BALTIMORE COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
PREAMBLE
The Baltimore County Medical Association is a non-profit organization. The purpose of this Association shall be to federate and bring into one society the medical profession of Baltimore County; to extend medical knowledge and advance medical sciences; to elevate the standard of #1 the practice of medicine and secure the enactment of just laws relating to the practice of medicine and the public health; to foster friendly relations among the physicians; and to enlighten and inform the public, so that the profession shall become more useful in the prevention of disease, and in prolonging and adding comfort to life.
The
Baltimore County Medical Association,
uniting with similar societies of other Maryland counties,
forms The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty, known as MedChi, the Maryland State
Medical Society.
Membership in the Baltimore County Medical Association and
MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society shall be unified; therefore
members of the Association are members of MedChi and shall have the rights,
privileges, and responsibilities of MedChi and the Association.
The
name and title of this organization, hereinafter referred to as the Association
or the BCMA, shall be the Baltimore County Medical Association.
BYLAWS
ARTICLE
I
THE
ASSOCIATION
Section
1 - The Association
The
Baltimore County Medical Association shall be a component society of
MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, which shall in turn be a component society of the American Medical
Association. It shall be the only
chartered component of MedChi in Baltimore County.
Section
2 – The Association shall be open to regional consolidation at the county
level. The Association may
seek to combine, or coordinate functions with other component societies.
[should
it benefit all the societies and MedChi.]
#2
ARTICLE
II
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 - Membership
Membership
in the Association shall carry with it membership in the appropriate class of
membership in MedChi. Every doctor
of medicine or doctor of osteopathy, licensed in
Maryland,
who is in good moral and professional standing, may be eligible for election to
membership provided the physician (1) maintains his/her principal office in
Baltimore County or (2) maintains his/her residence in Baltimore County.
Upon
recommendation of the Membership Committee, membership may be denied by the
Board of Governors on a 2/3 vote if (1) disciplinary action has been taken
against the applicant's license by the Maryland Board of Physicians or
any state as a result of the grounds described in the Annotated Code of
Maryland, or (2) the applicant or member has been convicted in any state of a
criminal offense involving moral turpitude, or (3) the applicant or member has
been disciplined by or has resigned under threat of disciplinary action from any
professional medical organization or institution for professional misconduct.
Professional misconduct does not include actions taken because of
non-payment of dues or assessments or other administrative requirements.
The Association shall transfer the membership of any member upon request without cost to another component society in which the member's application has been accepted provided the member is in good standing. Members who apply for transfer shall remain in good standing until such time as their transfer is acted upon.
Section
2 - Active Members
Active
membership will be granted to any physician who is duly licensed to practice in
the State of Maryland, who maintains
his/her principal office in Baltimore County and/or who maintains his/her
residence in Baltimore County.
Active members may attend the Association's General Membership Meetings, have the right to vote on Association matters, serve on the Association's Board of Governors, serve in the MedChi House of Delegates, hold office in MedChi, serve as an AMA Delegate or Alternate Delegate, and enjoy all other rights and duties of membership ordinarily pertaining to members.
Section
3 - Associate Members
Members
in this category shall consist of members in good standing with the Association
and licensed to practice in the State during the change in membership status
who (1) elect to reduce their practice to 20 hours or less per week, or (2) are
temporarily limited in their practice for health reasons. Associate members
shall have the right to vote, but not to hold office in the Association or
MedChi.
Section
4 - Emeritus Members
This
membership category shall consist of active or associate members who are in good
standing, and are no longer in the practice of medicine, either in private
practice, in public health, with a government agency, administration, teaching,
or any other activities where their knowledge of medicine earns them an income. A member is not eligible for Emeritus membership if the
member's medical license has been (1) suspended, (2) revoked, or (3) denied
renewal by the Maryland Board of Physicians or has been (4) voluntarily
surrendered or not renewed
as a result of the member having been convicted of or pleading guilty or Nolo
Contendere with respect to a crime involving moral turpitude.
“H” Emeritus Membership shall be granted to retired
physicians moving to Baltimore County provided
ing
they can assure the
Membership Committee that they have been a
duly licensed physicians
in another state, a
members
in good standing of an out-of-state medical society, and/or a member of the
American Medical Association. An
out-of-town applicant is not eligible for Emeritus membership if the Member's
medical license has been (1) suspended, (2) revoked, or
(3) denied renewal, or
(4) voluntarily surrendered or not renewed as a result of
the member having been convicted of or pleading guilty or Nolo Contendere with
respect to a crime involving moral turpitude.
Application
for Emeritus membership shall be made to the Membership Committee
#3 or
of
either the
BCMA
or
to
MedChi. Following approval by the Board of Governors,
recommendation will be made for Emeritus membership to MedChi.
Upon a majority vote of the MedChi House of Delegates, Emeritus
membership shall be granted.
Emeritus members shall not have the right to vote or to hold office with the Association or MedChi. Emeritus members shall have all other rights of membership.
Section
5 - Forty-year Members
This
category of membership shall consist of Active members in good standing who have
been Active members of MedChi for forty years or more.
Forty-year members need not retain their medical license in order to
obtain or retain Forty-year standing, except that a member is not eligible for
Forty-year membership if the Member's medical license has been (1) suspended,
(2) revoked, or (3) denied renewal by the Maryland Board of Physicians or has
been (4) voluntarily surrendered or not renewed as a result of the member having
been convicted of or pleading guilty or Nolo Contendere with respect to a crime
involving moral turpitude.
Forty-year members shall have the rights of Active members including the right to vote and to hold office. Forty-year members, who have attained this status prior to moving from the State, may retain all benefits of membership.
Section
6 - Honorary Members
This membership category shall consist of any distinguished individual allied with medical science, who upon approval of the Board of Governors, shall be designated a member.
Section
7 - Affiliate Members
This
category shall consist of members in good standing who are (1) physicians
licensed in Maryland, (2) “H” an
Active member of another component society of MedChi, (3)
Active members of another constituent association of the American Medical
Association or (4) former Active or Associate members who have moved from the
County or the State and wish to retain affiliation.
Affiliate
members shall have the right to attend General Meetings, and to receive
publications. Affiliate members
shall have the rights of Active members except the right to vote and hold
office.
Section
8 - Student, Intern, Resident, and Fellow Members
This
category shall consist of students, interns, residents, and fellows who are part
of an accredited medical school or training program within the State of
Maryland. Student, Intern,
Resident, and Fellow members shall have the rights of Active members.
There shall be no dues required of these members.
Section
9 - Membership Procedures
A:
A candidate for membership shall complete the prescribed application form and
send it with the appropriate MedChi and Association dues to the chair of
the Membership Committee or to
MedChi.
The
application shall be processed by the Association Staff,
who shall forward it to the Membership Committee.
The Committee shall report to the Board its recommendations, and then
approval shall be granted by the Board of Governors.
The names of all the applicants shall be published in the Newsletter.
B:
If a physician is transferring from another component society or a component
society of the AMA to the Baltimore County Medical Association, he or she shall
be admitted upon approval of the Board. If
the applicant has paid the current annual dues to the previous society, no dues
shall be charged until the following year.
C.
A member, who has not paid dues by
June 30 of each year, shall be temporarily suspended from MedChi
and shall lose the rights of MedChi membership. A
member who pays his or her dues after this date shall be reinstated and shall be
considered in good standing in MedChi and the Association.
Section
1 - Medical Ethics
The
principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association and the
principles stated in the Compendium of MedChi
shall govern the conduct of members of the Association in their relations to
each other and the public.
Section
2 - Disciplinary Action
Membership
in the Association shall be suspended or denied to any physician whose medical
license has been (1) suspended, (2) revoked, or (3) denied renewal by the “H”
Board
of Physician Quality Assurance Maryland
Board of Physicians or has been (4) voluntarily
surrendered or not renewed as a result of the member having been convicted of or
pleading guilty or Nolo Contendere with respect to a crime involving moral
turpitude. Notice of suspension or revocation shall be sent by letter by MedChi.
Members
under investigation or charged by the Maryland Board of Physicians shall
forgo participating in any Physician Referral Service during the period of
investigation, or peer review process.
ARTICLE
IV
Section
1 - Dues and Assessments
A. Annual dues and/or assessments “H” for
Active Members of the Association shall be set by the
Board of Governors with the approval of the membership of the Association.
Upon the recommendation of the Board of Governors and with at least
fourteen days written notice to all Active and Forty-year members, the
Association upon a majority vote of those present may enact a dues increase.
B.
Upon recommendation of the Board of Governors and with at least fourteen
days written notice to all Active and Forty-year members, the Association upon a
majority vote of those present may impose an assessment in addition to the dues.
Failure of a member to pay an assessment shall be treated as failure to
pay dues.
C. Dues for Affiliate and Associate members shall be set by the
Board of Governors.
D.
There shall be no dues or assessments for Forty-year members, Emeritus
members, Honorary, Student, Intern, Resident, and Fellow members.
“H”
The Board of Governors shall [be
able to]
set fees,
if
any, for Forty-year members, Emeritus members,
Honorary, Student, Intern, Resident, and Fellow members for such things as
publications, programs, and meetings, etc.
E:
A member may receive a waiver of dues and/or
assessments for reasons of illness, financial hardship or temporary service in
the Armed Forces or United States Public Health Service.
A
written request for the waiver should
be sent to the chair of the Membership Committee.
Following approval by the Board of Governors and the MedChi Board of
Trustees, the waiver will be granted.
This waiver of dues is to be for one calendar year except under special
circumstances. A dues waiver may not be granted to a physician for more
than three (3)
#4 consecutive
years.
F. Dues of new members
admitted after October 1st shall be applied to the following year.
Dues of new members admitted after July 1st, but before October 1st, may
be one-half of the normal dues.
Section
1 - General Membership Meetings
The
Board of Governors shall designate the number of General Membership
meetings
of the Association to be held each year. The meetings shall consist of a
business meeting and a program of interest to the membership as designated by
the Program and CME Committee. Notification
of each meeting shall be sent to the membership at least three weeks prior to
the meeting.
The Board of Governors shall in the preceding year designate a meeting the following spring at which time the installation of officers shall occur. This meeting shall be referred to as the Annual Meeting. Election of the Association's Officers shall take place at a meeting preceding the Annual Meeting. Notice of the election shall be included in the notification of the meeting.
Section
2 - Special Meetings
Special
meetings may be called by the President, the Board of Governors or upon written
request of ten or more Active members. Notice
of special meetings shall be given to
the membership at least
#5 [one
week]
two
weeks in advance.
SECTION
3 - Quorum
Twenty-five
(25) voting members shall constitute a quorum.
Section
1 - Elections
The
elected officers of the Association shall be President, President-elect,
Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer. The
officers shall hold office for a term of one year or until their successors are
elected and installed.
Delegates
and Alternate Delegates to the House of Delegates of MedChi, the Maryland State
Medical Society, shall also be elected. There shall be one delegate plus an
additional delegate for
every
50 Active and Forty-year members or part thereof.
An equal or larger number of Alternate Delegates shall also be elected.
The Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall hold office for a term of one
year or until their successors are elected and installed.
Section
2 - Nomination
The
Nominating Committee shall present a slate of nominees for elected office to the
membership prior to the election. Additional
nominations may be made by the membership from the floor.
A nominee shall be a member in good standing and with an interest in
serving. No member shall be
nominated without his/her consent.
Elections shall take
place at a General Membership Meeting
preceding the Annual Meeting and shall be by written ballot unless a single
slate of candidates is presented. If
there is a contested election, a majority vote shall be required for election.
In
the event a ballot is required, ballots and pencils shall be distributed
to the Active, Associate and Forty-year members at the meeting.
Tellers appointed by the president shall tally the ballots and report the
elected nominee or nominees. A
majority of those voting shall elect.
Section
3 - President
The
President shall perform such duties as custom and parliamentary usage may
require. The President shall be the
chair of the Executive Committee. The
president shall appoint the members of Committees and designate each
chairperson. It is recommended that the chairs of the standing committees be
members of the BCMA Board of Governors. The president shall constitute ad hoc committees or task forces as
needed.
The
President shall be the custodian of the symbolic cane and gavel during his/her
term of office, and shall report to the membership at the Annual Meeting.
Section
4. President-elect
The
President-elect shall serve until the next annual meeting when he or she shall
succeed to the Presidency. The
President-elect shall perform such duties as custom and parliamentary usage may
require. The President-elect shall
serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee and as liaison with the
Baltimore County Department of Health.
[and
the Health Officer.] #6
Section 5. Vice President
The
Vice President shall perform such duties as custom and parliamentary usage may
require. The Vice President shall
serve as chair of the Bylaws
Committee.
Section 6.
Secretary
The
Secretary shall perform such duties as custom and parliamentary usage may
require. The Secretary shall
direct the Executive Director to keep a correct record of the proceedings of
each meeting, publish the minutes, preserve the Constitution and Bylaws, and
maintain a roster of all the members.
Section 7 – Treasurer
The
Treasurer shall perform such duties as custom and parliamentary usage may
require. The Treasurer shall chair
the Budget and Personnel Committee. It
shall be the responsibility of the Treasurer to prepare an annual budget and to
inform the Board of Governors of the financial status of the Association
at each Board of Governors meeting. He
or she shall make financial statements available to any member upon request and
to MedChi when necessary.
Section
8 - Vacancies
#7 A.
If the office of Chairman of the Board becomes vacant, the President shall chair
the Board of Governors until the next Annual Meeting when the president becomes
the Chairman of the Board.
“H” [A]
B.
If the office of the President becomes vacant, the President-elect shall
immediately become President and serve the remainder of the unexpired term and
then assume the office at the next annual meeting.
“H”
[B]
C.
If the office of the President-elect becomes vacant, a special election of the
membership shall be held. This
shall be [accomplished]
facilitated
by nominations from the last serving Nominating Committee submitted to the
membership either in writing or at the general membership meeting.
“H” [C.]
D.
The Board of Governors may, by appointment, fill any
vacancy in the office of the Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Delegate or
Alternate Delegates until the next annual meeting of the Association.
ARTICLE
VII
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Section
1 - Board of Governors
The
Board of Governors shall be comprised of the immediate past president, the
elected officers, MedChi officers and
the elected member of the MedChi Board of Trustees, all MedChi Delegates, the
AMA Delegates and AMA Alternate Delegates.
Also on the Board shall be four Med Chi Alternate Delegates and a Past
President appointed by the President and ratified by the Board of Governors. The
Health Officer of Baltimore County shall be offered an ex officio position on
the Board of Governors. The
Nominating Committee shall also nominate a non-physician member of the community
for membership on the Board of Governors. The president may also appoint up to three resident or
fellow members as voting members of the Board with the approval of the Board of
Governors.
The
chair of the Board shall be the immediate past President.
It shall be expected that the members of the Board shall include in the
responsibilities of their office attendance at all meetings of the Association
and the meetings of the MedChi House of Delegates.
Recognizing
the diversity of practice in Baltimore County, the Nominating Committee should
consider including nominees from as many of the following categories as possible
when making nominations for the Board of Governors: employed physicians
(including those employed by hospitals, other physicians, and group practices),
hospital based physicians (including radiologists, pathologists, etc.),
International Medical Graduates, #8
[physicians
practicing in Physician Service Organizations,]
physicians in group practices, women physicians, young physicians,
students and residents, fellows, and any other categories which may arise in the
future.
Section
2 - Meetings
#9
There shall be [eight
(8)]
six (6) regular meetings of the Board each
calendar year. Notice of each
regular meeting shall be given at least five (5) days before the meeting.
The notice shall specify the time and a tentative agenda.
The Board shall hold all power and authority over the affairs of the
Association unless otherwise specified in these bylaws.
A quorum of the Board shall be ten
of its members.
Section
3 - Executive Committee
The
Executive Committee shall consist of the President, President-elect, Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chair of the Board.
The committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the officers and staff
in questions of immediate importance in the interim between meetings of the
Board of Governors and shall perform such other duties as the Board may direct.
The BCMA Trustee on the MedChi Board of Trustees shall be an ex officio member of the Executive Committee.
The
Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the President or three of its
voting members. A quorum of the
Executive Committee shall be four of its voting members.
ARTICLE
VIII
Section
1 - The committees of the Baltimore County Medical Association shall consist of
standing committees and ad hoc committees.
Section
2. The standing committees are:
Committee
on Budget, Finance and Personnel
Committee
on Constitution and Bylaws
Legislative Advocacy Committee
Membership Committee
Nominating Committee
Committee
on Program and CME
The
ad hoc committees are:
Historical
Committee
#10
[Liaison
Committee with the Baltimore County Department of Health]
Committee
on Public Relations
Committee
on Sports
Committee
on Women in Medicine
Special
ad hoc committees or task forces may be appointed by the President as the need
arises or as mandated by the Board of Governors. The charge of the committees
may be modified from time to time. The current committee charges are included in
the Rules of the Baltimore County Medical Association and attached as an
addendum.
OFFICER
INDEMNIFICATION
The
Association shall indemnify and hold harmless its officers and directors to the
fullest extent of the law as provided in the Maryland Code of Corporations and
Associations “H”
[Psr.
2-418],
as amended
from time to time. Indemnification
shall extend to all judgments, penalties, fines,
ARTICLE
X
The
rules contained in the current edition of the Standard Code of Parliamentary
Procedure by Alice Sturgis shall govern the Association in all cases
to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these
bylaws.
ARTICLE XI
AMENDMENTS
This
Constitution and Bylaws may be amended at any General Membership meeting
by a two-thirds vote of the members present. Notification of the proposed
amendment(s) will be made available to the membership by the Secretary, both at
the Association Office and at any Membership Meeting prior to action being
taken. Announcement of the
availability of these proposed changes shall be made in the Newsletter
or by fax and the changes shall be posted on the web site.
The
committee shall consist of the Treasurer, who shall serve as chair, the
immediate past Treasurer, the President, the President elect, the immediate Past
President, and up to three other members of the Association to be appointed by
the President. The committee shall
prepare the Association budget for presentation at the September
Board meeting.
This
committee shall also act as the Personnel Committee of the Association.
It shall aid and support the Executive Director with any personnel
matters that may arise. This
committee shall be responsible for overseeing staff responsibilities.
# 11 It shall also be the responsibility of this committee to replace the Association’s Executive Director when necessary. The committee shall appoint a subcommittee made up of at least three members and not more than five members, one of whom shall not be a board member or a past board member and one of whom shall be an under-40 member. The president-elect shall chair the subcommittee, which shall be responsible for overseeing the development of a description of the responsibilities of the Executive Director and a job description. The committee shall report to the Board and the membership regarding the process of the search. The Board of Governors shall make the final decision on the new Executive Director.
The
committee shall consist of at least five members.
The Vice President shall serve as chair, and at least four members.
“H” [shall
be appointed by the President.]
This committee shall recommend to the members such amendments to the
Bylaws and the Articles of Incorporation as it sees fit or such amendments as
are submitted to it by the members or committees of the Association.
The
Historical Committee shall prepare such biographical materials and memoirs as
are appropriate.
#10 [Liaison
Committee with the Baltimore County Department of Health and Board of Health
This
committee shall concern itself with the activities and policies of the Health
Department and the Board of Health, with a view of keeping itself and the
Association informed as to the public health of the county.
It shall cooperate with the Department to facilitate the programs of the
Legislative Advocacy Committee
The
chair and/or cochair of this committee shall serve on the MedChi
Legislative Committee and represent the BCMA on that committee. The BCMA
Legislative Advocacy Committee shall work to promote legislation favorable to
Maryland’s physicians and patients. It shall be responsible for arranging a
series of events during the year where BCMA physicians can discuss health care
issues with their legislators in Annapolis. Committee activities may include a
breakfast or reception before the start of the legislative session, attendance
at MedChi’s Patients’ and Physicians’ Day in Annapolis, attendance at
legislative fundraisers in Baltimore County, and organizing other social events where legislators or candidates
can meet BCMA physicians. The committee shall also work with MedChi and the
Association staff to see that BCMA members receive timely notice of important
bills during the legislative session.
Membership
Committee
This
committee shall be involved with the recruitment of new members and the
retention of all members. The
committee shall hold meetings as necessary.
The committee shall have the responsibility for reviewing and evaluating
all applications for membership.
The Membership
Committee shall consist of at least five members.
“H” [,
who shall be appointed by the President.]
The members of the committee should be prepared to work with the staff on
recruitment and retention. A chair
or cochairs
shall be appointed by the President from
the members of the committee.
The
chair or cochair shall supervise the staff, which shall review all applications
and ensure that they are complete and in compliance with Article II, Sections 1
through 8, and Article III, Section 2, and that the physician is licensed.
All applications and requests for Associate, Emeritus Membership and
Waiver of Dues shall also be presented to the Board.
“H” [by
the chair or cochair.]
This
committee shall present a slate of nominees for all elected positions as
delineated in Article VI Section 2. The Nominating Committee consist of six members, two of
whom shall be appointed by the President and three of whom shall be elected by
the Board of Governors. The
President-elect shall chair the committee.
No member may be appointed or elected two years in a row.
“H” [The
President Elect shall serve as chair.]
Committee
on Program and CME
This
committee shall coordinate the Continuing Medical Education programs and social
functions of the Association. It
shall be the responsibility of the committee to plan and coordinate any
additional meeting requested by the membership.
This committee shall consist of
the Chair, and at least four other members. The President-elect shall serve as the committee's liaison with the Board of Governors.
Committee
on Public Relations
This committee shall acquaint the public with the work and accomplishments of the Association and shall promote good public relations for the physicians of Baltimore County. This committee shall consist of at least five members.
Committee
on Sports
The
purpose of this committee shall be to assist the Baltimore County Board of
Education with the medical aspects of its Physical Education and Sports Programs
and to give consultation to any other community groups regarding the medical
aspects of sports.
The
Committee on Women in Medicine
The
Committee on Women in Medicine shall study and address the issues pertaining to
the health of women and issues that are unique to women in the practice of
Medicine. The committee shall hold
periodic meetings. This committee may act as a regional committee including
other components that would like to take part.
Edited,
August 2007
Approved
for publication by the Board, November 14, 2007
Passed
by the membership, February 13, 2008
Edited
by the Bylaws Committee,
February, 2009
Approved
for publication by the Board, MARCH
4, 2009
Passed
by the membership,
For more information or if you have questions, contact Neilson Andrews at 410-296-1232, ext 3317.
For explanation of the changes, you may click here. For a hard copy of the bylaws click here.