Bylaws
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ARTICLE I – MEMBERSHIP
Application for membership shall be made in writing on application blanks or by electronic form furnished for that purpose. The Board of Directors shall have the final authority to determine the eligibility of an individual for membership, or the revocation of membership, consistent with the ethical standards and requirements of this organization.
Membership shall not be transferable from individual to individual. A member who changes employment during a membership year shall continue to be a member for the remainder of the membership year for which dues have been paid.
ARTICLE II – DUES AND FEES
Annual dues shall be for the calendar year in an amount to be determined by the Board of Directors and reviewed on an annual basis.
If the Board of Directors imposes an application fee, it shall accompany the application.
New applications for membership, accompanied by the proper amount of dues and fees, received after October 1 of the membership year shall constitute payment for the remaining portion of the membership year and for the following membership year.
Dues shall be forwarded to the Treasurer. The Membership Chair will track local and national membership.
An individual who submits an application for membership, accompanied by the appropriate dues and fees, which is received by the Treasurer by July 1 of the membership year, shall have the right to vote in any election held during the remainder of that membership year.
ARTICLE III – VOTING
Eligibility
All eligible members shall have the right to vote. Proxy voting shall be used for any issue except for the election of Officers and Board of Directors or changes and amendments to Chapter Bylaws and Constitution.
Votes
Votes shall be cast by electronic survey on the official ballot.
A system of distributing the ballots and receiving the votes shall be designated to maintain the security and secrecy of the ballots and votes.
Ballots must be distributed to the members by the Chapter at least thirty (30) days prior to the date on which the ballots are to be counted. In order to be counted, ballots must be returned by the members and dated at least five (5) days prior to the date on which such ballots are to be counted.
All votes shall be kept for thirty (30) days after the vote results are announced in case recounts are required.
Majority
All matters except as otherwise specified in this Constitution and Bylaws shall require a simple majority of those voting.
ARTICLE IV – MEETING
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting shall be the last scheduled meeting of the calendar year. The results of the election of Officers and Board of Directors shall be announced to the membership at the annual meeting following the election. Notice of this meeting shall be given at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled date. Notice shall be in writing or by electronic notification.
Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Chapter may be called by the President, a majority of the Board of Directors, or not less than one tenth (1/10) of the membership. Notice of the meeting shall be made in writing or by electronic notification.
Transitional Meeting
The Transitional Meeting of all current and newly elected Executive Committee and Board of Directors members shall take place on a mutually agreed upon date prior to the first meeting of the new year and after the final meeting of the prior year. All elected officers and outgoing officers shall arrange to meet at a time and place designated by the new President. A meeting of the new Executive Committee and
Board of Directors shall take place on a mutually agreed upon date after the start of the new chapter year but not later than the first National President’s Meeting, for the purpose of budgeting for the chapter year.
Meeting Place
The Executive Committee may designate any place within the State of Minnesota as the site of either the annual or any special meeting. A majority of the Executive Committee must approve the meeting place.
Regional Meeting
A Regional Meeting will consist of the Gopher Chapter of AAHAM and one or more other AAHAM chapters, or other recognized associations.
At the request of the President and by a majority vote of the Executive Committee, a Regional Meeting can be held. Notice of the meeting shall be made in conjunction with those chapters/organizations involved.
A Regional Meeting can be held outside of the State of Minnesota.
Quorum
One tenth (1/10) of the membership shall constitute a quorum, provided a majority of the Executive Committee is present.
A simple majority of the Executive committee shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of the Committee.
ARTICLE V – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Composition of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected or appointed officers of the Chapter, the members of the Board of Directors and the Chair of the Board of Directors.
Officers
There shall be six (6) elected or appointed officers of the Chapter. The Officers shall be a President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chair.
An Officer is an individual in good standing with the local and National AAHAM organization. An
Officer is a member that has been nominated in accordance with the procedures as set forth in these Bylaws and elected by the members of the organization or who has been appointed by the President.
National members who are associated with healthcare revenue cycle services are eligible to run for office, provided they meet the respective officer qualifications.
Board of Directors
There shall be five (5) members of the Board of Directors.
Vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be appointed by the President, and each person so appointed shall be a Director until a successor is elected by the voting members of the Chapter.
All members shall be qualified to be members of the Board of Directors.
Chair of the Board and Advisory Council
The Chair of the Board shall be the most recent past President.
The Advisory Council shall consist of the three (3) most recent past presidents whose term ended other than by removal. It shall be the function of the Council to serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI – POWERS AND DUTIES OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Officers
President
The President shall preside at all general meetings of the membership of the Chapter, at meetings of the
Board of Directors, and attend at least one National Presidents meeting per year. If the President is unable to attend the National Presidents Meeting, a qualified chapter member may be appointed, by the President, to attend. The President shall send an outline of the proposed programs and activities for the Gopher Chapter to the National AAHAM Executive Director as soon as is practical. The President shall be an ex officio member of all Chapter committees, standing and special, except the Nominating Committee. The President shall call meetings, execute policy, and provide leadership to the members of the Chapter. The President shall consult with the Executive Committee and the Advisory Council, and keep them fully informed so the programs and activities of the Chapter may be coordinated. The President shall strive, during his or her term in office, to guide the Chapter to meet the objectives outlined in the Chapter’s constitution.
First & Second Vice Presidents
The Vice Presidents are responsible for all arrangements for Chapter meetings. The Vice Presidents shall serve as Co-Chairs of the Education Committee.
In the absence of the President, or during his or her incapacitation (as determined by the Board of
Directors), the President’s duties shall be performed by the First Vice President. The Second Vice
President shall assume the duties if both the President and First Vice President are absent or incapacitated.
Secretary
The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the Chapter’s official records. The Secretary shall keep minutes of the Board of Directors meetings and send a copy of the minutes to the Board Chair, Officers and Board Members. The Secretary shall maintain past and present copies of Bylaws and Amendments. The Secretary shall provide each elected Officer and Committee Chair with copies of their job descriptions and Chapter Bylaws as soon as possible, following an election.
Treasurer
The Treasurer shall be responsible for all monies of the Chapter and for the disbursement of those monies. The Treasurer shall receive and acknowledge all monies due and payable to the Chapter. The Treasurer shall deposit all monies, in the name of the Gopher Chapter of the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, in a depository approved by the Executive Committee. S/He may reimburse approved expenses for business of the Chapter, authorized by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be bonded. S/He shall submit a financial report at each regular meeting of the Board, and make available to the Chapter membership an annual report. S/He shall maintain and forward such reports as may be required by National.
Chair
The Chair is required to attend all general meetings of the membership of the Chapter and meeting of the Board of Directors.
Executive Committee Duties and Obligations
Duties and obligations of the Executive Committee are further outlined in the Job Description manual.
Board of Directors
It shall be the duty of each Board Member to attend all Executive Committee meetings, to promote and encourage increases in membership and development of Chapters within his or her geographic area, and to represent the Chapter at regional or state activities in his or her areas that are related to the Chapter.
Each member of the Board of Directors shall sit on a minimum of one Chapter Committee.
Advisory Council
The members of the Advisory Council shall be given notice of, and be invited to attend, as non-voting observers, regular business meetings of the Board of Directors. In addition, the Advisory Council shall meet as needed for the purpose of reviewing the Chapter operations, procedures, and recommending any changes to the Board of Directors which it considers desirable for the more efficient operation of the Chapter. The immediate past President shall be the chair.
Term of Office
Elections shall be held annually. The President, Secretary, and two (2) Board members shall be elected in uneven years. The Treasurer and three (3) Board members shall be elected in even years. The Second
Vice-President shall be elected every year. S/He shall be moved to First Vice-President in his or her second year of term, and a new Second Vice-President shall be elected with the rotation continuing. A term of office shall start January One (1) of the following calendar year. An Officer or Director who ceases to qualify for that office will be requested to fill out their term. An Officer may serve for more than one (1) consecutive term, but not more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office.
Executive Vacancies
If any member of the Executive Committee (excluding the President) shall, for any reason, vacate his or her office, the President shall appoint, from the voting members, someone to fill the unexpired term.
If the President shall, for any reason, vacate his or her office, the First Vice President shall assume the office of President, to fill the unexpired term.
In the event the immediate past President cannot serve as Chair of the Board, the Board shall elect any past President to serve as Chair, by an electronic mail vote of the majority of the Board. In the further event there are no past Presidents available to serve as Chair of the Board, the Board shall elect one of their members by a majority vote of the entire Board, which vote may be by electronic mail, in person at a meeting, or both.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Committee Membership
The President of the Chapter shall appoint a Chair to each Chapter Committee, who may in turn appoint additional members to the committee. The Chair of each Committee shall be responsible for submitting a written report on committee activity to the Chair of the Chapter Excellence Committee, following each chapter meeting.
Bylaws
The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for maintaining the current status of the Chapter
Constitution and Bylaws.
The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for staying current with National changes.
The Bylaws shall be reviewed on a yearly basis.
Certification
The Certification Committee shall be responsible for providing up-to-date materials and education to
Chapter members who are interested in sitting for the Certified Revenue Cycle Executive (CRCE), Certified Revenue Cycle Professional (CRCP), Certified Revenue Cycle Specialist (CRCS), Certified
Revenue Integrity Professional (CRIP) or Certified Compliance Technician (CCT) exams.
Chapter Excellence
The Chapter Excellence Committee shall be responsible for gathering, collating and submitting the
application for the National AAHAM Chapter Excellence Award.
Community Service
The Community Service Committee shall be responsible for arranging service projects that will benefit
the community in which each Chapter meeting is held.
Corporate Sponsors
The Corporate Sponsors Committee shall be responsible for recruiting corporate sponsors and establishing guidelines for their participation at Chapter events.
Education
The First and Second Vice Presidents of the Chapter shall be Co-Chairs. The Education Committee shall develop and recommend to the Executive Committee, programs and outlines for workshops, institutes, and seminars, in accordance with the goals and objectives of the Chapter.
Legislative
The Legislative Committee shall be responsible for representing the Gopher Chapter at the legislative level while monitoring governmental changes that affect healthcare. Membership
The Membership Committee shall promote the increase of membership in the Chapter and shall report to the Board of Directors on all matters relating to the membership.
Nominating
No member of the Nominating Committee may be an Officer or Board of Directors of the Chapter or running for any elected office. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a slate of candidates for election, in accordance with Article VI, Section 4, prior to the next annual meeting of the Chapter.
The committee shall report to the President, no later than six (6) weeks before the scheduled date of the annual meeting, the names of the candidates the committee has nominated.
All voting is to be done by electronic survey. Ballots must be distributed to the members of the
Chapter at least thirty (30) days prior to the date on which the ballots are to be counted. In order to be counted, ballots must be returned by the members and dated no later than five (5) days prior to the date on which such ballots are to be counted.
The committee shall be responsible for receiving and counting all ballots and reporting the results at the Annual Meeting.
Publications
The Publications Committee shall coordinate and prepare material for publications of the Chapter and
National Office to include Gopher Tracks, meeting brochures and such other publications as may be required.
The Publications Committee shall develop and promote publication policies in accordance with the goals and objective of the Chapter and National Office.
The Publications Committee shall utilize an Editing Sub-Committee, of their choosing, to proof-read publications before they are sent to print.
Scholarship
The Scholarship Committee shall consist of the winner of the previous year’s Scholarship Award. The Scholarship Committee shall be responsible for keeping a running total of points (obtained by pre- established criteria) of all Chapter members who wish to run for the Scholarship Award.
The results will be reviewed by the President and the Chair.
Welcoming/Registration
The Welcoming Committee shall be responsible for registration at each Chapter meeting.
Other Committees and Assignments
The President and Executive Committee, during their terms in office, shall have the authority to appoint special committees in accordance with the objectives of the Chapter, and to request special tasks for the members for appropriate study and for action.
Subject to the Constitution and Bylaws, the President shall have the authority to make appointments to all other committees.
The term of all committee members shall expire at the end of the calendar year unless otherwise provided for by the action of the Executive Committee. The board shall hire an external accountant to audit, review and maintain financial records.
ARTICLE VIII – AMENDMENTS
The Bylaws of the Gopher Chapter may be changed, amended, or repealed by a two-third (2/3) majority of those members voting. See Article VIII of the Constitution for procedure.
Approved by the Board of Directors 5/7/97. Approved and adopted by a majority vote of the membership 11/5/97.
Changes approved and adopted by a majority vote of the membership 11/6/02.
Changes approved and adopted by a majority vote of the membership 7/21/03.
By–Laws reviewed 03/11/11.
By–Laws reviewed 11/09/11.
By–Laws reviewed 11/07/12.
By–Laws reviewed 11/06/13.
By–Laws reviewed 11/05/14.
By–Laws reviewed 01/10/15.
Changes approved and adopted by a majority vote of the membership 10/07/15.
By–Laws reviewed 11/09/16.
By–Laws reviewed 11/16/17.
By–Laws reviewed 11/08/18.
By–Laws reviewed 12/29/19.
By–Laws reviewed 12/14/20.
