American Diabetes Association - Silence is not your friend

 So it has been over a month since the incident involving the so-called "#NewOrleansFive" or "#NOLA5".  If you're not familiar with what happened, see my previous post here.  I felt it would be useful to provide an update of what has or has not happened since.

Immediate Aftermath

As I noted in my previous post, the CEO of the #AmericanDiabetesAssociation (#ADA), Charles "Chuck" Henderson, posted a recorded apology on YouTube on June 10.  Although the words "I apologize" were said, the message can be more accurately described as a non-apology.  Furthermore, the delivery was such that it looked like a hostage reading a statement from his captors.  Aside from that video message, ADA posted an "Organizational Update" on their website on July 8 that basically said that the CEO posted an apology and essentially reiterated what was said in the video and listed things the ADA was working on.  Among that list was a statement that an arms-length review of the June 5 incident was underway (note that word) and that the findings would be made available at the conclusion of the review.  The other four items listed related to traditional association activities.  That "Organizational Update" was only posted on the association's website and was not widely distributed to ADA membership.  I did a comprehensive search of my e-mails (including my SPAM folders) and saw nothing and the same was true for multiple colleagues I asked.

The meeting ended June 8, the YouTube video appeared June 10, and the website post was done July 8.  So, aside from these two things, there has be total silence from the ADA regarding the NOLA5.  As I have posted a few times on #SocialMedia, ADA, silence is not your friend.

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

Despite the ADA's silence, much has been happening and most of it is not good.  The NOLA5 and deputy members of the Diabetes Care editorial board wrote an editorial and seven opinion pieces with the intent of having them published in the journal.  These were apparently sent to the ADA with the offer of including any response from the ADA.  The opinion pieces were to be published in the "Community Voices" section of the journal.  Not only did the ADA refuse the offer, but they refused to publish any of the submissions.  Therefore, the group has posted their submissions on the Zenodo repository where you can read all seven in their entirety.  Because these are publicly available for all to read, I won't spend too much time rehashing what is written.  However, there are some important points that should be highlight.

1. The ADA clearly didn't learn from their mistake in New Orleans.   While you might argue that because it's the association's journal, they can make any editorial decision they'd like, the optics of what they did only amplifies the mistakes they've already made.  This continues their mistake of suppression of free speech and exchange of ideas principles and suggests the problem emanates from and is owned by the NOLA5, not the other way around.
2. It's important to remember, in order to be fair and balanced, the description of the sequence of events and perceptions thereof are from only one side of the incident so far.  While you can say the ADA's actions tell you about their side, we are still not privy to the actual discussions that occurred on the ADA's side that led to their various actions.  That full accounting may never be known, given how ADA has thus far reacted to events.
3. Related to #2, Dr. Mark Atkinson's accounting of his role in this event and the reasons for his resignation as chair of the Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee are important.  I should note the job of chair of the planning committee entails great responsibility, requires a plethora of skills that most individuals do not have, and requires a high level of integrity.  I personally found it appalling and disturbing that ADA leadership would put his name on an e-mail he did not agree with nor had an opportunity to review.  But, it also provides evidence of the level of ADA's desperation and lack of integrity.   
4. There were clearly a number of missed opportunities to steer things in a different direction, but they were either cast aside, ignored, or not recognized.  Such is always true of missed opportunities, but it shows the lack of leadership skills among the ADA leadership.
5. Apparently, there was a meeting scheduled between the NOLA5 and CEO Charles "Chuck" Henderson, but that meeting did not occur and has not be rescheduled.  The decision to not meet seems to be a response to the NOLA5 making requests that the meeting be recorded and that two representatives of the ADA's Emeritus Council (an advisory group made up of former ADA leaders) be present.  The ADA apparently were not receptive to those ideas.
6. There is still total silence regarding the "arms length review" supposedly being pursued by the ADA.  Although the ADA has not explicitly stated that a review has begun, anecdotal evidence suggests a committee exists and has begun its task.  The fact that the ADA has not explicitly informed member of this and has not identified who was tasked to lead this review is also very telling.  Again, silence from the ADA is not their friend.

I am not a public relations professional, but it doesn't take a PR person to see the ADA is failing in this arena.  The major issue is that their public declarations continue to cast, either directly or indirectly, the NOLA5 as the root of the problem when, in fact, the ADA has not looked in the mirror to see where the problem is.  When CEO Charles "Chuck" Henderson posted the "apology" YouTube video, I noted on social media that it was at least a step in the right direction, even if the content and delivery of the message was poor.  Sadly, ADA's efforts stopped there and it was the last real public step they took.  Since then, radio silence has been their primary tool.  Yes, they've posted materials on their website, but much of it has been buries among other regular ADA activities.  Some items have been sent to all members and some haven't.  This mixed messaging does not help the ADA's position.  

Generally, I agree with the steps proposed by the NOLA5 and the deputy editors of Diabetes Care.  More importantly, until the ADA leadership does a mea culpla and takes concrete steps to right the wrongs, this issue will not be going away anytime soon.  The organization is putting their primary mission, "...to prevent and cure diabetes and improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes" at jeopardy.  Continually deflecting the issue and telling membership to focus on the mission and the people we have pledged to help is not helping those people.  Leadership must take responsibility for what they did and do their utmost to repair the self-inflicted damage they have incurred.

Again, silence is not your friend.

 #DrWattAtUSC  #LetsMakeAmericaBuenoAgain  #diabetes