Letter from the ACMI President, Genevieve Melton-Meaux, MD, FACMI
Since the American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) inception in 1984, ACMI members have shared a mission and a passion for the research, education, and practice of informatics in health and health care with the members of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA).
From ACMI’s inaugural class of 52 fellows to the 439 in the current body, the college has recognized biomedical informaticists who achieve distinction in their field. For decades, the career paths of the fellows have intersected with AMIA through peer-review publication authorship, elected and volunteer leadership, conference presentation authorship, and awards for excellence.
It is with great pleasure that we announce another link in the bond between ACMI and AMIA to offer greater member value to the ACMI fellows and dual ACMI fellow/AMIA members — improving benefits, reducing expenses, and simplifying renewal.
In January 2022, the ACMI Executive Board proposed and the AMIA Board of Directors approved a combined membership structure for the ACMI fellowship and AMIA membership pending future approval by voting members of the College. In March, the proposal was offered to 228 voting members and 151 responded. A majority favored the change — 94.7% of respondents and 62.7% of all voting ACMI members.
What Is Changing In 2023?
Lower dues: Beginning in the 2023 membership year, ACMI fellows who wish to remain active voting members will no longer pay ACMI membership dues. To remain active, voting members will pay one fee equivalent to the AMIA regular or retired rate for membership dues (currently $395 and $185 annually). This change eliminates the separate ACMI dues fee of $185 for regular members and $95 for senior ACMI members annually.
Retain current benefits: ACMI members in good standing will continue to use the ACMI credential FACMI, vote on ACMI business and the induction of new fellows, serve as elected ACMI leaders, participate on committees, appear in the ACMI online directory, retain access to the private online community, and attend the ACMI Symposium and Awards Gala.
Gain expanded benefits: ACMI members in good standing will also receive the benefits of AMIA membership including access to all AMIA online communities, participation in working groups and forums, subscriptions to JAMIA and ACI Journal, AMIA eNews and public policy newsletters, member-only preferred registration rates for AMIA conferences and educational products, the AMIA member directory and the opportunity to participate as volunteer and elected leaders in AMIA.
Simplified renewal: Maintaining active voting membership will become an easy online process with only one fee. This change saves current double dues paying ACMI/AMIA members more than 50 percent of the total cost.
We offer many thanks to the ACMI fellows and others who advocated for and shepherded the change in particular to Justin Starren, Bill Tierney, and Michelle Martin. Beginning in January 2023, the full collaboration of the ACMI Fellowship and AMIA membership begins!
Join us live at the AMIA 2022 Annual Symposium in Washington D.C., November 5 – 9. The ACMI session dates and times will be announced in the coming weeks leading up to the meeting.
Respectfully,
Genevieve Melton-Meaux, MD, FACMI
