Bylaws

BYLAWS
MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OSTEOPATHIC PHYSICIANS
Approved by the 2004 AOA House of Delegates 7/17/04

ARTICLE I – NAME
This organization shall be known as the Maryland Association of Osteopathic Physicians, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “MAOP”) and is incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland as a non-profit educational corporation 501©(3).

ARTICLE II – MISSION
To promote the science and art of osteopathic medicine through a coordinated effort to professional education, professional advocacy, member services, and public awareness campaigns in order to ensure the availability of quality osteopathic health care to the people of the State of Maryland.

ARTICLE III – CODE OF ETHICS AND DISCIPLINE
Section 1              The code of ethics of MAOP shall be the code of ethics of the American Osteopathic Association (hereinafter referred to as “AOA”) and any other additions as provided by the by-laws, providing such additions do not conflict with the code of ethics of the AOA.

Section 2              The Board of Trustees of MAOP shall investigate all complaints of violations of these Bylaws. Any member of MAOP who, in the opinion of the Board of Trustees, purposely violates the established policy of the MAOP, who seeks to undermine the unity of the osteopathic profession, or whose license to practice in Maryland is surrendered or revoked by the Board of Physicians Quality Assurance may have his/her membership in MAOP suspended or revoked by the action of the Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of the Membership Committee after the member has been given notice of such action and an opportunity to be heard by the Board of Trustees before such action is taken.

Section 3              Any MAOP member whose membership has been suspended or revoked, may be reinstated to MAOP at the discretion of the board of Trustees, upon giving satisfactory evidence of intent to comply with the rules governing membership in MAOP and reinstatement of his/her Maryland medical license.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP
A.            Physician Membership
Physician Membership shall be granted to graduates from any AOA accredited college of Osteopathic medicine, who are lawfully licensed to practice medicine in the state of Maryland, or who live or work in the state of Maryland and are actively involved in osteopathic education or advocacy, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and who are current with the dues. All physician members in good standing have voting privileges subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

B.            Military Physician Membership
Military Physician Membership shall be granted to graduates from any AOA accredited college of Osteopathic medicine in active military service, who reside or practice in the state of Maryland, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and who are current with their dues. All military physician members in good standing have voting privileges subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

C.            Retired Physician Membership
Retired Physician Membership shall be granted to graduates from any AOA accredited college of Osteopathic medicine, who are lawfully licensed to practice medicine in the state of Maryland, who are not practicing more than ten hours per week, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and who are current with their dues. All retired physician members in good standing have voting privileges subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

D.            Resident Membership
Resident Membership shall be granted to graduates from any AOA accredited college of Osteopathic medicine, who are lawfully licensed to practice medicine in the state of Maryland, who are not in active practice but are engaged in an approved internship, residency, or full-time fellowship, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and who are current with their dues. All resident members in good standing have voting privileges subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

E.            Student Membership
Student Membership status shall be granted to undergraduate students or prospective undergraduate students of AOA accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and who are current with their dues. Student members, except for the elected Student Liaison position on the Board of Trustees, do not have voting privileges. Student members may not be seated as a delegate in the House of Delegates and may not serve on the Board of Trustees except in the position of Student Liaison.

F.            Associate Membership
Associate Membership status may be granted to osteopathic physicians who are non-residents of the state of Maryland, who live or work in Maryland but are not licensed in the state of Maryland, or to non-physician individuals or organization, who have completed the appropriate application process with approval from the Board of Trustees, and are current with their dues. Associate members shall note vote, may not be seated as a delegate in the House of Delegates, and may not hold any office in MAOP.

ARTICLE V – DUES, FEES, AND ASSESSMENTS
Section 1              All membership categories shall pay annual dues as set by the Board of Trustees.

Section 2              Members whose dues are unpaid three (3) months after the beginning of the membership year (membership year begins January 1) shall be deemed delinquent. The delinquent member loses all rights, privileges, and benefits of membership until the member’s dues are current.

Section 3              The Board of Trustees of the MAOP may vote a membership to an eligible member at a reduced rate in cases of hardship or those situations the Board of Trustees deem appropriate.

Section 4              Assessments recommended by the Board, may be made upon members of the MAOP by the Board of Trustees, but only after the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of those voting members in good standing present at a regular or special meeting of the membership, thirty days previous notice of the proposed assessment having been given in writing, or published in the Newsletter of the MAOP, and mailed to the last known address of all voting members in good standing.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS
Section 1              The elected officers of the MAOP shall be the Immediate Past President, President Elect, President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2              Appointed officers shall be an Executive Director, appointed by the Board of Trustees for such term as the Board of Trustees shall define.

Section 3              Officers Duties:

Immediate Past President: The Immediate Past President shall facilitate the continuity of the transition between officers.

President Elect: The President Elect shall learn the duties of President and assist the President with any special tasks. Should the office of President become vacant, the President Elect shall assume the duties thereof until the next annual meeting, when he/she shall become President.

President: The President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and shall preside over all meetings of the Board. He/she shall establish specific annual goals and objectives and present them for review and approval at the first Board Meeting of the election year. The President shall, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, appoint all committee members and chairpersons with the assistance of the Executive Director.

Vice President: The Vice President shall oversee the medical education programs throughout the year.

Secretary-Treasurer: The Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for the overall financial status of the association and is responsible to report status to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director.

Executive Director: The Executive Director shall be responsible for membership recruitment, membership services, the financial management of MAOP, conference and CME planning and implementation, legislative affairs, media relations, newsletter production, and all other duties as are necessary to conduct the daily business of the MAOP.

Section 4              Vacancies occurring among officers, whether by resignation, death, or official removal, shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Trustees, and said officer shall serve until the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII – BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1              The Board of Trustees consists of the elected officers of the MAOP (Immediate Past President, President Elect, President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer), three (3) elected Members At Large, and one (1) elected Student Liaison (if available).

Section 2              The Board of Trustees is the executive and administrative unit of the MAOP. It handles the finances of the MAOP, authorizes and supervises the expenditures thereof. It appoints the Executive Director, determines the length of his/her term of office, amount of his/her salary, his/her expense allowance, and his/her duties. It determines the duties of all officials and committees for the proper execution of the policies of the MAOP. All Presidential appointments of committee chairpersons and members of such committees are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. It hears reports by all standing and special committees and acts upon the recommendations contained therein. The Board makes recommendations to the Governor and appropriate state agencies for the appointment of qualified osteopathic physicians to fill vacancies on the Board of Physician Quality Assurance, and all governmental and nongovernmental agencies as deemed appropriate. It acts upon membership applications, requests for abatement or partial abatement of dues, and may vote a membership for less than the regular dues. It acts upon matters referred to it by the members of the MAOP.

Section 3              Board of Trustees Duties:

Elected Officers: The Elected Officers of the Board of Trustees shall operate in accordance with the Officers Duties listed in Article VI, Section 3.

Members At Large: The Members At Large of the Board of Trustees shall assist the officers in the operation of the Board.

Student Liaison: The Student Liaison, a Student or Resident member of the MAOP, shall assist the Board of Trustees by providing a student perspective to the Board.

Section 4              Vacancies occurring among the Board of Trustees, whether by resignation, death, or official removal, shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Trustees, and said Board member shall serve until the next annual meeting.

Section 5              The board of Trustees shall convene during the annual conference at such time and place as determined by the Board of Trustees and the Executive Direct. Also, the Board of Trustees shall endeavor to convene during the five (5) bi-monthly continuing medical education meetings. Called meetings may be held at such times and places as selected by the President.

Section 6              All members in good standing may attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and express opinions, but only the Board of Trustees may make motions and vote.

Section 7              A quorum of the Board of Trustees shall consist of the majority of Board of Trustees members presented at the call to order, providing that the call to order is at the time, or immediately following the time proposed in the announcement of the meeting and at the announced place.

Section 8              The President is the presiding officer of the Board of Trustees and the President Elect in his/her absence. The Vice President is the presiding officer in the absence of both the President and the President Elect. The Immediate Past President is the presiding office in the absence of President, the President Elect, and the Vice President.

Section 9              The meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be governed by “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” except in such instances as are specifically provided for in these bylaws or in the order of business which may be adopted from time to time.

ARTICLE VIII – TERMS OF OFFICE
Section 1              The official unit of time for the MAOP for tenure of office of officials elected by the membership extends from the time of installations at the close of the annual meeting which elected them, until their successors are installed at the close of the next appropriate annual meeting.

Section 2              All elected officers shall hold office for one (1) year terms or until their successors are elected at the annual meeting. The elected Members At Large shall hold office for staggered three (3) year terms or until their successors are elected at the annual meeting. The elected Student Liaison shall hold office for a on (1) year term or until his/her successor is elected at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE IX – ELECTION TO OFFICE
Prior to the annual meeting, the President will appoint a nominating committee that will prepare a slate of nominees for elected Board of Trustees positions for the upcoming term. The slate will be mailed to the last known address of all voting members of MAOP in good standing 15 days prior to the annual meeting and distributed at the beginning of the annual meeting. Write-in nominations will be accepted to the slate. Those voting members in good standing may submit their votes at the annual meeting or to the MAOP office prior to the annual meeting. The Board of Trustees members shall be elected by a majority vote of those votes received at and prior to the annual meeting.

ARTICLE X – COMMITTEES
Section 1              The activities of all committees shall, so far as possible be executed in close cooperation with the Executive Director. Upon the expiration of the terms of office of chairpersons, all records of the same shall be delivered by the chairpersons to the Executive Director.

Section 2              The committees and committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President and elected by the Board of Trustees.

Section 3              The Standing Committees of the MAOP may include, but not be limited to, the following:

Membership Committee: The Membership Committee shall endeavor to create a robust community of osteopathic physicians in the State of Maryland and to devise recruitment strategies for the MAOP.

Legislative Committee: The Legislative Committee shall work to devise and implement a legislative and professional advocacy program to ensure that a pro-osteopathic agenda is enacted and that the osteopathic profession is supported.

Public Relations Committee: The Public Relations Committee shall endeavor to develop and implement public relations and patient education strategies.

Medical Education Committee: the Medical Education Committee shall work with the Vice President and the Executive Director to plan and implement AOA-approved medical education programs throughout the year, including, but not limited to, the annual conference and bi-monthly CME dinner meetings.

Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for elected positions to the Board of Trustees for the upcoming term.

Section 4              Special Committees may be established by the President and the Board of Trustees to carry out specific assignments, general of limited duration.

ARTICLE XI – DELEGATES TO THE AOA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Section 1              Delegates to the AOA House of Delegates shall be selected annually by the MAOP Board of Trustees. Prior to selection, a nominee for delegate shall be a current member in good standing of the MAOP and the AOA.

Section 2              The Board of Trustees of the MAOP shall appoint annually as many alternates as the AOA allows. The first alternates will be expected to succeed an appointed delegate whenever the delegate is deemed by the Board of Trustees unable to complete the term to which selected. In such an event the alternate will serve as delegate for the period of the unexpired term of the selected delegate.

ARTICLE XII – MEETINGS
Section 1              Annual Meeting:  The annual meeting of members shall be held in the State of Maryland in conjunction with the annual Conference at such time or place as determined by the Board of Trustees for the purpose of election of Officers and board of Trustees members.

Section 2              Special Meetings:  Special meetings of the MAOP may be called by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
These bylaws may be enacted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members present at any regular or duly called meeting of the membership, thirty days previous notice of the proposed amendment having been given in writing or published in the newsletter of the MAOP and mailed to the last known address of all voting members in good standing.

Scroll to Top