North Dakota Governor's Newsletter December 2025
In this Issue:
- ACP Paper Calls for Reforms to Ensure Managed Care Improves Patient Health
- Coming Soon: Exciting Changes to ACP Publications
- ACP Launches New Chatbot to Help Members Find Information Faster
Joshua C. Ranum, MD, FACP, ACP Governor
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Congratulations to Dr. Dinesh Bande who is our chapter's Governor Elect Designee! He'll officially begin as the Governor Elect at the Internal Medicine Meeting in San Francisco in April, do a year of training, and then assume the role of chapter Governor in April 2027.
I look forward to working with Dinesh over the next 16 months as he transitions into his role as governor.
Also, a big thank you to Dr. Ron Ottenbacher. Although he was not elected as the next governor, he is a valuable part of our chapter and will continue to work in a leadership role within the chapter.
It's not too early to register for the IM Meeting in San Francisco April 16-18, 2026. In addition to the great scientific sessions, it's a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow internal medicine physicians, catch up with former student/resident friends, and connect with fellow chapter members.
Please join us on December 11 from 6-7 PM Central for an update on rural graduate medical education. We've got a dynamic speaker, Lori Rodefeld, who has launched several new residency programs and tracks, primarily in Wisconsin. I'm pinch hitting as a speaker as Dinesh was unavailable, but I'll be talking about UND's efforts to expand the internal medicine workforce in the state through new training sites.
During this Thanksgiving season, I am very grateful for the work that all of you are doing and the engagement you've shown with our chapter.
ACP Paper Calls for Reforms to Ensure Managed Care Improves Patient Health
ACP has released a new position paper calling for managed care strategies that prioritize patient health outcomes rather than cost savings alone. As health care costs rise, ACP notes that increasing use of practices such as prior authorization and narrow clinician networks can create barriers to care and administrative burdens for physicians and patients. This paper is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The paper recommends streamlining administrative processes, increasing transparency, and ensuring utilization management decisions align with evidence-based clinical guidelines. ACP emphasizes that collaboration among health plans, clinicians, patient advocates, and policymakers is essential to ensure managed care supports timely, equitable, and high-value care.
Coming Soon: Exciting Changes to ACP Publications
Effective in January 2026, ACP will be implementing important changes to our publications to reduce our carbon footprint, curb expenses, and streamline content delivery. ACP members will be able to access these publications using their ACP login information.
Changes will include the following:
- I.M. Matters from ACP (formerly ACP Internist), which has been published in print for over four decades, will transition to a monthly online-only publication and will be combined with the companion e-newsletter I.M. Matters Weekly from ACP.
- I.M. Matters News will be a new monthly feature in our flagship publication, Annals of Internal Medicine.
- Weekly Delivery: ACP members will continue to receive clinical and College news weekly under the I.M. Matters name.
- Monthly Digest: On the last Tuesday of the month, ACP members will receive an electronic table of contents via e-mail with links to all content published that month.
- Exclusive Member Benefits: I.M. Matters from ACP, ACP Diabetes Monthly, and ACP Gastroenterology Monthly will join ACP Hospitalist as exclusive benefits of ACP membership.
These changes will allow us to continue providing our members with trusted and valued information in a more efficient, accessible, and environmentally responsible way.
ACP Launches New Chatbot to Help Members Find Information Faster
ACP has launched a new chatbot, named I.M. Osler, designed to help members quickly find information on ACP's Membership page and in ACP's Online Learning Center. The assistant serves as an easy-to-use, conversational tool that can guide users to key resources, answer general questions about ACP programs and services, and streamline navigation across the site.
ACP's Customer Service team currently answers member questions submitted via a live chat mechanism on ACPOnline's Membership section during regular business hours. With its launch, I.M. Osler will take over answering users' questions after-hours, on weekends, and on holidays. The chatbot will be live on the Online Learning Center every day, around the clock.
While the chatbot provides convenient access to information, it is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not offer medical, legal, or financial guidance, and all information should be independently verified. Members are also reminded not to share protected health or confidential information in the chat, as conversations may be logged.
For complex or specific issues, ACP members can still connect with a human representative through ACP's contact page during standard business hours.
This new tool reflects ACP's ongoing commitment to improving the member experience by using technology to make accessing information faster and easier.
You can find I.M. Osler on the Online Learning Center and Membership pages.