ATS News Articles

Home ▶ ATS News Articles ▶ After Successful 2018, ATS Board Looks Forward
After Successful 2018, ATS Board Looks Forward

In December 2018, the ATS Board gathered to approve the 2019 American Thoracic Society budget, and to make plans for the coming year.  

In 2018, the ATS saw a revenue surplus. Of the surplus, $1.0M was added to the ATS reserve account to allow for adequate coverage in the event of an unexpected downturn. Most of the rest of the surplus was designated to support additional young investigator research awards.

The Board approved a new strategic framework which you will be hearing more about in the near future.  Under that new framework, initiatives emphasized as part of the 2019 budget include the following: 

  • Expanding educational opportunities beyond the International Conference.
  • Upgrading and expanding our journals.
  • Increasing  research opportunities funded by  the ATS Foundation.
  • Supporting the needs of Division and Training Directors.
  • Focusing on guideline implementation, including patient education materials.
  • Enhancing ATS communications to facilitate interaction with ATS on issues of interest.
  • Developing ways to effectively monitor and evaluate ATS programs, products, and services.

Abstract submissions for the 2019 ATS International Conference are on par with ATS 2018 and the Board is looking forward to and expecting a successful meeting in Dallas. 

The board also approved the creation of a Diversity and Inclusion Policy. The ATS has been promoting diversity and inclusion for many years, including the creation of a Women’s Forum in 1993, and a Diversity Forum in 1994. There are also interest groups that speak to specific demographics within the ATS, and of course, a focus on attracting and supporting international members. Currently, for example, the overall female membership within the ATS is 30 percent, and among early career professionals, women make up 41 percent of membership. As a living document, the policy is meant to reflect and codify the work the ATS has been doing for years, and to continue to build on it to make the Society as inclusive an organization as possible.

By investing in the programs at the ATS, as well as by refining new policies to reflect ATS culture, the ATS is looking to 2019 as a time for continued growth.