"Letting go": the dissolution of a voluntary organization ... and the lessons learned

Like other businesses in North America, the Canadian health care system is undergoing significant and widespread change. It is inevitable in these times that some organizations, some structures, some units will become irrelevant in their existing forms, and should be fundamentally altered, or discontinued altogether. The need for such decisions is too often resisted, denied or avoided. Voluntary organizations and associations are particularly vulnerable to the forces of change and transition. These organizations are as likely as any other to need reexamination, and perhaps even more likely to "miss the signals" heralding a need for redesign. There aren't many examples of voluntary groups which have either discontinued their operations, or radically changed their mandates; the Toronto Association for Quality in Health Care (TAQHC) is one such organization. It is the authors' hope that by sharing TAQHC's decision and process for dissolution we may be able to assist other organizations facing similar challenges. It is further our belief that many of the lessons learned from this experience are applicable to situations other than those of voluntary organizations.