The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Med Journal Jan 2019 Final 2 | Page 4
WHAT HAVE WE DONE FOR YOU LATELY?
Goodbye House of Delegates
DAVID WROTEN
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
I
t was time. At the November
meeting of the AMS House of
Delegates, the House voted
to abolish itself. It was a unanimous de-
cision all perfectly carried out in conformity with
bylaws requirements, a membership comment
period, and plenty of opportunity for discussion.
It represents a major change in governance of
the AMS from an organizational standpoint, as
well as from a practical one.
The HOD has served as the primary policy-
making body of the AMS since the beginning of
time. But as they say, all good things must come
to an end.
Traditionally, the HOD was comprised of
physician delegates elected by their local county
medical societies. Representation in the HOD was
proportional to the number of members in each
county. They assembled once a year to debate
and set policy for the organization, elect the of-
ficers, establish the membership dues, etc. The
HOD elected the Board of Trustees, which meets
quarterly and is charged with implementing the
policies adopted by the HOD, operating the busi-
ness side of the organization, and employing the
staff. As county medical societies began to dis-
appear, delegates stopped being elected. Despite
several attempts to open the HOD to other physi-
cian organizations (think state specialty societies)
and the general membership, attendance at the
HOD meeting dwindled to a point where the only
people present were past presidents and mem-
bers of the Board of Trustees.
Now with the Board being able
to set policy, you have four
opportunities every year to bring
issues to the Board’s attention.
The duties and responsibilities of the HOD are
now in the hands of the Board of Trustees. The AMS
joins a trend among state medical associations
for a more nimble policy-making body. There are
several advantages to this change in governance.
The Board of Trustees meets quarterly, which
means that discussion on big issues and policies
can take place in a more timely manner rather
than just once a year. Like the HOD, membership
on the Board is proportional. The state is divided
into 10 geographic districts, and each district has
a minimum of two trustees with additional trustees
allotted based on the number of members in each
district. These district trustees are elected by the
AMS members in each district rather than by a few
delegates attending an annual meeting. Another
change that will take place is that the general offi-
cers of the AMS (president-elect, treasurer, etc.) will
now be elected by the general membership rather
than by the limited number of physicians attending
the annual meeting.
Why should you care? It means more oppor-
tunity for involvement. Here is an example. Let say
that you believe the AMS should have a policy on
the use of scribes. Previously, you could submit a
resolution to the HOD, attend the meeting, and try
to get the delegates to agree with you. Maybe you
submit a proposed policy or maybe simply request
that the organization develop one. Ultimately, you
had one shot each year to make something hap-
pen. Now with the Board being able to set policy,
you have four opportunities every year to bring is-
sues to the Board’s attention.
For most AMS members, this will not seem
like a very big deal. You may be thinking that this
change makes sense, but as with most organiza-
tions, change is often very slow and difficult. We
don’t like to change that with which we are com-
fortable. Discussions about doing away with the
AMS House of Delegates have taken place inter-
mittently for the past 20 years, but in the end, it
was time.
148 • THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY
David Wroten
Executive Vice President
Penny Henderson
Executive Assistant
Journal Advertising
Nicole Richards
Managing Editor
Jeremy Henderson
Art Director
EDITORIAL BOARD
Appathurai Balamurugan, MD, DrPH, MPH
Family Medicine/Public Health
Tim Paden, MD
Family Medicine
Sandra Johnson, MD
Dermatology
Issam Makhoul, MD
Oncology
Naveen Patil, MD, MHSA, MA, FIDSA
Internal Medicine/Infectious Disease
Benjamin Tharian, MD, MRCP, FACP, FRACP
Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist
Robert Zimmerman, MD
Urology
Tobias Vancil, MD
Internal Medicine
Darrell Over, MD
Family Medicine
EDITOR EMERITUS
Alfred Kahn Jr., MD (1916-2013)
ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY
2018-2019 OFFICERS
Lee Archer, MD, Little Rock
President
Amy Cahill, MD, Pine Bluff
Immediate Past President
Dennis Yelvington, MD, Stuttgart
President Elect
Chad Rodgers, MD, Little Rock
Vice President
George Conner, MD, Forrest City
Secretary
Bradley Bibb, MD, Jonesboro
Treasurer
Danny Wilkerson, MD, Little Rock
Chairman of the Board of Trustees
VOLUME 115