Article
I
Name
This organization
shall be known as the Greater Cincinnati Health Information Management
Association (GCHIMA).
Article
II
Purpose
The purpose of this
Association shall be to promote the health information management profession;
to provide a means of communication and exchange of ideas; and to promote and
conduct continuing education activities for the membership.
Article
III
Membership
Section
1. The membership of this
Association shall be divided into four (4) classes:
a.
Active
b.
Associate
c.
Student
d.
Honorary
Section
2. ACTIVE. Any active
AHIMA member is eligible for active membership upon application and pay of the
annual dues. Active members in good standing shall be entitled to all
membership privileges including the right to vote; to hold office; to serve as
a member of the Executive Committee; to serve as Committee Chairpersons or
Strategy Manager; and to serve as Committee members. Good standing is
defined as having paid the annual dues outlined in Article IX.
Section
3. ASSOCIATE. Any person
who does not meet the qualifications for active membership, who is interested
in promoting the purpose of this Association, shall be eligible for Associated
membership upon application and payment of the annual dues. Associate members
in good standing shall be entitled to all membership privileges including the
right to vote; to hold office; to serve as a member of the Executive Committee;
to serve as Committee Chairpersons or Strategy Manager; and to
serve as Committee members. Good standing is defined as having paid the
annual dues outlined in Article IX.
Section
4.
STUDENT. Any person that is formally enrolled in
an AHIMA approved health information management program shall be granted
student membership upon receipt of proof of enrollment. Student
membership may be transferred to active or associate membership based on the
results of the registration/accreditation examination. Credentialed
student members continuing their education are eligible for this class of
membership with only those privileges afforded this class of membership.
Student members shall be eligible to serve as Committee members with voice and
vote. They shall not be entitled to other voting privileges, to hold
office, or to serve as member of the Executive Committee, Strategy manager or
Committee Chairperson.
Section
5. HONORARY/RETIRED.
Any person who receives an honorary membership in the American Health
Information Management Association and who resides in the geographic boundaries
of this Association, shall be an honorary member of this Association. An
honorary member shall not be entitled to vote, to hold office, or to serve as a
member of the Executive Committee, Strategy Manager, Committee Chairperson or
Committee member.
Section
6. APPLICATION FOR
MEMBERSHIP. Application for membership shall be in the approved format
and shall be sent by the applicant directly to the Secretary. The total
amount of the annual dues as provided in the Bylaws of GCHIMA shall accompany
the application.
Article
IV
Officers and Directors
Section
1. OFFICERS. The officers
of this Association shall be President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer
and the Past President. All officers (excluding Treasurer and
Secretary) shall hold office for one year or until his/her successor
has been elected and qualified. The Treasurer and Secretary
shall hold office for two years or until his/her successor has been elected and
qualified. The Treasurer will be elected in even years and the
Secretary will be elected in odd years.
Section
2. DIRECTORS. There may
be Directors appointed by the President for a one- (1) year term.
Section
3. ELIGIBILITY.
Active/Associate members in good standing shall be eligible to hold office and
serve as Directors of this Association. Unless otherwise expressly
provided for in these Bylaws, a member may be reappointed or re-elected to
succeed himself/herself, for not more than three (3) consecutive terms.
Section
4. NOMINATIONS.
Nominations shall be made by the Nominating Committee as provided for in
Article VIII, Section 2.
Section
5. ELECTIONS. Elections
shall be by a majority of votes cast by the active/associate members
in good standing. In case of a tie, the election shall be decided by lot.
Voting shall be by mail or electronic ballot only. Ballots
with instructions for their use shall be available to all active
members at least thirty (30) days before the Annual Meeting. In order to
be counted, the ballot must be returned by mail, to the Nominating Committee
Chairperson, and must be received at least ten (10) days before the Annual
Meeting. Ballots received without a return address and/or after the
deadline shall be destroyed unopened. All ballots shall be destroyed
fourteen (14) days after the Annual Meeting.
Actual ballot count shall be communicated to the President at least three (3)
days prior to the Annual Meeting. Results of the election shall be
announced at the Annual Meeting and the Executive Committee and Directors shall
assume the office on July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.
Section
6. RESIGNATION OR
REMOVAL. Any Officer or Director may resign at any time by submitting
his/her resignation to the Executive Committee but such resignation shall not
become effective until accepted by the Executive Committee.
Any officer or Director may be removed from office by a 2/3 vote of the
Executive Committee whenever, in their judgment, the best interest of the
Association will be served by such action. Such Officer or Director shall
be able to request an Appeal Committee composed of five (5) active members,
excluding Offices, Directors and Nominating Committee members. The Appeal
Committee shall be randomly selected by the Nominating Committee. A 2/3
vote is required to uphold the decision of the Executive Committee. If
the removal is undisputed or upheld by the Appeal Committee, such removal from
office shall become effective on the date of written notification to said
Officer or Director and the membership shall be notified, in writing, of the
Executive Committee’s decision.
Section
7. In case of death,
incapacity, resignation or removal of any Officer or Director during his term
of office, the vacancy shall be filled by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Committee.
In the event of death, incapacity, resignation or removal of the President, the
President-Elect shall assume the office of President for the unexpired term as
well as the following term.
In the event of death, incapacity, resignation or removal of the
President-Elect prior to assuming the office of President, the vacancy shall be
filled by 2/3 vote of the Executive Committee for the unexpired term until the
election of new officers. In such event, the ballot shall comprise
candidates for both the President and President-Elect. The newly elected
President shall assume office at the beginning of the fiscal year.
Article
V
Duties of
Officers and Directors
Section
1. PRESIDENT. Except as
otherwise provided, the President shall preside at all meetings of the
Association and Executive Committee. The President shall serve as a
member of and shall chair the Executive Committee. The President shall be
an ex officio member of all committees. He/she shall serve as GCHIMA’s
liaison to OHIMA, participate in all OHIMA full Board meetings and all OHIMA
Regional Association President activities and communicate all OHIMA and AHIMA
initiatives and directives to the members of GCHIMA. At the conclusion of
the Association year, he/she will submit an annual report to the Board of
OHIMA. The President shall perform other duties as the Executive
Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Section
2. PRESIDENT-ELECT. The
President-Elect shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee.
He/she shall serve as an aide to the President and shall assume the duties of
the President in his/her absence or inability to act. The President-Elect
shall be responsible for the Education Strategy. He/she shall perform
other duties as the Executive Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Section
3. SECRETARY. The
Secretary shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall keep a
permanent record of the meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee
meetings and be responsible for the Communications Strategy. The
Secretary shall perform other duties as the Executive Committee may, from time
to time, determine.
Section
4. TREASURER. The
Treasurer shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall be
responsible for the Financial Strategy. He/she shall keep record of the
accounts of the Association and maintain as account of the dues received.
The Treasurer shall render a monthly report as requested by the President and
shall render an annual report to the Executive Committee. The Treasurer
shall deposit all moneys in the designated bank account and transmit all
records to the succeeding Treasurer. He/she shall perform other duties as
the Executive Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Section
5. PAST-PRESIDENT. The
Past-President shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee. The
Past-President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Nominating
Committee. The Past-President shall work with the President on bylaws
changes and policies and procedures. He/she shall perform other duties as
the Executive Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Section
6. HIM FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE
(EX OFFICIO). The HIM Faculty Representative shall be appointed by the
Program Chair of the Health Information Management program at Cincinnati State
Technical and Community College. He/she shall assist with meeting
arrangements for those meetings held at Cincinnati State and represent the
concerns of the HIM academic community. The HIM Faculty Representative
shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee with a voice but no
vote. He/she shall not serve as Director, but may serve a Committee
Chairperson or Committee Member. He/she shall perform other duties as the
Executive Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Section
7. DIRECTOR. Each
Director shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee and shall serve as
a manger for a strategy as assigned by the President at the start of the
Association year. He/she shall perform other duties as the Executive
Committee may, from time to time, determine.
Article
VI
Meetings
Section
1. MEETINGS. There shall
be at least four (4) meetings annually, including the Annual Meeting with a
portion of each regular meeting dedicated to a business meeting, as
necessary. The dates, times, and locations shall be determined by the
Executive Committee and communicated to the membership by August 15th.
Section 2.
QUORUM. A majority of voting members present shall constitute a
quorum. Business transactions at all meetings shall be based on a
majority vote.
Section
3. MEETING NOTICES.
Notice of regular meetings shall be posted on the website (www.ohima.org)
at least fourteen (14) days prior to the scheduled meeting and
shall state the time and place of the meeting, as well as any details deemed
advisable.
Article
VII
Executive
Committee
Section
1. The Executive Committee
shall consist of the elected officers, Past-President, appointed Directors, HIM
Faculty Representative and Student Liaison as defined in Section 2. The
Executive Committee shall manage the business and affairs of the Association,
shall report through the President at the Business Meetings and shall perform
other duties as deemed necessary.
Section
2. STUDENT LIAISON. There
will be a Student Liaison to the GCHIMA Executive Committee from the Cincinnati
State Technical and Community College Health Information Management (HIM)
Program.
This Liaison will be elected/appointed under guidelines established by the
Program Chair of the HIM Program. This Student Liaison may serve for the
entire year on a rotating basis, depending upon the choice of the Program Chair
of the HIM Program or the students enrolled in the Program.
The
Student Liaison will:
·
Attend GCHIMA Executive Committee
Meetings
·
Provide input to the Executive
Committee of the needs/concerns of the student body organization
·
Communicate decisions/discussions of
the Executive Committee to the student body
·
Have a voice, but no vote
Section
3. MEETINGS. Meetings of
the Executive Committee may be called at the discretion of the President or a
majority vote of the Executive Committee members to transact any business,
which may arise.
Section
4. QUORUM. A majority of
the members of the Executive Committee, then in office, shall constitute a quorum.
The act or vote of a majority of members present at a meeting, at which a
quorum is present, shall be the act or vote of the Executive Committee.
Article
VIII
Strategy
Managers and Committees
Section
1. COMMITTEES. There
shall be such committees as deemed necessary to conduct the business of the
Greater Cincinnati Health Information Management Association, including a
Nominating Committee. The number, composition, size, and duties of the
committees shall be established by the Executive Committee as needed and added
to the Association’s Policy and Procedure Manual.
Section
2. NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
This committee shall consist of three (3) members. The Past-President
shall serve as the Chairperson of the committee. If the Past-President is
not able to serve, the President may serve as the Chairperson. The
Chairperson shall select two (2) members. This committee shall prepare a
ballot of two (2) or more nominees for each office. The nominees must be
active/associate members in good standing and must consent to
serve if elected. The ballot shall be prepared and submitted to the
Executive Committee at least forty-five (45) days prior to the Annual Meeting.
Section
3. STRATEGY MANAGERS. The
Officers and Directors shall serve us Strategy Managers, as defined under
Article V, with their respective assignments determined by the President at the
start of the Association year. Strategy managers are accountable to the
Executive Committee through the President, for the implementation of their
strategies as charged. The President-Elect shall act as Strategy Manager
for the Education Strategy, the Treasurer shall act as Strategy Manager for the
Financial Strategy, and the Secretary shall act as Strategy Manager for the
Communication Strategy. Each Officer and Director may appoint committee
members to assist with the activities of the strategy assigned. The
responsibilities and duties of each Strategy Manager shall be set forth in the
Association’s Policy and Procedure Manual and subject to approval of the
Executive Committee.
Section
4. ANNUAL GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES. The Executive committee shall prepare a draft of the goals
and objectives for the next association year prior to the Annual Meeting.
A finalized plan establishing goals and objectives will be approved by the
incoming Executive Committee at the first Executive Committee meeting of the
Association year.
Section
5. MEMBERSHIP AND
QUALIFICATIONS. Active and Associate members in good standing shall be
eligible for appointment to Association committees. A member may be
reappointed or re-elected to succeed himself/herself for not more that three
(3) consecutive terms. Provisions for filling vacancies on committees and
strategies shall be set forth in the Association’s Policy and Procedure Manual.
Section
6. REPORTS. Each
Committee Chairperson shall prepare and update procedures and present a written
report to the appropriate Strategy Manager by June 1st. Each
Strategy Manager shall prepare and present same to the President by July 1st.
Section
7. QUORUM. A majority of
the member’s present serving on any strategy or committee shall constitute a
quorum.
Article
IX
Finance
Section
1. FISCAL YEAR. The
fiscal year of this Association shall be from July 1 of one year to June 30 of
the next year. Members are asked to please submit payment by July 31st.
Section
2. DUES. Dues shall be
paid on an annual basis as follows:
Active
$15.00 ($5.00 to scholarship)
Associate
$15.00 ($5.00 to scholarship)
Student
$ 0.00
HonoraryRetired
$ 0.00
The membership year shall be the same as the fiscal year. Dues notification
shall be posted on the website (www.ohima.org) at least thirty
(30) days prior to the end of the fiscal year. Individuals joining or
renewing membership any time during the fiscal year shall be required to pay
full membership dues. Dues are waived for all elected Officers of the
Association.
Section 3.
THE JEANNE GRAY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP. The Jeanne Gray Memorial
Scholarship was created in the name of a member of the Health Information
Management profession for many years. Jeanne was an asset to the
profession as well as a friend to many. The $500.00 scholarship shall be
presented to a 2nd year student in the Health Information Management
Program at Cincinnati State Technical and Community
College. $5.00 of the annual dues shall be used as a means
of financing the scholarship. The Program Chair shall inform the students
of the scholarship. The applicants shall be given a topic chosen by the
Executive Committee to write about. The applicants shall give their
reports to the Program Chair by January 15th. The Program
Chair shall remove the applicant’s name from the report, replace it with a
number, and forward all applications to the Secretary of the Association.
The Secretary shall notify the President that the applications have been
received and will forward them to all members of the Executive Committee.
The Committee shall vote on the applicants and the recipient will be chosen by
majority vote. The President will notify the Program Chair of the
scholarship recipient. The scholarship shall be presented to the
recipient by the President at the Annual Meeting.
Article
X
Parliamentary
Authority
The then current edition of
Robert’s rules of Order shall govern this Association in all cases not covered
by these Bylaws.
Article
XI
Bylaw
Amendments
Proposals for the alteration, amendment,
repeal, or adoption of new Bylaws may be submitted to the
Executive Committee by
any committee or active/associate member of the
Association. The power to amend the Bylaws shall rest with the
voting
members at any regular meeting, or at a special
meeting called for this purpose, by a 2/3 vote of the active/associate
members
present, provided that a copy of the proposed
amendment has been sent to active/associate member at least
two (2) weeks
prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted
upon. In addition, Bylaws may be amended by a special mail
vote sent to
active/associate members to be completed and
returned thirty (30) days of postmark. A ninety percent
(90%) vote of the
returned ballots within the time frame shall
be required for adoption of such amendments. Amendments shall become
effective
immediately after their adoption, unless otherwise stated
in the motion.
Article
XII
Dissolution
This Association is organized under the Not
for Profit Corporation Act of the State of Ohio and is organized
for educational
purposes and no part of its earnings shall inure to the
benefit of any private member, officer or other individual.
In the event of
a dissolution of this Association, the net
distribution of assets, after all liabilities and obligations of the
Association have been
satisfied, shall be distributed to one or
more corporations, societies or organizations which are organized and
operated not for profit, which in the judgment of a
majority of the members of the Executive Committee then in office,
are
deemed to be engaged solely in educational activities
advancing the causes of health information management and
technology
and health of the public.
Revised
3/19/03
Joann Blackwell, RHIT, CCS
GCHIMA Past President
