Leadership in medicine is not about titles – it is about service. As members of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), we are united by a shared purpose: to advance the specialty, support one another, and, most importantly, care for patients. The College’s vision statement reminds us that we need to foster “a culture of collaboration and congeniality in which its members work together and with others toward the common goals of patient care, education, advocacy and research.”
True servant leadership requires clarity of purpose. Strategy provides that clarity. As the saying goes, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest path to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.” At its core, our strategy is simple: take care of patients and make a living. Yet it is the tactics – practice management, coding, education, research, and advocacy – that turn vision into reality. This is where the College stands apart.
ACAAI is here to help you sharpen your skills and make you better. Through our strategic plan, we provide practical tools, resources, and leadership opportunities designed to strengthen both the individual physician and the specialty as a whole. By investing in education, supporting practice management, and amplifying our advocacy voice, the College equips you not only to thrive, but to lead with confidence and purpose.
I invite you, as a College member, to use ACAAI as a means to improve your leadership – both professionally to advance the specialty and in your care for patients, and also personally to enrich your life with professional relationships, opportunities to lead studies, committee involvement and other personal fulfillment.
Recent programs are examples of the College’s investment in leadership.
Pathways to Practice (P2P)
The College took the lead to address the growing shortage of practicing allergists in the United States. P2P was developed to expand access to allergy and immunology care across the country by supporting fellows who are committed to entering community-based practice within the U.S. The program, funded by the College, will support the training of 16 allergy/immunology fellows through four competitive $250,000 (two-year) grants awarded annually. Recipients of 2026–27 P2P funding are:
- Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University – Training Program Director Dr. Kathleen May
- University of California San Diego – Training Program Director Dr. Alexander Kim
- University of Iowa – Training Program Director Dr. Amy Dowden
- University of Puerto Rico – Training Program Director Dr. Sylvette Nazario
Community and Academic Partnership in Education and Research (CA²PER)
An opportunity for collaborative leadership is CA2PER, which fosters collaboration between academic researchers and community-based allergists. The program aims to advance clinical research by addressing clinical questions important for improving allergy/immunology care. The first CA2PER grant recipients are Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, FACAAI and Jordan E. Scott, MD. Their project is “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Predict Side Effects and Treatment Outcomes in Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for Patients With Food Allergies.” Letters of Intent for 2026 CA2PER funding are due Jan. 15, 2026.
In addition to the new programs above, established College programs continue to support leadership.
Leadership Summit
The value of the College’s Leadership Summit is three-fold: it benefit participants personally, in their practices, and the specialty as a whole. Every March, twenty aspiring leaders who are early in their careers come together to gain communication, engagement and management skills and learn about ways they can be more involved with the College. Eligible members are encouraged to apply to attend the 2026 Leadership Summit early next year.
College governance
The College’s leaders – officers and regents on the Board of Regents – are elected by College Fellows at the Annual Business Meeting. These individuals steer the College’s initiatives and activities, using the strategic plan as a guide. Applications for 2026-27 board positions will be available this winter.
Leading through advocacy
The College’s Advocacy Council and House of Delegates are second to none. Our advocacy efforts have raised the profile of important allergy/immunology issues, such as Medicare payments to physicians, approvals of immunotherapy for our patients (the Payer Education Campaign), reducing administrative burdens from commercial payers, PBM reform and preserving NIH research funding. Our grass roots activities take place at the local, state and national levels.
The Allergists’ Foundation Community Grant Program
The Allergists’ Foundation Community Grants empower community practicing allergists on the front lines of patient care. Grant recipients are leading the way in their communities to address local issues related to allergic conditions and allergy care. Read about the six projects that received funding this year.
In addition to these programs, the continuous knowledge, insights and best practices you gain as a College member put you in a strong position to educate, assist and lead your colleagues.
Leadership, then, is not an abstract ideal but a daily act of service – to our patients, to our colleagues, and to our profession. Together, through shared vision and disciplined tactics, we ensure that the specialty of allergy and immunology continues to flourish.
