Greater Houston Society for Medical Services Specialists

BYLAWS

ARTICLE 1: NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Greater Houston Society for Medical Services Specialists (GHSMSS), as governed by the Bylaws of the Texas Society for Medical Services Specialists (TSMSS).

ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of GHSMSS shall be to provide the opportunity for continuing education, to promote the improvement of professional knowledge and skills by uniting persons who are engaged in medical services activities through this local association, and to support the mission of TSMSS and the National Association of Medical Staff Services (NAMSS).

ARTICLE Ill: STRUCTURE

GHSMSS shall be non-profit, non-partisan and non-sectarian and shall have the right to establish and control its activities through its Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

Membership in GHSMSS shall be open to those individuals having responsibility in credentialing or medical services activities for a health-related organization or interest and are in agreement with this Organization, adhering to its purposes, complying with its Bylaws and maintaining current dues payment.  Members shall be eligible to vote, hold office and encouraged to join TSMSS and NAMSS.  Individuals who meet this criteria and have satisfied the annual dues requirement as outlined in Article XI shall constitute the Active membership.

ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

Meetings (i.e., conferences, webinars, etc.) of GHSMSS shall be held at least quarterly or more often if needed to meet the needs of the membership.  No meeting shall be held in conflict with a TSMSS or NAMSS annual conference.  The annual meeting shall be held in the third or fourth quarter for the transaction of the affairs of the Society.  Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the President or at least four members of GHSMSS.  The purpose of the meeting shall be stated during the opening of the meeting.

ARTICLE VI:  BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall consist of elected officers and appointed committee Chairs.  The Board of Directors shall have the authority to make policy decisions for GHSMSS, and may act on matters for GHSMSS, with the exception of amending these Bylaws.  The actions of the Board of Directors shall be final except on appeal by the GHSMSS membership. A quorum of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall be simple majority.

ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS

Officers: The officers shall be the President, President-Elect, Immediate Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Communications Chair.  Qualifications:  A candidate for office must be a member in good standing of GHSMSS for at least the current voting year prior to the election of officers and must have attended at least two GHSMSS meetings (i.e., conference, webinar, etc.) during the same year. It is recommended that officers be Active members of TSMSS and be certified medical services specialists.  Officers will be required to attend at least one mandatory Board of Directors meeting, in addition to attending two GHSMSS conferences per year during their term.  Exceptions to these qualifications may be considered on a case by case basis and the membership of GHSMSS will be notified of any exceptions made.
 Election:
Terms:  President-Elect and Secretary shall be elected annually for a one year term and the Treasurer shall be elected every two years for a two year term.  The Communications Chair shall be appointed every three years for a three year term by the Board of Directors.  The President-Elect shall automatically advance to the position of President.
Nominating Committee:  The Immediate Past-President shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.  Nominations for officers shall be made by members of GHSMSS to the Nominating Committee.  Any person so nominated shall have given his/her prior consent to nomination and election as an officer.
Nominations Process:  The Nominating Committee's slate shall be presented to the Board of Directors for approval.  Additional nominations may be made from the Board or by write-in on the ballot. Ballots shall be emailed to all voting members between sixty and ninety days in advance of the Annual Meeting with voting to be completed forty-five days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Manner of Election:  Officers shall be elected by simple majority based on the results of electronic votes received within the designated voting period.  Officers shall take office effective on January 1 of the upcoming Fiscal year (see Article XIII).
Re-election:  No individual shall serve more than two consecutive terms until at least one (1) year has lapsed.

ARTICLE VIII:  DUTIES OF OFFICERS

President:  The President shall preside at all meetings, and shall serve as Chair of the Board of Directors. It shall be the President's duty to supervise the activities of GHSMSS, to present a report at the annual meeting, to direct the appointment of Chairs and members of committees, and to perform such other duties as authorized by the Board of Directors.  The President shall also submit GHSMSS reports to TSMSS as requested.
President-Elect:  The President-Elect shall act for the President in his/her absence and at the direction of the President.  The President-Elect shall serve as Program Chair, and will coordinate programs for each meeting.  The President-Elect is responsible for securing a location and other logistics for each meeting. The President-Elect will also solicit continuing education credit approval from NAMSS for each meeting.
Immediate Past-President: The Immediate Past-President shall act as consultant to the President and Board of Directors, and shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee and as a member of the Program Committee.
Secretary:  The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all the meetings (i.e., conferences) of GHSMSS and the Board of Directors and shall be custodian of all GHSMSS records.  Minutes and/or summary reports will be completed and distributed to each Board of Director officer within one month after each meeting.  The Secretary shall maintain accurate records of attendance at all meetings.
Treasurer:   The Treasurer shall be the custodian of any funds collected or received by GHSMSS and shall be responsible for the collection of membership dues. The Treasurer shall keep records of payment of dues, make status reports each meeting, and prepare an annual accounting to be presented to the membership at the annual meeting.  The Treasurer shall prepare checks for necessary expenditures under the direction of the GHSMSS President and/or Board of Directors.  In the interest of efficiency, the Treasurer will serve a two year term.  At the expiration of the term of office, the individual shall deliver to their successor all financial books, money, and other Society property in their charge, or in the absence of a successor, shall deliver such properties to the President.  The Treasurer of GHSMSS will serve as Acting Secretary for banking purposes and is responsible for granting access to and removal from the GHSMSS Business Account.
Communications Chair:  The Communications Chair shall be responsible for communicating to the GHSMSS members and prospective members all registration, save the date, informational flyer, announcement, newletter or similar information.  The communication may be via email, mail or social websites (i.e., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) where GHSMSS has a presence.  All communication is released under the direction of the President and/or Board of Directors.
Vacancies:  If the President is unable to fulfill the duties or term of office, the President-Elect shall act as President until the next annual meeting at which time the President-Elect shall assume the Presidency.  Other vacancies in office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the remainder of the unexpired term, with the exception of the office of President-Elect, which shall be filled by election by the Active membership.
Removal of Officers:  Removal of an officer may be initiated by petition of a minimum of ten (10) Active members submitted in writing to the Board of Directors.  An adverse recommendation for removal must be approved by a two-thirds vote of all Active members within thirty (30) days by written or electronic ballot.  Any officer removed from office shall be replaced in the same manner as a vacancy in the position.

ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES

The Board of Directors shall appoint chairpersons and members to all committees prior to the first meeting of the new term, whenever possible.
Program Committee: The duties shall be to plan the educational content of programs presented at all GHSMSS meetings including the annual meeting. The President-Elect shall serve as Chairperson.
Membership Committee: The duties shall be to promote the growth of GHSMSS.  The Chairperson shall process applications for initial membership and renewal of membership, maintain membership records in conjunction with the Treasurer and maintain a current membership roster to be disseminated regularly to the Secretary.
Bylaws Committee: The duties shall be to review the Bylaws at least annually for alignment with TSMSS Bylaws and to submit recommendations for revisions or amendments to the members of GHSMSS for approval.
Nominating Committee: The nominating committee shall be composed of the Immediate Past President, who shall serve as Chair and at least one member appointed by the Board of Directors.
Professional Advancement Committee:  The purpose of the Committee is to promote professional growth and encourage certification in the medical staff services profession by awarding scholarships to GHSMSS members to attend education courses and/or apply for certification exams.  A Vice Chair shall be appointed by the Board of Directors annually, who will advance to the position of Chair the following year.
Special Committees: Special committees may be appointed by the Board for special projects as needed. The term for members of such committees shall be for the duration of the project. A written report of activities shall be submitted to the Secretary upon completion of the project.

ARTICLE X: QUORUM

A quorum at any GHSMSS meeting shall be the Active members present or responding to an email vote.

ARTICLE XI: DUES AND FEES

Annual dues for membership shall be payable at an amount recommended by the Board of Directors and shall not be higher than TSMSS dues.  Dues shall be payable during the first quarter of the fiscal year; however, membership will be open throughout the year.  Dues will be non-refundable.  An individual who joins GHSMSS during the last quarter of the fiscal year shall pay the annual dues set for the current year, which shall satisfy dues requirements for the ensuing year.  Reinstatement of membership shall be contingent upon payment of annual dues for the current fiscal year.  Any change in dues will be recommended and voted on by membership at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE XII: PUBLICATIONS

A GHSMSS newsletter and/or website may be utilized to publicize the activities of the society and provide items of interest and education to the members of the society.

ARTICLE XIII: FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year of GHSMSS shall be January 1 - December 31 of each year.

ARTICLE XIV: AMENDMENTS

These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the voting membership present at any GHSMSS meeting, or by mail or electronic ballot (by two-thirds vote of mail or electronic ballots returned within the time specified by the Board of Directors).  Proposed revisions to the Bylaws may be submitted by any Active member to the Bylaws Committee, who shall submit the recommendations for revisions to the Board of Directors.  Recommendations for revisions shall be submitted to the membership for review fifteen days prior to vote at any meeting of GHSMSS.

ARTICLE XV: RULES & REGULATIONS

The Board of Directors shall adopt such Rules and Regulations for the GHSMSS as may be necessary for the efficient management of GHSMSS.

ARTICLE XVI: DISSOLUTION

If the chapter of GHSMSS is disbanded, any and all assets of the association shall be distributed as follows:
a. All liabilities and obligations of the organization will be paid, satisfied and discharged in full;
    and,
b. All remaining funds will be used to promote the medical services specialists professional organizations, either by donation to scholarship or to benefit educations programs provided by TSMSS.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Revised and Approved 11/26/2015
Revised and Approved 11/6/2009
Approved 11/07/2008
Approved 1/2008
Approved 12/2005