American College of Radiology’s New Place to Chat

What is it? Private communities are nothing new in the association space, but it’s always nice to have a fresh take on one. The American College of Radiology (ACR), a group with 37,000 members, is aiming for just that with the launch of its new Engage platform  (opens in a new tab)—which includes a full member directory, a variety of different forums, and a detailed resource library.

Why it works: Sometimes, it’s the amount of effort put into a private community that makes it uniquely valuable to members. ACR CEO William T. Thorwarth Jr., M.D., says that Engage is well suited to becoming an essential resource for its broad community. “Engage represents a unique opportunity for ACR members to interact with each other to share information and solve practical problems,” Thorwarth said in a news release  (opens in a new tab). “Members will be able to connect in a variety of self-selected open communities, while closed communities will facilitate the work of our commissions and committees.”

Other perks: The benefits of joining ACR, like many other medical societies, are broad. Among the more practical perks are offerings from ACR’s Benefits Plus program, including discounts on UPS shipping  (opens in a new tab), membership in Starwood Hotels’ Preferred Business tier  (opens in a new tab), and a lower rate on student-loan refinancing  (opens in a new tab).