Florida Academy of Pain Medicine

Bylaws

Chapter 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be Florida Academy of Pain Medicine.

Chapter 2. Purpose

The Florida Academy of Pain Medicine is dedicated to:

· The pursuit of the highest standard of excellence in pain medicine

· Pain patient advocacy

· Enhancement of the pain physicians’ scope of knowledge

· Dissemination of the latest research developments

· Continuing education of the medical community at large

● The promotion of a healthy socio-economic climate conducive to the delivery of high quality specialized pain treatment

· Education of the public to the benefits and advances of pain management.

Chapter 3. Members

The members of this organization will be Florida physicians who have an interest in the field of Pain Medicine who have submitted an application for membership along with the current year’s dues payment.

All current year dues – paid members will have the right to vote in meetings of the membership, to serve on committees, and to hold office.

Members who have not paid the current year’s dues by March 1, will be notified in writing of their delinquent status and will be given 60 days to make restitution. If dues have not been received by May 1, non-paying members will be dropped from the membership roster.

Fellows-in-training and residents may join this organization and attend meetings at a reduced rate to be agreed upon by the executive committee. Fellows/residents will not be eligible to hold office. They may attend the annual business meeting, serve on committees and vote.

Chapter 4. Meetings

Annual Business Meeting. A business meeting of the members of this organization shall be held annually.

Educational Program. A scientific educational program shall be developed by the Educational Committee and the President-Elect and presented annually under the direction of the President-Elect as outlined in Chapter 6 of these Bylaws. The Program Chairman, in consultation with the Executive Committee and the Executive Staff, shall determine the time and location of the educational program.

Chapter 5. Executive Committee

Between annual meetings, the affairs of the Academy shall be conducted by the members of the Executive Committee, which shall consist of the elected officers, the immediate two past presidents, and the elected members at large. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, retain the services of an Executive Director and/or other executive and administrative staff to carry out the directives of the membership and the Executive Committee.

Chapter 6. Officers

Officers Defined. The officers of this organization shall consist of a President, a President-Elect, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and two members at large.

Election and Terms of Office. Officers shall be elected annually for a one-year term by majority vote of the members present and voting at the annual business meeting. Election shall be from nominations made by the Executive Committee. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Duties and Responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities of the officers of this organization shall be those normally assigned to the respective offices, and specifically as follows:

The President shall: preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee and meetings of the membership, appoint the chairpersons of ad hoc committees as necessary to carry out special projects and programs of the society, and endeavor to assure that the actions of the Executive Committee and membership meetings are implemented.

The President-Elect with the Educational Committee shall develop and coordinate the presentation of the educational program at the annual meeting and serve as the Program Chairman. In the absence of the President, the president-elect will preside at meetings of the Executive Committee and the membership.

The Vice President shall assist the standing committees and shall serve as editor of newsletters or other member communications.

The Secretary shall maintain a roster of members of the organization, keep on file all completed applications for membership, record and maintain minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee and the annual business meeting, assume responsibility for resolving questions pertaining to the membership application process and for membership recruitment, and develop and maintain adequate records as required for continued compliance with FMA specialty group recognition criteria.

The Treasurer shall be the custodian of the organizations financial records and bank accounts, shall bill for and record dues payments of members, pay the organization’s just and honest bills, receive monies for the organization, and provide regular reports of the financial status of the organization to the Executive Committee.

Any of the duties of the officers may, at the discretion of the Executive Committee or individual officers, be delegated to executive staff for implementation and performance.

Standing Committees:

Educational Committee. The Chair of the Educational Committee shall appoint members of said committee. The Educational Committee shall: collaborate with the President-Elect on the annual educational program, initiate contact with the Florida Medical Association regarding CME credits as necessary and, if feasible, develop and coordinate visiting fellowships and mini-conferences in different parts of the state.

Membership Committee. The Chair of the Membership Committee shall appoint members of said committee. The Membership Committee shall promote membership in the FAPM.

Legislative Committee. The Chair of the Legislative Committee shall appoint members of said committee. The Legislative Committee shall keep abreast of ongoing legislative issues that affect FAPM members.

Chapter 7. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of this organization shall be the calendar year.

Chapter 8. Finances

The activities of this organization shall be financed by membership dues, member assessment, and other contributions.

The Executive Committee shall have the authority to assess the members for annual dues, and for special assessment as approved by majority vote of members present and voting at the annual business meeting.

Dues shall be due and payable on January 1 of each year of the current fiscal year. The Treasurer shall cause dues statements to be mailed annually to each member to the address shown on the Academy’s records prior to the due date of the dues.

The amount of annual dues shall be as determined from time to time by the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee shall report to the members at the annual business meeting each year on the financial condition of the Academy, and its revenues and its expenses during the preceding year.

Chapter 9. Rules of Order

Parliamentary procedure shall be observed as set forth in Roberts Revised Rules of Order, except as otherwise provided for in these bylaws.

Chapter 10. Amendments

These bylaws may be amended by recommendation of the Executive Committee, circulated to the members at least 30 days prior to the annual business meeting, and approved by at least two-thirds of the membership present and voting at the annual business meeting.