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Dear Fellow UHMS Associates Member:

Over the last few months, a number of board members and I have been working with the UHMS executive board and key members of the BNA.  These meetings have been long and arduous.  This letter is to inform you, our members, about our current position and resolution of these meetings.

As your chair, I must apologize to each of you for the length of time it has taken to reach this point.  Over the past many months, members of our board have fielded a great many phone calls and e-mails pertaining to the position of the UHMS Associates in UHMS.  Rumor and speculation have run rampant regarding both sides. The following paragraphs will address these questions, separate fact from fiction and, with luck, bring closure to this tumultuous chapter.

At the November 2007 meeting of the UHMS executive board, a number of questions were raised relating to the Associates and their governing body.  History and budget were discussed.   Questions were raised concerning the relationship with; UHMS and BNA and the funding of meetings/sharing of revenue resulting from these meetings.

Specifically, the following questions were asked of the UHMS:

1.      What do the Associates spend their money on? 

2.      Why are Associates dues split between the UHMS and Associates?

3.      How did the Associates develop their own board?

Please remember that these questions were asked without a great deal of knowledge of the historical background of the Associates.  These questions were asked seeking knowledge, not conflict.

In a recent email, I asked members of the UHMS Associates two questions:

·                     What would you, as a member of the UHMS Associates, want from the Associates?

·                     What would you like to have from the main body of the UHMS?

To the first question, you responded:

·                     Better access to continuing education.

·                     Meetings that are more affordable to the associates

·                     More involvement with the NBDHMT as it pertains to levels and certification of the CHT and education.

To the second question:

·                     Meetings in locations that are more affordable to the Associates

At the March 2008 meeting, I presented your concerns to the executive board and they agreed to make an effort to ensure that meetings are more accessible to everyone.  Please keep in mind, however, that the next two meetings have already been committed.

Education was a hot topic and the UHMS would like to enter this arena, as it is important to UHMS Associates as well as the BNA. They all agreed that the UHMS meetings should be venues for education for all of its members, but would also need to speak with the NBDHMT and the BNA to get guidance and information on training. As for certification and validation of the CHT, that rests on the shoulders of the Associates and the NBDHMT.

Following are some of the topics that were discussed at the March 2008 meeting.  Please keep in mind that these topics are all ongoing; none is final.

Currently, the UHMS is looking at streamlining the number of board members in order to increase participation and decrease the time to reach consensus.  As part of this restructure, the UHMS is considering offering the Associates one additional voting position, in the form of a corporate member.  This would give the associates an 18% voting influence with the UHMS executive board, whereas we currently have only a 0.5% percent vote. More input into UHMS decisions is something that we have been requesting for years.

There is also discussion around making the Associates regular members of the UHMS.  This decision has not been made and is subject to AMA rules, but we are hopeful.  Every executive board member understands the significance of the Associates and their contributions to the field. 

Regarding questions about UHMS Associates finances, I refer to Memorandum of Agreement, dated January 2002.   This Memorandum states that the Associates will give 50% of monthly dues to the UHMS.  It also states that UHMS will retain all revenue from the UHMS annual scientific meeting.   Further, according to the Memorandum of Agreement, when the UHMS annual scientific meeting it is held in the continental U.S., the Associates annual meeting will be held in conjunction with the UHMS annual scientific meeting. The UHMS will be responsible for costs associated with the Associates meeting and will receive all registration revenue paid by Associate members. When the Associates elect to hold their annual meeting in conjunction with another organization or chapter of the UHMS, the Associates will be responsible for negotiating the financial aspects of the meeting with the cosponsoring organization/chapter and will receive revenue from the meeting as is negotiated.  Currently, no changes are being discussed regarding the Memorandum of Agreement.

Contrary to rumor, the UHMS is not planning to dissolve the Associates nor impede our growth.  However, as Associates, we must look to the future of our field and establish our foothold within the medical community.

·                     What should we expect from the UHMS regarding recognition of Associates?

·                     Do we need additional certification levels in our field? (technician/technologist)

·                     Do we even want to be a part of this professional society? 

It may look like we are mired in the status quo, but I personally feel that we are standing at a vital crossroads.    We now have the support of the current and incoming presidents of the executive board as well as the backing of several other board members.  We absolutely must take full advantage of our current position.  We have a golden opportunity to move our organization forward.

Questions still remain, but I am confident that we can achieve many, if not most, of our goals.  You, the members of the UHMS Associates, have elected this board to represent your interests and I hope that we have met and will continue to meet your needs. 

Best regards,

Kevan Corson