New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP)

Managing the COVID-19 shutdown and reopening

The New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NYACP) is a membership organization dedicated to advancing the specialty of Internal Medicine in New York State through education, advocacy and quality improvement. NYACP is New York State’s largest medical specialty organization representing over 12,000 internal medicine physicians. Nationwide, the American College of Physicians (ACP) membership is over 150,000 and includes internists, internal medicine subspecialists, and medical students, residents, and fellows.

NYACP was already investing in upgrading its office technology before having to close its office in mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Fortunately, about an hour after closing, NYACP was back in operation with workers setting up remote offices from home. The staff had new Microsoft Surface laptops, were storing files in the CLOUD, and the digital phone system connected seamlessly over the internet. Slack and Zoom meetings were available to engage with members and staff. The only thing remaining was finding an affordable multi-function device for each staff member to use at home in place of the shared printer/scanner. Scanning and shredding is important for security reasons, particularly when working from home.

Heather G. Bennett, JD, PhD, Executive Director, NYACP was familiar with eBizDocs because her husband and Howard Gross, CEO, eBizDocs, are members of the local Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) group. Once Howard understood what Heather needed, he was able to offer a perfect solution. NYACP purchased Epson WorkForce Pro 4-in-1 Network Multi-function-printers from eBizDocs for its staff. This completed the transition to provide full operations remotely.

After making the transition, Heather and the NYACP have not looked back. The timing could not have been better. NYACP’s lease what just about up and Heather was exploring the options. Rather than renewing its lease or finding a different office space, Heather decided to make being a virtual operation permanent. According to Heather, “We are more connected than ever and probably more efficient than we have ever been.”

COVID paved the way to working remotely and demonstrated its power to the Board of Directors. Without COVID, selling the idea of a virtual office to the board may have been a challenge, or at least not a priority. Working remotely also allows NYACP to avoid the stress of implementing Phase 3 requirements for masks, disinfecting, distancing, and other restrictions.

Since going virtual:

  • Member engagements are higher
  • Large state, district, and regional meetings are conducted online
  • Expenses for food, speakers, travel, and lodging are lower
  • Online meetings avoid travel restrictions and delays
  • Virtual meetings support Q&A and breakout sessions
  • The first ever “Virtual Lobby Day” was highly successful and conducted to involve legislators remotely

Working Remote is not for everyone, but the type of work and its staff are well suited for NYACP to operate remotely. “Working remotely is not just replacing going to work with working from home”, said Heather. “Your whole daily routine needs to adapt to the new way of working. Changes are subtle, and once they are in place, working remotely is very rewarding. It’s kind of like finding a new rhythm to a familiar routine.”

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