This month marks a first for the American College of Physician Advisors (ACPA). It’s the very first time we are using our logo to demonstrate celebration and support of a movement. That movement is Pride.

In 2014 when ACPA was formed, our logo was created by our first president, the late Dr. Ronald Rejzer. His vision intended to translate how physician advisors are at the center of the intersections of utilization management, clinical documentation integrity, compliance, and leadership. While the original version was in shades of yellow and green, a few years later it evolved into the blue and orange iteration so many have come to know. Each of the “petals” or leaves of the ACPA clover can be expanded upon to incorporate our whole scope of work.

Compliance encompasses revenue cycle, billing, and regulatory expertise. Of course, utilization review includes the Medicare Conditions of Participation, but also the incredibly strong collaborative relationship between physician advisors and their case/utilization management teams. Even clinical documentation integrity – with the “I” formerly standing for “improvement” – has grown into much more than diagnosis capture for billing’s sake, and more and more physician advisors are becoming involved with CDI initiatives and education. Leadership is a no-brainer, all you have to do is step back and take note of how many of our members produce quality educational content for the greater community month-over-month, not to mention bringing pediatric physician advisors and their specific challenges to the forefront in the last few years when previously, they were almost unheard of.

Leadership is precisely why our logo stands for more than ACPA this month. While Pride taking place in June is often attributed to the Stonewall Riots which took place on June 28, 1969, the history of Pride involves queer activism across a broad spectrum and the simple insistence since the 1950s that sexual identity should not be a catalyst for discrimination or harassment. I believe physician advisors are leaders within their health systems when it comes to advocating for quality in patient care, and equally should advocate for EQUALITY within our global community.

Make no mistake, I know this one small gesture of solidarity by the ACPA for one month out of the year is not going to change the world. My hope is to provide just one more flicker of a flame to illuminate the cause, encourage visibility, and express support for our members. If you find yourself aggravated or even incensed by our rainbow colors this month, I encourage you to reach out to me via the Contact Us section of our website. All requests for anonymity will be respected as messages will come to me secondarily without identifying information attached. Feel strongly that another movement, celebration, or cause should be similarly spotlighted by our College in the future? Let us know which one and why in the same fashion.

“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak.” – Audra Lorde, writer, civil rights activist, self-described “Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”

"Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start." – Jason Collins, first openly gay athlete in U.S. professional sports

“History isn’t something you look back at and say it was inevitable, it happens because people make decisions that are sometimes very impulsive and of the moment, but those moments are cumulative realities.” – Marsha P. Johnson, activist for gay and transgender rights, self-identified drag queen