Rules of Operation and Governance
Rules of Operation and Governance
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization is the Southern Tier Regional Emergency Medi¬cal Advisory Committee (STREMAC).
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE
The Southern Tier Regional Emergency Medical Advisory Committee serves the three Counties of Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben. The purpose of this Regional Emergency Medical Advisory committee shall be to develop policies, procedures, and triage, treatment, and transportation protocols which are consistent with the standards of the State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee and which address specific local conditions; to approve physicians who provide on-line Medical Control; to coordinate the development of a Regional Medical Control System; and to participate in Quality Improvement activities addressing system-wide concerns.
ARTICLE III. RELATIONSHIPS
Section 1: The STREMAC recog¬nizes The Southern Tier Regional EMS Council as the agency responsible for coordinating EMS in this region, and will cooperate with the Council in working toward the improvement of emergency medical care in the Southern Tier.
Section 2: STREMAC, in carrying out its responsibilities and functions, relies on the Staff of STREMS, Inc.
Section 3: The STREMAC shall nominate to the State Commissioner of Health a physician with demonstrated knowledge and experience in emergency medical services to serve the State Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) for a term of two (2) years. This physician may succeed him/her self in office.
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: The STREMAC shall have a voting member¬ship of not less than five (5) physicians. Each hospital in the region shall be invited to nominate a single physician who meets Medical Control criteria (DOH 95-01) to serve a term of two years. Members may be appointed by the STREMAC to succeed themselves and may elect other physicians to voting membership who have demonstrated knowledge and experience in emergency medical services. All nominees for STREMAC membership shall be approved by the Southern Tier Regional EMS Council before being appointed to the STREMAC.
Section 2: Non-voting members: there shall be four EMS provider representatives, appointed by the chair of the Southern Tier Regional EMS Council. Course sponsor Medical Directors and Agency Medical Directors shall also be non-voting members of the STREMAC. EMS provider representatives shall serve a term of two (2) years and may be reappointed to succeed themselves. The Medical Directors shall serve for as long as they hold that position.
Section 3: Voting members may be represented by an alternate physician who meets the Medical Control criteria (DOH 95-01) or who has demonstrated knowledge and experience in emergency medical services. An alternate shall be entitled to vote in the place of his/her principal only when that principal is not present at a meeting. Non-voting members may be represented by an alternate. All alternates shall be approved by the STREMAC and serve as long as the member wishes.
Section 4. Removal from Membership: Any voting members who has been absent or not represented by his/her alternate from half of the regular meetings in any twelve month period, or has been absent for three or more consecutive meetings will have his/her membership reviewed and acted upon by the STREMAC. The STREMAC shall vote to remove the member from the STREMAC or institute a six-month probationary period during which the member and/or his or her alternate must attend all meetings. Failure to comply with the requirements of the probationary period will result in automatic removal of the voting member from the STREMAC.
Section 5. When a voting member's term expires, the STREMAC shall either reappoint the member to another two-year term or notify the member of the STREMAC's decision not to reappoint. Before reappointment occurs, the member shall be approved by the STREMS Council. The member will continue to serve until a replacement is named only if his/her membership is required to maintain the minimum five physician voting membership.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of the STREMAC shall be the Chair¬ and Vice-Chair¬, who shall be elected from the voting membership in December, by the majority of the voting members, to take office at the close of the meeting wherein the election takes place. They shall serve for terms of two (2) years or until their successors have been duly elected. The Chair¬ and Vice Chair may be re-elected to suc¬ceed themselves. The Chair of the STREMAC will be a voting member of the Southern Tier Regional EMS Council, and will serve as the Regional Medical Director, upon approval by the Council.
Section 2: The Chair shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the STREMAC. The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the latter's absence. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair or Vice-Chair, the STREMAC shall elect a Chair¬ and/or Vice-Chair to complete the unexpired term.
ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS
Section 1: The STREMAC shall meet at least quarterly, on dates to be determined by the Chair¬. The meetings shall be held at a location convenient to the membership whenever possible. The membership shall be given at least five working days notice of any meeting.
Section 2: The operating year of the STREMAC will be from Ju1y 1 to June 30.
Section 3: The presence of one-fifth (1/5) of the STREMAC's current voting membership and one-fourth (1/4) of the current non-voting membership shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4: There shall be minutes for all STREMAC meetings, which will be distributed to all STREMAC and STREMS Council members.
Section 5. Special Meetings: Special meetings of the STREMAC may be called by a request of two-fifths (2/5) of the voting membership. The membership of the STREMAC must be given at least five working days notice of any special meeting.
ARTICLE VII. SUBCOMMITTEES
Section 1: Sub¬committees as needed for the effective dis¬charge of the STREMAC¬'s responsibilities, may be appointed by the Chairperson and ap¬proved by majority vote of the STREMAC. Members of such subcommittee may or may not be members of the STREMAC.
ARTICLE VIII. CODE OF ETHICS
Members of the Southern Tier Regional Medical Advisory Committee (STREMAC) shall comply with the State of New York Public Officer's Law and shall comply with the following:
No member of the STREMAC shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business or transaction or professional activity or incur any obligation of any nature, which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her duties as a STREMAC member. Members should exercise their duties and responsibilities as STREMAC members in the public interest of the inhabitants of the State, regardless of their affiliation with, or relationship to, any emergency medical service program, facility, agency or provider, or interest group. The principles which shall guide the conduct of STREMAC members include, but are not limited to, the following:
Section 1: A STREMAC member shall endeavor to pursue a course of conduct which will not raise suspicion among the public that he or she is likely to be engaged in acts that are in violation of his or her trust as a STREMAC member.
Section 2: No STREMAC member shall permit his or her employment to impair his or her independence of judgment in the exercise of his or her duties as a STREMAC member.
Section 3: No STREMAC member shall disclose confidential information acquired by him or her in the course of his or her duties as a STREMAC member or by reason of his or her position as a STREMAC member, nor use such information to further his or her personal interests.
Section 4: No STREMAC member shall use, or attempt to use, his or her position as a STREMAC member to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or others.
Section 5: No STREMAC member shall engage in any transaction as a representative or agent of a local governmental body with any business entity in which he or she has a direct or indirect financial interest that might reasonably tend to conflict with the proper discharge of his or her duties as a STREMAC member.
Section 6: A STREMAC member shall refrain from making personal investments in enterprises which he or she has reason to believe may be directly involved in decisions to be made by him or her as a STREMAC member or which will otherwise create substantial conflict between his or her duty as a STREMAC member to act in the public interest and his or her private interest.
ARTICLE IX. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
Section 1: Absolute Disqualifications. When a member or his or her family has an interest, financial or otherwise, whether as owner, officer, director, fiduciary employee, consultant or supplier of goods or services regarding emergency medical services whose application under Article 30 of the Public Health Law is before the STREMAC or a subcommittee of the STREMAC for consideration or determination, that member shall (I) identify such interest to the STREMAC or its sub-committee at any meeting when the application is to be considered, (ii) absent himself, or herself from any portion of any meeting when such application is considered, and (iii) not participate in any vote of the STREMAC or its sub-committee on that application. For purposes of the Article, "family" shall include a spouse, children under 21 years of age, and any other relative living in the member's household.
Section 2: Disclosure and Possible Disqualification. When a member of his or her family has (I) any of the above noted interests in an emergency medical services program governed by Article 30 of the Public Health Law, the status of which might reasonably be affected by another emergency medical services program, the application of which is before the STREMAC, or a sub-committee of the STREMAC, and which serves, or is proposed to serve, the same community or service area as does the emergency medical service, facility, agency or program in which the member or his or her family has an interest, (ii) any other interest of association which might reasonably be construed as tending to embarrass the STREMAC or elicit public suspicion that he or she might be engaged in acts in violation of his or her trust as a STREMAC member, he or she shall, at the time of formal consideration of such application by the STREMAC or its sub-committee, disclose such interest of association so that the Chair and, if necessary the STREMAC or sub-committee can then determine whether his or her participation in the discussion of such application or the vote of the STREMAC or sub-committee thereon would be proper.
Section 3: Procedure. After a motion is made concerning an application and prior to discussion or vote, and at the request of the chair, the STREMAC members shall disclose all actual or potential conflicts and, when appropriate, explain the conflicts. In the case of conflicts constituting Absolute Disqualification, the members with such conflicts shall immediately leave the meeting and remain absent during the period when the application is under consideration. In the case of conflicts constituting Possible Disqualification, the Chair shall rule upon such conflicts subject to appeal by motion to the STREMAC or its sub-committee which may override the Chair's decision by the affirmative vote of a majority of those present, excluding those members who are the subject of the vote.
ARTICLE X. RULES
In order to change these Rules, the proposed rule will be submitted to the membership of the STREMAC. The pro¬posed rule shall be adopted, or rejected, by a majority vote of the full membership of the STREMAC.
ARTICLE XI. ENTRY INTO EFFECT
In order to approve these Rules they shall be presented to the membership at any regular meet¬ing of the STREMAC. The proposed Rules shall be adopted or rejected by a majority vote of the full membership of the STREMAC. The Council shall be informed of any changes in these Rules.
ARTICLE XII. RULE REVIEW
These Rules shall be reviewed by the STREMAC every other year in December to ascertain that a compatible relationship is maintained between these Rules, Article 30, and other appropriate laws and regulations of New York State.
