HSAC Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this organization shall be The Vanderbilt House Staff Advisory Council (HSAC or 'the Council').

Article II - Purpose

This organization shall be advisory to the Executive Director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the purposes of communication of information to house staff, problem identification, provision of counsel to other hospital organizations when required and to provide representation of the house staff in these and all other matters pertinent to house staff, patients, and the Vanderbilt affiliated hospital programs.

Article III – Membership

A. The Council shall be composed of one representative and alternate from all ACGME accredited programs. The Director of Graduate Medical Education is an ex-officio member and does not vote.

B. The representatives shall be appointed annually and may serve an unlimited number of terms. At the discretion of individual departments, a representative may be elected to office by a majority of residents within that department or may be appointed by the department chief resident or residency director. They shall hold office from July 1st until the following June 30th. The HSAC will be advised at the last meeting of the academic year whether the acting representative intends to continue in this position for the next 12 months or whether the representative will step down and be replaced, and, if possible, the HSAC should be notified as to who that replacement will be.

Article IV - Officers

A. A single Chairperson or Co-Chairs (two) is to be elected annually by majority vote of the Council. At the discretion of nominees, individuals may identify themselves as candidates for either Chairperson or Co-Chair.

B. The officer(s) shall be elected annually at the last meeting of the academic year by a majority of those voting. Eligible are all the council members who will be serving on the HSAC during the following 12 months. Each department has one vote. The election shall be announced at the meeting prior to the one at which the election is to take place. Votes may be cast by the department’s representative, or in the absence of the representative, the officially designated alternate. The officer shall hold office from the time they accept the position until their successor has been appointed and accepts the office.

C. Any member of the HSAC, including the Chair(s) may be removed, at a regular or special meeting, by a two-thirds vote of the entire Council. Any member may resign at any time by giving notice to the council either in person or writing. Ideally, an attempt should be made on the part of the resigning member to identify who will replace them on the HSAC. Any such resignation shall take effect at the time of the receipt of the notice or at any later specified date.

Article V – Business

A. The Chairperson or at least one Co-Chair shall preside over all the meetings of the Council. In the absence of both, a temporary presiding officer shall be elected from the members present.

B. Decisions shall be made by a majority vote of the representative of the Council who are present at the meetings, unless otherwise specified.

C. The Chairperson(s) shall have the power to establish committees and appoint members to them, to recommend to the Executive Director the names of hour staff to be appointed to already established hospital committees, and to exercise general supervision over the affairs of the Council.

D. The committees of HSAC shall be composed of the representatives and alternates on the Council, unless otherwise specified, and the Chairperson(s) shall be a member ex-officio of each committee.

E. The order of business at the regular meetings shall be the following:

  1. Call to order, approval of minutes of previous meeting
  2. Receiving communications; announcements
  3. Committee reports
  4. Unfinished business
  5. New business
  6. Adjournment

F. Procedures not covered in these bylaws will be according to those outlined in Roberts Rules of Order.

Article VI - Amendments and Ratification

A. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the representatives or alternates of the entire Council electorate. Written notice of the amendments must have been provided to each representative at the previous meeting or one month prior to the meeting at which the amendment(s) is/are to be presented for voting by the Council.

B. The bylaws will go into effect when approved by the Council, the Director of Graduate Medical Education, and the Executive Director of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as dictated in Section VI.A.

Approved by the HSAC October 3, 1997.

Amendment to Bylaws of the Constitution for the House Staff Advisory Council (HSAC) 6/10/99

Purpose:

To create the position of Vice Chairperson for the HSAC

Resolved:

That the position of Vice Chairperson will be created for the HSAC. The responsibilities for this position include the following:

  1. Dictation and/or preparation of monthly minutes.
  2. Assure proper distribution of the monthly minutes to council members, advisors, and the house staff.
  3. Preside over house staff council meetings in the event of absence, illness, etc. of the Chair or Co-Chair.
  4. Attend or preside over committee or sub-committee meetings as designated by the Chair or Co-Chair.
  5. Foster communication and/or dissemination of information to the Council and house staff.
  6. Assist in development and implementation of speakers/presentations for the Council.
  7. Assist in the implementation of Council programs and events.