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ISMS Bylaws

CHAPTER IX. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Committee Structure. The committee structure of the Illinois State Medical Society shall be as follows:

  1. Councils (standing committees)

  2. Committees Reporting Directly to the Board of Trustees

  3. House of Delegates Committees

  4. Board of Trustees Committees

Section 2. Councils.

  1. The Medical Legal Council shall be concerned in the areas of:

    1. Liaison with the Illinois Bar Association

    2. Liaison with courts, particularly where impartial medical testimony is involved

    3. Implementation of the Impartial Medical Testimony Rule

    4. Legal aspects of medical practice other than in the area of mental health

    5. Licensing and standards of practice

    6. Quackery

    7. Anatomical gifts and organ transplants

  2. The Council on Governmental Affairs shall be concerned in the areas of:

    1. Federal and state legislation analysis and communication

    2. Legislative liaison both state and federal

    3. Political education

  3. The Council on Education and Health Workforce shall be concerned in the areas of:

    1. Liaison with medical schools, curricula, etc.

    2. Health workforce and training

    3. Internships, residencies, etc.

    4. Scientific assembly

    5. Student loans

    6. Continuing medical education

    7. Such other duties as assigned by the Board

  4. The Council on Economics shall be concerned in the areas of:

    1. Ongoing relationships with third parties

    2. Health care cost and utilization

    3. This committee will report to the Board on matters of socioeconomic import, which are assigned by the chairman.

  5. The Council on Medical Service shall be concerned with:

    1. The provision of medical care and health services in the public and private sectors

    2. Emergency medical services

    3. Health care of the poor, aged and those in rural areas

    4. Maternal and child health

    5. Nutrition

    6. Worker's compensation

    7. Environmental and community health

    8. Rehabilitation

    9. Health care facilities and delivery systems

    10. Liaison with Department of Human Services’, offices of mental health and alcoholism and substance abuse

    11. Legal aspects of commitment, etc.

    12. Narcotics and dangerous drugs

    13. Alcoholism

  6. The Council on Membership & Advocacy shall be concerned in the areas of:

    1. New member orientation and membership benefit explanation

    2. Monitoring and overseeing programs and policies to maintain and enhance the value of membership in ISMS

    3. Advocacy of physician interests in matters of professionalism, patient care, and physician rights

  7. The Council on Communication shall be concerned in the areas of:
    Maintaining and enhancing the exchange of information of benefit and importance to physicians, patients, and the community at large by utilizing the means and methodology deemed most advantageous to foster this exchange of information and communication to the public, physicians, the media and other key constituencies of ISMS.

Section 3. Organization of Councils.

  1. Councils and the chairmen thereof shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees.

  2. Each Council shall have authority to request the Board of Trustees to appoint subcommittees under the councils for any purpose within the functions of the Council. A member of the Council shall be designated as chairman of each subcommittee and shall be selected by the Board of Trustees. Each subcommittee shall be used only for the specific purpose or purposes assigned to it and shall terminate as soon as its final report has been made or at the direction of the Board. The chairman of a Council may not serve as chairman of any subcommittee of the Council.

  3. Members of the Illinois State Medical Society may be appointed to serve as chairmen or members of any council or committee. Students nominated by the Governing Council of the ISMS Medical Student Section and resident physician members nominated by the Governing Council of the ISMS Resident and Fellow Section may be appointed by the Board of Trustees as members of any appropriate council or committee. Such members shall be permitted full privileges of committee membership, including the right to vote. Members of the Board of Trustees may serve as a full member, or as an advisory member to any council or committee, but may not serve as chairman.

    Recommendations for membership on any committee may be submitted to the Board of Trustees by the House of Delegates, or in writing by any member of the Society.

    A state committee which reviews the decisions of a similar committee of a component society may not have as a member one who currently serves on the same committee of a component society or district.

  4. Each Council shall submit for adoption a budget for the ensuing year, which shall include any subcommittees, and the Board of Trustees shall determine the appropriation for each Council. Requests for additional funds must be approved by the Board before they are committed.

  5. The president of the Society, the speaker of the House and the chairman of the Board shall be ex officio members without vote of the various councils and task forces, and may attend all committee meetings.

  6. Terms of office of members of the councils shall be one year, but may be terminated at any time at the discretion of the Board. No member of a council shall serve more than five consecutive one-year terms unless that member is appointed chairman during the course of such service, at which time the five-year term limitation would apply to service in the position of chairman, and provided a nine-year consecutive term limitation in any membership capacity will apply.

  7. Vacancies on any council or subcommittee thereof may be filled or membership therein may be enlarged or decreased by the Board of Trustees. The areas of concern of councils may also be enlarged or decreased by the Board of Trustees.

  8. The chairman of a council or subcommittee thereof, when he considers it expedient and with the consent of two-thirds of the members of the council, may conduct business or hold meetings by mail or by conference call, provided all members of the council are given opportunity to participate, that minutes of the transactions are recorded, approved by members participating, and circulated among all members.

  9. Reports of subcommittees shall be made by the chairman to the council under which they are operating.

    Reports of council activities shall include recommendations on reports and requests from subcommittees, and shall be made to the Board of Trustees by the chairman of the council. The chairman of any subcommittee may request the Board of Trustees to allow him, or any member of his subcommittee, to appear before the Board and to be heard.

    All councils shall submit to the House of Delegates written reports summarizing all actions. Requests for House action or recommendations affecting medical society policy must be submitted to the House in resolution form.

Section 4. Task Forces. A task force, an ad hoc body to address a specific complex issue and report by a date certain to the Board of Trustees, shall be appointed by the President upon direction of the House of Delegates or request of the Board of Trustees. It shall consist of persons from any two or more of the following categories: council members, committee members, other members of the Society, non-members of the Society. It shall be dismissed upon making its final report.

Section 5. Committees Reporting Directly to the Board of Trustees.

  1. Committee on Drugs and Therapeutics. The Committee shall meet periodically to refine the drug list contained in the Drug Manual. It shall work with the Illinois Department of Public Aid in an effort to keep the Drug Manual current and effective. When suggestions and comments from members are submitted to the committee, it shall review them and present them to the Department of Public Aid when necessary. The committee shall also consider other drug matters affecting the policy of the medical society.

  2. Peer Review Appeals Committee. This committee shall serve as an appellate body for state peer review by considering cases appealed from local or district peer review committees. Peer review involves the medical review of cases concerning the utilization and quality of medical services, as well as patient relation issues. The committee will serve as liaison to local peer review committees and monitor activities around the state.

  3. Committee on CME Accreditation. It shall be the responsibility of this committee to adopt necessary procedural rules and to prescribe forms to be used in the conduct of CME accreditation. The committee shall review sponsor applications and survey team reports for intrastate CME sponsors, and make decisions on grant of initial accreditation and continuation of accredited status.

Section 6. House of Delegates Committees. House of Delegates Committees of the Illinois State Medical Society shall be as follows:

  1. Committee on Credentials shall consider all questions regarding the registration and credentials of the delegates. It shall distribute and receive the attendance slips for each session of the House of Delegates and perform any other duties assigned to it.

  2. Committee on Rules and Order of Business shall consist of five members nominated by the speaker and confirmed by the House immediately prior to the conclusion of business at its annual meeting. The committee will serve until the next annual meeting.

    It shall consider all matters regarding rules governing action, method of procedure and order of business for the House of Delegates. It shall also consider late resolutions for introduction at the annual meeting and resolutions introduced by individual delegates at the interim meeting.

  3. Committee on Tellers & Sergeants-at-Arms shall:

    1. Serve the speaker of the House of Delegates.

    2. Distribute, collect, and tally votes when a ballot is taken or a numerical tally is required.

    3. Certify those in attendance in closed or executive sessions of the House of Delegates.

  4. Committee on Constitution and Bylaws shall consider all proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws.

  5. Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the speaker of the House of Delegates as the needs arise and any member of the Illinois State Medical Society may serve upon such committee. The number appointed to such committees shall be at the discretion of the speaker and the term of the committee shall be for such duration as is necessary to complete the task assigned but shall not exceed a duration of one year. Between meetings of the House of Delegates, ad hoc committees shall report to the Board of Trustees, keeping it informed of all current activities.

  6. Such other reference committees, as the speaker shall deem necessary, may be appointed to conduct the business of the House, or consider the reports of officers, trustees, executive vice president, the reports of committees pertaining to administrative activities, economic activities, scientific activities, public relations activities and legislative activities, as well as such resolutions, reports, and proposals as shall be brought before the House of Delegates.

  7. Judicial Panel. The Panel, whose members are nominated by the President and elected by the House of Delegates, adjudicates disputes arising from charges of unethical or illegal practices. The panel accepts appeals after a case has been heard at the county or district level.

Section 7. Organization of House of Delegates Committees.

  1. Immediately after the organization of the House of Delegates at each meeting, the speaker shall announce the appointment, from among the members of the House, of such committees as may be deemed expedient by the House of Delegates.

    Each committee shall consist of five or more members unless otherwise provided, the chairman to be announced by the speaker. One member of each committee may be an alternate delegate (non-credentialied). These committees shall serve during the meeting at which they are appointed.

  2. References, resolutions, measures and propositions presented to the House of Delegates shall be referred to the appropriate committee, which shall report to the House of Delegates before final action shall be taken. A two-thirds affirmative vote of the House of Delegates present (credentialed) shall be required to suspend this rule.

  3. Each reference committee shall, as soon as possible after the adjournment of each session, or during the session if necessary, take up and consider such business as may have been referred to it, and shall report on same at the next session, or when called upon to do so.

Section 8. Board of Trustees Committees. The Board of Trustees shall form the following committees within itself:

  1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the president, the president-elect, the vice-president, the chairman of the Board, the chairman of the Finance and Medical Benevolence Committee, the secretary-treasurer, the trustee-at-large, and the immediate past chairman of the Board, provided he is still a trustee. The chairman of the Illinois Delegation to the American Medical Association, or the vice-chairman of the AMA Delegation in his absence, and the speaker of the House of Delegates, or the vice-speaker in his absence, shall serve as ex officio members of the Executive Committee without vote.

    It shall continually review past and current proceedings of the House of Delegates to determine the established policies of the Illinois State Medical Society. It shall make recommendations for future policy by Board resolution to the House of Delegates.

    It shall review and consider all suggestions and proposals for modification of the Constitution and Bylaws, prepare for consideration of the House of Delegates all changes in the Constitution and Bylaws, and maintain both documents to keep them current, effective, and consistent with the policies of the House of Delegates. The chairman may designate an ad hoc committee on Constitution and Bylaws as may be necessary from time to time.

    The Board of Trustees may delegate to the Executive Committee any authority which it possesses and may authorize it to act in any given situation. In all matters of routine administration, special plans, policy, endorsement, or expenditure, it shall report to and request approval of the Board. It shall receive the reports of the Finance and Medical Benevolence Committee and make recommendations concerning them to the Board. It shall furnish a report of its actions to the Board at each meeting.

  2. The Finance and Medical Benevolence Committee shall consist of the secretary-treasurer of the Society and three members of the Board appointed by the chairman. It shall develop for approval of the Board, through the Executive Committee, a budget for the fiscal year. It shall supervise the financial transactions of the Society. It shall make recommendations to the Board for the control and investment of the funds of the Illinois State Medical Society. This committee shall also:

    1. Examine applications to the Society for assistance under the Medical Benevolence program to determine eligibility for assistance;

    2. Keep the names of the beneficiaries confidential and known only to the committee;

    3. Recommend the allotment for each recipient;

    4. If funds available become inadequate to meet disbursements, request the Board of Trustees to appropriate sufficient funds to support the program until the next budget appropriation; and

    5. Examine applications for financial assistance from medical students within programs as established by the Board of Trustees from time to time.

  4. CME Accreditation Appeals Panel. The panel will consist of seven trustees. It will function as a hearing committee when a CME sponsor appeals a decision of the CME Accreditation Committee. The hearing shall be conducted in conformance with written procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees.

  5. The Board of Trustees may from time to time appoint such ad hoc committees as it may deem necessary, but the duration of such committees shall be temporary, and they shall function only for the specific purpose assigned and shall be terminated as soon as final reports have been made or at the direction of the Board.

Section 9. Powers of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall have power to increase or de- crease the number of its committees, to change the area of concern of such committees, to enlarge or decrease membership and to fill vacancies thereon.

Section 10. Term of Membership. The term of the members of the Board of Trustees committees shall be for a duration of one year, and they shall be selected by the Board annually immediately after the election of officers.

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