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Membership

Getting Involved in AAHPM

AAHPM encourages all members to participate in the organization's activities. There are many ways you can become involved as an Academy member, from committee work to composing an article for the newsletter or journal. The information below provides more detailed information.

Governance Structure

AAHPM Board of Directors has designed a new governance structure to support the five strategic goals identified as priorities for the next 3-5 years.

Strategic Coordinating Committees (SCC) exist and are designed to provide a more strategic look at the activities of related committees and task forces ensuring the Academy’s strategic goals are reached as various activities, events and positions are developing simultaneously. The structure consists of a Board Liaison, Chair, Chairs of the subordinate committees and task forces and appointed members-at-large.

SCC’s include:
Membership and Communities
Leadership and Workforce
Education and Training
Quality and Research
Ethics, Advocacy, and Awareness

Volunteer on a Committee or Task Force

Following the Annual Assembly, the President appoints members to committees for the coming year; some committee members rotate off each year so there are opportunities for new appointments annually. Several task forces have also been created to work on new projects related to the strategic plan.

If you'd like to be considered for one of these committee or task force appointments, please send an e-mail resources@aahpm.org describing your area of interest, and attach your CV. All CVs are kept on file and regularly reviewed as needs arise for content experts, liaisons to other groups, and representatives of various constituencies to respond to surveys and assist with program and product development.

The current committees and task forces are:

Annual Assembly Program Planning Committee designs a comprehensive educational experience including plenary, concurrent, and paper/poster sessions using evaluation and needs assessment data, educational abstract submissions, and knowledge of current issues.

Annual Assembly Scientific Program Sub-Committee reviews, assesses and selects abstracts, as well as determine paper and poster award winners.

The Business Practice Task Force tracks key practice issues and trends (demographic, geographic, reimbursement, etc.) within hospice and palliative medicine, considers their implications related to practice management and patient safety, and recommends effective tools and resources that will provide technical assistance to members.

The Communities Committee manages the Academy’s constituency model by establishing and maintaining guidelines, policies, practices and other resources for special interest groups.

The Ethics Committee reviews and provides guidance on specific ethical issues related to the field of hospice and palliative medicine, periodically reviews relevant position statements, and raises ethical issues that should be brought to the attention of the SCC and Board.

The External Awareness Task Force develops programs of outreach and education to relevant organizations including the specialty societies of the ten co-sponsoring boards. The committee also provides counsel on public awareness outreach, materials and media-related activities.

The Fellowship Task Force assesses the needs of fellowship programs and assists in transitioning to ACGME accreditation. The task force designs the annual Fellowship Directors Forum meeting and updates AAHPM Web based resources for fellowship programs.

History Task Force maintains the memory regarding how the Academy developed and evolved within the field of hospice and palliative medicine. Continual collection of data, narratives and memorabilia documenting significant events are organized and archived.

The International Issues Task Force identifies appropriate ways the Academy and its membership can effectively engage with physicians outside the United States through education and clinical experiences.

The Public Policy Committee addresses advocacy issues that affect members and the hospice and palliative medicine community at large in an efficient and timely manner. This is accomplished through ongoing monitoring of federal and state legislation; making recommendations for action to Academy leadership; developing position statements; and keeping AAHPM members engaged and informed.

The Publication and Product Assessment Task Force continually assesses current products and publications that AAHPM offers; identifies gaps of knowledge; and proposes any improvements in both the content and delivery of information. The task force also assesses members’ needs and proposes future products and publications that AAHPM should develop, along with appropriate CME opportunities, and how those should be delivered.

The Quality and Practice Standards Task Force addresses activities within and across the 3-dimensional framework of practice settings; organizations working on measures and indicators; and, institutional/physician payment systems, as well as participates in the creation and dissemination of performance standards on behalf of AAHPM.

The Research Committee recommends ways in which the Academy can promote training, funding and implementation of research. The committee also collaborates with other national organizations to formulate a national research agenda for palliative care and advocate for increased funding.

The Workforce Capacity Task Force tracks key workforce metrics, trends and indicators pertinent to hospice and palliative medicine along with strategies to attract, develop and retain competent leaders and prepared physicians – including researchers, educators and clinicians – within the field.

Additional Opportunities

Join a Special Interest Group
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide a forum for interested members to discuss topics of common interest. All the SIGs meet at the AAHPM Annual Assembly and interact virtually throughout the year. To join a SIG, just mark the appropriate box on the membership application, update your profile through the online membership database, or call AAHPM at 847/375-4712.

Write an Article
A great way to get involved in AAHPM is to write an article for the journal or newsletter. AAHPM welcomes articles written by members in all areas of hospice and palliative medicine.

Submit an Abstract for the Annual Assembly
The Annual Assembly Committee issues three separate calls for proposals for the Assembly. The first call, for clinically based workshops and concurrent sessions, is in the Spring. The second call, for research-based sessions and case studies, is in the Summer. The third call, for student case submissions, is in the Fall. Watch the AAHPM Web site for more information and submission directions.

Participate in the Speakers Database
If you would like to be listed in the speakers database, click here to update your member profile. This database is available through the AAHPM Web site to anyone in search of a speaker, and is searchable by name, location, topic, venue, presentation style, and speaking experience. Organizations looking for experts on topics related to hospice and palliative care will contact speakers directly.