Article I - Name and Definition of "Public Health Physician"

A.     The name of the organization shall be the American Association of Public Health Physicians.

B.     Definition: For purposes of AAPHP membership, the term "Public Health Physician" shall be taken to mean a physician dedicated to helping guide a community, agency, health organization, medical office or program in pursuit of group or community health goals." This shall include but not be limited to, physicians who plan, provide and administer public health and preventive medicine services in public, private or voluntary settings.

Article II - Mission, Motto and Objectives

A.    Mission
  1. Promote the Public's Health
  2. Represent Public Health Physicians
  3. Educate the nation on the role and importance of the Public Health  Physician's knowledge and skills in practicing population medicine.
  4. Foster communication, education and scholarship in Public Health

B.     Motto: The Voice of Public Health Physicians, Guardians of the Public's Health

C.     Objectives
1. Advocate for public health and preventive services
2. Advocate on behalf of Public Health Physicians
3. Serve as a forum for Public Health Physicians and by doing so, strengthen the sense of "community" and facilitate exchange of ideas among  geographically dispersed Public Health Physicians
4. Provide and facilitate career enhancement support services for  Public Health Physicians
5. Serve as the voice of Public Health Physicians to the American Medical Association (AMA), sister public health organizations, news media,  government and the general public
6. Facilitate recruitment and retention of Public Health Physicians  into the AMA

Article III - Membership

A. Eligibility for Dues Paid Membership, by Category:

1.  Period of Membership is January 1 to December 31 of each year, renewable by payment of dues appropriate to designated category of membership

2. Any member in arrears for a period of six (6) months shall be dropped from membership.

3. Regular Member: Physician (MD, DO. or international equivalent  thereof  licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the United States, willing to self-designate as a Public Health Physician" as defined in these bylaws in Article I-B.  In cases with questionable credentials eligibility for membership shall be decided by the Executive Committee.

4. Resident/Physician-in-training: physicians who are residents in an allopathic or osteopathic training program approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

5. Student: medical student enrolled in an allopathic or osteopathic medical school approved by an appropriate accrediting agency, or recent medical school graduate who is in other training prior to entering a residency.

6. Retiree: any public health physician retired from active practice.

7. Associate: A public health physician  without a license to practice medicine and surgery in the United States.  Associate members receive AAPHP publications and may attend AAPHP General membership meetings and CME meetings.; Associate members will pay annual membership dues approved in accordance with Article X, B, will vote, serve on committees, and may hold up to one board seat on the Board of Trustees but not in an officer  position.;   In cases with questionable credentials eligibility for membership will be decided by the Executive Committee.

8.  Affiliate member:  a person who does not meet criteria for other dues paying membership categories.  Affiliate members receive AAPHP publications and may attend AAPHP General Membership and CME meetings.  Affiliate members will pay annual membership dues approved in accordance with article X, B,  will have no vote and may not hold any officer or Board of Trustee position.  At  the President’s discretion, an affiliate member may be appointed as a non-voting member of an AAPHP Committee. 

 9.  AAPHP shall reserve the right to withhold membership from any applicant who does not meet the membership criteria specified above. This provision shall not obligate AAPHP to check credentials of applicants.

 10. No person shall be denied membership on the basis of gender, race age, sexual orientation, disability or political or religious belief.

B.     Honorary Membership: Physicians who are not current members of AAPHP, but who are pre-eminent in public health or preventive medicine or have achieved outstanding public health accomplishments may be considered for honorary membership.

C.     Lifetime Membership Any regular or retired member may become a lifetime member by one-time payment of an amount that has been set by the general membership.  The Lifetime Members dues amount will be decided annually at the regular time for determination of dues (See Article X).  The General Membership may require members to pay different amount for Lifetime Member dues based on the member’s age.

D.    Membership Meetings

 1.      The Annual General  membership meetings may take place in conjunction with a meeting of the AMA or another public health meeting to be selected by the Board. 

 2.      The interim general membership meeting may take place in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA)  or another public health meeting selected by the board and  approximately 5 months apart from D.1

 3.      Additional Special meetings of the General Membership may be held at the discretion of the Board of Trustees with a specific purpose clearly specified in the meeting notice which will be sent to all members with at least 30 days notice.

 4.      The General membership meetings shall be considered to have a quorum  when not less than 5% of the voting membership is in attendance.

5.      Attendance at general membership meetings shall be in person, by telephone conference or by other electronic means, which permit all members to simultaneously hear each other and verbally participate in the meeting. Members who attend the meeting, either in person or by electronic means, shall contribute to the determination of a quorum, and are permitted to vote.

Article IV - Board of Trustees

The Board of trustees will be required to declare any and all conflicts of interest pursuant to the discharge of duties and before the commencement of any meetings of the board. 

A.    The Board of Trustees shall consist of the Officers and the ten Trustees. The President shall serve as Chairperson. The Vice President and Secretary shall serve as Vice-Chair and Secretary, respectively. The Board of Trustees shall conduct the business of the Association between annual meetings and shall report its actions to the full membership.

B.     The Board of Trustees shall have complete charge of property and financial affairs of the Association, and shall perform such duties as are prescribed by law governing the directors of corporations, or as may be prescribed by the by-laws.

C.     The Board of Trustees shall meet at least four (4) times per year. Such meetings may be in person, by telephone conference call, or by any other means of communication.

D.    The Board of Trustees shall be considered to have a quorum when not less than ½ of total membership of the Board of trustees and officers are in attendance.

Article V - Executive Committee

A.    The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Association.

B.     The Executive Committee shall review the agendas for the Board and General Membership meetings prepared by the President.

C.     The Executive Committee shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Board between Board meetings.

D.    Actions of the Executive Committee shall be subject to review at the next Board Meeting

Article VI - Officers and Trustees 

A.    The officers of the Association shall be President, Vice President, Immediate Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the AMA House of Delegates.

B.     Nominations: The President-Elect shall chair the Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee shall include at least two other members chosen by the President Elect.

C.     Terms of President, President Elect and Immediate Past President

1.  The President shall take office at the end of the Annual General Membership Meeting in even numbered years to serve a term of two (2) years.

 2.  A President Elect shall be elected at the Annual General Membership Meeting in even numbered years to serve a term of two (2) years.

 3. Upon  seating of a new President, the current President shall become Immediate Past-President. He or she shall retain this position until replaced by a new Immediate Past-President.

D. Elections and terms of other elected officials

1.      A Vice-President shall be elected and take office at the Annual General Membership Meeting in even numbered years to serve a term of (2) years. A Vice President may serve multiple consecutive two (2) year terms.

 2.      The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected and take office at an Annual General Membership Meeting to serve a term of (3) years. The Secretary and the Treasurer may serve multiple consecutive three (3)

year terms.

 3.      Trustees shall be elected to three (3) year terms, with three or four to be elected at each Annual General Membership Meeting. A trustee shall not serve for more than two (2) full consecutive terms, excluding unexpired terms of less than three (3) years, and excluding any time served as another elected official of the association

 4.      The AMA Delegate and Alternate Delegate:  Shall be elected at an Annual General Membership Meeting to serve a term of two (2) years and Delegate and Alternate Delegate may serve multiple consecutive two (2) year terms.

 a.  Must  be members of the AMA.

E.     Successor to the President. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall become President and serve the unexpired term of the President, plus the term the President-Elect was originally elected to fill. If a vacancy exists in the office of President-Elect, the Vice-President shall serve as President-Elect until the next Annual Meeting.  If all three positions are vacant, the Secretary shall act as President until the next Annual Meeting.

F.  Successor to other Officials

1.      If any of the other officer positions are vacated before the end of  the specified term, the President shall appoint another member to fill that position until the next Annual Meeting.

2.      If a Trustee position is vacated mid-term, that position shall remain vacant until a successor can be elected to fill the unexpired term at the next Membership Meeting.

3.      An individual person may occupy up to two (2) elected positions within the Association,

G.     Election Process

1. Elections shall be held at Annual General Membership Meetings.

2. The slate shall be presented by the Nominating Committee

3, Any election involving more than one (1) nomination shall be by secret ballot. A majority of votes cast shall be necessary to elect, where there are more than two (2) nominees, and none receive a majority of votes cast on the first ballot, a runoff vote shall be held between the top two. In case of tie votes, additional balloting shall be done until a single individual receive a majority vote.

Article VII - Duties of Officers

All officers will be expected to declare all conflicts of interest pursuant to the commencement of business meetings of the association and in the discharge or their duties

A.  President

1.      The President shall preside at all General Membership, Board of Trustees and Executive Committee Meetings.

2.      The President shall appoint all Committee Chairs and Appointees not otherwise specifically assigned in these bylaws.

3.      The President shall supervise the Executive Manager

4.      The President shall be co-editor of the Bulletin

5.      The President shall represent the Association to other groups, organizations and individuals, except as otherwise specified in these bylaws, and shall conduct such other duties as may be appropriate for the conduct of the business of the Association,

 6.      The President shall act on behalf of the Board and Executive Committee between meetings.

 7.      The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee and subject to and subsequent confirmation of the trustees, shall have the power to reassign any or all duties and responsibilities of any officer, committee chairperson or the Executive Manager, to any other individual, at any time, and for any period of time deemed appropriate by the President. Any and all such reassignments shall be considered interim, for the tenure in office of that President.

B. President-Elect

1.  The President-Elect shall assist the President in conducting the affairs of the Association.

2.  The President-Elect shall chair the Nominating Committee.

3.The President-Elect shall serve as President in the temporary absence of the President and Vice President

 

C.     Immediate Past President

1. The Immediate Past President shall otherwise serve as if a Trustee

D.    Vice-President

The Vice President shall chair the Membership Recruitment, Program and the Bylaws Committees,

1.The Vice President Shall Chair the General Membership, Board of Trustees and Executive Committees, in the absence of the President

 2.The Vice President shall assist the President and President Elect in conducting the affairs of the Association.

 3.The Vice President shall serve as President in the absence of the President.

E.     Secretary

 1.      The Secretary, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall keep up-to-date membership roster for all categories of Association

membership.

 2.      The Secretary, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall generate and maintain minutes of all General Membership, Board and Executive Committee meetings.

 3.      The Secretary, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall maintain all other non-financial records of the Association.

 4.      The Secretary shall serve as President, in the absence of the President, Vice President and President-Elect.

F.      Treasurer

 1.      The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall have the care and management of the fiscal affairs of the Association, and shall keep a record of all moneys received and expended.

 2.      The Treasurer shall oversee the financial matters of the Association, and shall give written approval and authentication to Association checks.

 3.      The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall prepare present up-to-date financial reports at every meeting of the General Membership and Board of Trustees.

 4.      The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall present an annual budget, with recommendations for dues by membership category, at the Board of Trustees meeting immediately preceding the Annual General Membership Meeting.

 5.      The Treasurer, with the assistance of the Executive Manager, shall maintain all financial Records of the Association.

G.    Delegate to AMA House of Delegates

1.      The Delegate shall represent the Association to the AMA House of Delegates and the AMA Section Council on Preventive Medicine, or its successor.

2.      The Delegate shall Chair the Resolutions, Policy and Legislation  Committee.

H.    Alternate Delegate to AMA House of Delegates

1.      The Alternate Delegate shall assist the Delegate with all the responsibilities of that position.

2.      The Alternate Delegate shall serve as Delegate, in the absence of the Delegate.

 Article VIII - Executive Manager

A.    The Board of Trustees may select an Executive Manager who need not be a member of the AAPHP, with a defined position description or to execute another management contract as they see fit; said executive manager will to serve as Chief Administrative Officer of the Association, assist the President, the Secretary and the Treasurer with all responsibilities of these offices, and maintain the Headquarters Office. Once appointed, the Executive Manager shall serve until removed or replaced or said management contract shall be terminated as the board may see fit.

B.     The Executive Manager or contracted management entity shall have charge of the headquarters office and shall employ such assistants and office staff as determined by the Board. In the case of an executive manager, he and his assistants and the office staff shall receive compensation and travel allowances' and be covered by such insurance as may be determined by the Board of Trustees by agreement with the agency serving as host to the headquarters office.

C.     The Executive manager or contracted management entity shall have authority to write checks and manage the financial affairs of the Association, under the direct supervision of the Treasurer.

D.    The Executive Manager or contracted management entity shall serve as co-editor of the Bulletin, with the President or his/her designee.

E.     The Executive Manager or contracted management entity designee may serve as Parliamentarian at  all AAPHP meetings if qualified and if so designated by the President.

F.      In the event the executive manager position is vacant or contracted management entity has been terminated and new contract management entity agreement is not yet in place, the individual officers shall fulfill
without the assistance of the executive manager, those duties assigned to them in Article VII Duties of Officers.

Article IX - Appointments and Committees

 A.    Except as otherwise specified in these bylaws, all appointments are by the President and serve at the pleasure of the President

 1. All appointees must be dues-paid members of AAPHP

 2. Upon invitation by the President, all appointees can participate but not vote in Board meetings

B.     The following appointments shall be made by the President:

 1.      Chair  and members of Awards Committee

 2.      Liaison to National Association of City and County Health Officials

(NACCHO)

 3.      Liaison to the Center for Community Responsive Care (CCRC)

 4.      Any others, as may seem reasonable to the President

C.     Standing Committee Appointments and Chairmanships Specified in Bylaws

1.      Public Policy, Resolutions and Legislative Committee - to be chaired by Delegate to AMA House of Delegates

2.      Nominating Committee - to be chaired by President Elect

3.      Membership Recruitment Committee - to be chaired by Vice-President

4.      Newsletter/Bulletin co-Editors The President or designee and Executive Manager or contracted management entity appointee.

5.      Program Committee for semi-annual General Membership meetings –to be chaired by the Vice-President

6.      Bylaws Committee - to be chaired by the Vice President

Article X - Financial Matters

A.    Funds Raised - Funds may be raised by annual dues or assessments upon the members upon recommendation by the Board of Trustees. Funds may also be raised from publications of the Association and in any other manner  approved by the Board of Trustees. Funds may be appropriated by the Board of Trustees to defray expenses of the Association to carry on its publication, to encourage scientific investigations, and for any other purpose approved
by the Board of Trustees.

B.     Membership dues - The annual Membership Dues shall be reviewed by the Board and approved by the general membership before the beginning of the a calendar year. The dues statement each year will be sent before the end of the preceding year. Authorizes the Board of Trustees to offer any discounts and dues adjustments that would, in the Board's opinion, promotes the best interests of the Association  nd of our profession. These include but are not limited to discounts or waivers of dues for residents in accredited training programs, new members recruited and other categories as the board may see fit or changes to the dues year..

C.     Special Assessments - Special assessments may be leveled only after specification of the amount and purpose, by category of membership, by the Board of Trustees, and by a majority of the membership voting at the Annual General Membership Meeting or a majority of the membership voting by mail at any other time of year.

D.    An annual Budget shall be recommended to the Board of Trustees by the Treasurer, at the Board meeting immediately preceding the Annual General Membership Meeting, then approved by the General Membership attending the Annual General Membership Meeting.

E.     Expenditures shall be managed by the Executive Manager under the direct supervision of the Treasurer

Article XI - Relationship with American Medical Association (AMA)

 A.    AAPHP is a National Medical Specialty Organization, as defined in Section 8 of the AMA Bylaws, with all the rights and responsibilities of such designation, including representation in the AMA House of Delegates.

 B.     AAPHP Shall encourage its members to join the AMA.

1.Pursue the goal of 100% AMA membership among AAPHP members

C.     Young Physician Section 

1.      To allow for regular input of young physician views into the issues before AAPHP, at least one Trustee seat on the Board of Trustees shall be filled by a physician less than age 40 or is within the first 8 years of professional practice after residency and/ fellowship training or the current AMA definition of young physician  and be a member of the AMA in good standing.

2.      The Young Physician Trustee shall be elected by the AAPHP General Membership, as specified in Article VI of these By laws.

3.      AAPHP Young Physicians meeting the qualifications noted in Article XI C above, and present at the AAPHP Annual Meeting, shall elect, from within their membership, both a Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the AMA Young Physicians Section.

Article XII - Rules of Order

A.    All Association meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.

B.     A parliamentarian will be designated by the President for all AAPHP meetings.

Article XIII - Amendments
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present at any General Meeting, provided that written notice has been given by any means designed to reach all members. Publication of such notice in the AAPHP Bulletin or on the AAPHP website shall be construed as compliance with this requirement.

 
American Association of Public Health Physicians BYLAWS as amended in Philadelphia, 12/11/2005  (Articles III, IV, V, VI, VII, X, XII, XII   ), in Denver 11/7/20010 (Article III )., Chicago 6/11. 6/12, and in San Francisco 10/28/12 (Article VI, IX,XI).  Phoenix 2/22/2013 (Article III). and via zoom on 8/13/2022 (Article III Section 5).