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