemed far away last January when there were so many details and tasks before me. Looking back, however, it seems that time has flown by much too quickly. As a parent, it reminds me of how some days can feel so long when actually there is constant growth and tremendous progress happening every moment.

As 2019 comes to close, I am extremely excited to share with you the hard work the Board of Directors has been doing to create a new strategic plan for 2020–2022. As we started the strategic planning sessions, we had an opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made as an organization under the current strategic plan goals:

1. AOSW’s strategic partnerships have increased 334% since 2017! This is due to work started by Krista Nelson, our former Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships, that continues under our Executive Director Emily Burch.
2. We created a more collaborative relationship with the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) and launched two successful one-day joint meetings.
3. Liaison relationships continue to flourish with multiple oncology organizations, resulting in joint webinars and multiple oncology awards for AOSW.

We can be proud of these advances! Throughout this process, we’ve been focusing on where we’d like to see AOSW positioned in the larger psychosocial oncology care ecosystem, not just on goal completion.

At this year’s AOSW/APOS Joint Meeting in New York on October 4, 2019, Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, author of Wholehearted: Slowing Down, Helping Out, and Waking up at the Bedside, stated, “We get addicted to doing things the way we do them.” While this was not the entire focus of his presentation, it was a statement that stuck with me…perhaps because…it’s true. Whether we are talking about a morning routine that keeps us on track or behaviors that don’t serve us well, it’s still true. I point this out because it’s also true of associations.

As a Board, we’ve started asking why.

• Why do we exist?
• Why are we structured the way we are?
• Why do we have a seat at some (proverbial) tables and not at others?
• Why are you a member?

Yes, some of these questions sound existential in nature; however, they are important to ask as they lead us to other questions. We know what psychosocial oncology care looks like now, but what’s next? How will AOSW lead the charge to support our members as we envision the future of our profession? These can be hard questions to ask, especially if the answers don’t come easily and/or don’t align with our current trajectory.

The sensational part about strategic planning is that it provides an opportunity to critically assess and analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). You guessed it. This was a great time for a SWOT analysis. So what did our analysis tell us? It told us that as an organization we are fiscally strong, seize opportunities, are evolving and still have room to grow. We have also been extremely mindful that we want to be able to clearly measure our progress in the years to come.

Growth, progress, transitions. This is where I am focused at the end of my term. As I transition to Past-President, I’ll be working alongside President Sara Goldberger and President-Elect Bill McDermott as they begin the work of carrying out our new goals, objectives, strategies and tactics. I am encouraged by their enthusiasm to carry the torch as AOSW strives, continually, to be THE catalyst for the advancement of oncology social work.

I would like to thank our outgoing Board members Tara Schapmire, Jane Dabney and Chelsea Kroll for their hard work, dedication and service. AOSW is truly better because of their contributions.

To our members, thank you for your continuous feedback and questions. YOU are the reason why we all volunteer! Without YOU there is no AOSW! YOU are at the center of all we do as a professional association. I challenge you to find the kind of leadership that resonates within you—to take risks every now and then to WOW yourself at your own potential and ability. In the words of our colleague Shirley Otis-Green, “Changing anything changes everything!” There are some exciting new changes coming next year. I hope you trust the process, buckle up and stay with us on the ride as we soar to new heights in psychosocial oncology care.