Charting Our Course: AAGL’s 2025–2027 Strategic Plan
Dear AAGL Family,
If you’ve ever tried to get a room full of surgeons to agree on anything—from where to eat dinner to how to close a port site—you know it’s not easy. So, when I tell you that our entire leadership came together to build a unified strategic plan for AAGL’s future, I hope you appreciate just how remarkable that is.
I’m excited to share that our new 2025–2027 Strategic Plan is complete, and I’m even more excited to tell you that it’s already in motion. But first, let me tell you how we got here—because the process behind this plan is just as important as the plan itself.
How We Built This Plan
From the very beginning, we wanted this plan to reflect the full breadth of our society—not just a few voices at the top. We started by surveying all 17 Board members and conducting individual interviews led by an outside consultant. Our staff then performed a comprehensive competitor analysis, taking an honest look at our strengths, our weaknesses, and where the real opportunities lie. A second internal survey explored our leadership dynamics and organizational alignment, because you can’t chart a course forward without first understanding where you stand.
All of this research was compiled into a detailed Briefing Book and distributed before we gathered for a full-day Strategic Planning Think Tank. Fourteen Board members, four key stakeholders, and seven staff members participated—both in person and virtually—for a day of honest discussion, spirited debate, and collaborative priority-setting. I’m told everyone remained friends by the end, which I consider a strategic victory in itself.
The result is a plan that reflects our collective vision. It’s not my plan or the Board’s plan—it’s our plan.
Four Pillars for Our Future
Our strategic plan is built on four interconnected pillars:
Education. This is our lead initiative, and for good reason. AAGL must remain the gold standard for MIGS education worldwide. We’re committed to producing more standardized practice guidelines, developing proficiency-based learning pathways for surgeons at every career stage, expanding patient education, and—something very close to my heart—addressing surgeon wellness and ergonomics. Because let’s be honest—we can’t take great care of our patients if we’re running on empty ourselves. Education starts with us, but it certainly doesn’t stop there. In 2025, we recorded several new patient education podcasts that will soon debut on the AAGL patient website, GynAwareness—because informed patients make empowered partners in care. And we’re not done yet: even more podcasts (we’ve been busy!) and an upgraded Physician Finder search engine are on the way. Stay tuned—good things are coming. Technology. AI, image-guided surgery, and emerging digital tools are transforming our field whether we’re ready or not. AAGL will lead the conversation by defining ethical standards for technology adoption, fostering responsible innovation, and making sure our members have the knowledge to use these tools safely and effectively. As someone with a biomedical engineering degree, I may be slightly biased, but I believe this is where the future of surgery lives.
Financial Sustainability. Great ideas need funding. We’re working to diversify our revenue, strengthen industry partnerships, and explore new ways to share our expertise—all while maintaining the ethical standards that define who we are.
Branding & Identity. Think of this pillar as the runway that supports the other three. We’re refining AAGL’s global presence so that our name is unmistakably synonymous with excellence, innovation, and trust in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery—for surgeons, patients, policymakers, and the public.
What’s Already Happening
A strategic plan that sits on a shelf is just a very expensive paperweight. Here’s what’s already underway:
Two New Practice Guidelines are scheduled for publication this spring—one in April and one in May. This doubles our previous annual output and reflects our commitment to being the definitive authority in evidence-based gynecologic care.
The AI & Emerging Technologies Task Force has been established and is already hard at work defining best practices and ethical guidelines for integrating AI and digital tools into MIGS. This group will develop frameworks, create guidance documents, and explore industry collaborations that keep AAGL at the cutting edge of surgical innovation.
The Surgical Ergonomics Task Force is tackling the very real challenge of surgeon burnout and physical wear. They’re developing educational content including webinars and a dedicated postgraduate course at the Global Congress to help you protect your body and extend your career. Your future self will thank you.
These are just the early milestones. In the months ahead, you’ll see continued progress across all four pillars—from expanded patient education campaigns to enhanced media outreach and innovative industry partnerships.
This Is Your Plan Too
I want to close with a reminder: This plan belongs to every AAGL member. Our strategic vision only becomes reality through your engagement. Join a Special Interest Group. Attend a webinar. Volunteer for a Task Force. Or simply send me your ideas at mhibner@azccpp.com—I read every message, and I bring your suggestions to the Board. Yes, even the long ones.
We’ve set ambitious goals for the next three years. But as I like to say: Plus Ultra—further beyond. The best is ahead of us, and I can’t wait to get there together.
Warm regards,
Michael Hibner, MD, PhD
President, AAGL 2026
