Chapter Update: The MWLA Three-Year Plan

The Midwest Lipid Association Chapter started the fall with our co-sponsored Clinic Lipid Update in Minneapolis in September. It was great to see many familiar NLA member colleagues as well as new attendees.  

As part of the MWLA’s goals for this year, we are finalizing a three-year strategic plan. An important step was to create a mission statement.  

The mission of the Midwest Lipid Association is to support the National Lipid Association in growing the field of lipidology.

Mission statements give each organization a foundation to build upon while maintaining focus. We hope ours will help guide our path forward for years to come.  In serving our members, the MWLA’s three-year strategies and measurable goals are to:

1.    Grow and maintain clear communication pathways
2.    Develop educational and research opportunities that will enhance the field of lipidology
3.    Engage and support members through opportunities for personal and career growth

As Chapter leaders, we hope to offer clear communication to our members through the traditional publications such as the LipidSpin and our quarterly e-newsletter, but also build a toolkit of resources for future leaders to create smooth handoffs during times of leadership transition.  

Regarding educational and research opportunities for our members, we plan to contribute to the NLA’s virtual lipid club in 2020 as well as build our lipid community through both local in-person and regional virtual meetings. The Chicago area has an active lipid interest group that meets regularly and is serving as a best practice for our discussions. We realize other regional chapters of the NLA have their own best practices, and we continue to gather information on how to best reach and grow our membership. The MWLA
is also evaluating options for reaching more members and nonmembers with ideas ranging from podcasts to webinars to the Project ECHO model (University of New Mexico) of provider support and education.

Finally, we want to engage and support our members to grow personally and professionally. We are creating a database of members with specific skillsets and interests. If you are a MWLA member and are interested in future career development, including speaking, writing, research and/or leadership opportunities, please reach out to myself or any of our chapter leaders.  

2020 will be a great year for the MWLA.  We look forward to hosting the Annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago in June.  Agenda planning is already well underway and it is shaping up to be an exciting program. We look forward to seeing you there!