Mission | Leadership | Virginia Chapter Leadership | Committees | Bylaws

Mission

The Virginia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (VCACC) is a state chapter of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). Our purpose is to contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, to ensure optimal quality of care for individuals with such diseases, and to foster the highest professional ethical standards.

We function in consultation with the leadership of the ACC, as an advisor to local and state governmental and professional organizations concerning issues related to cardiovascular specialists. The VCACC keeps in mind the interests of the patients, physicians and the general public as we maintain a high level of social consciousness and involvement with socioeconomic issues which may influence access to high quality cardiovascular health care for all individuals.

Leadership

President: John E. Brush, MD, FACC

Immediate Past President, Secretary of the ACC, Chair of the ACC Board of Directors: C. Michael Valentine, MD, FACC

Secretary/Treasurer - Robert A. Shor, MD, FACC

Executive Director - Jennifer Ray Beckman, CAE, MBA

Virginia Chapter Leadership

Committees

VCACC relies upon its volunteer members to accomplish its mission and support its goals. VCACC's member volunteers are our greatest asset. They govern the organization, are the driving force behind the development of educational programming, products and guidelines, and shape ACC positions on both state and federal legislation.

The VCACC strongly encourages all its members to get involved with us by joining one of our committees:

Government Relations

The Government Relations Committee monitors legislation and actively lobbies to defeat bills that are adverse to the health interests of the citizens of Virginia. Committee members actively support bills which are in the best interests of all Virginians. We pursue our legislative agenda at every stage of the legislative process.

Third Party Relations

The Third Party Relations Committee monitors quality of patient care issues, third party reimbursement and keeps the membership informed on these issues. We communicate and develop relationships with health benefit decision makers from industry, labor, insurance companies, HMOs, business coalitions and others. And, we inform these individuals of the role of the cardiovascular specialist and provide a forum for discussion on issues of mutual concern.

Nominations

The Nominations Committee recommends nominees for the District Council positions.

Publications

The Publications Committee publishes our newsletter that updates the membership on Chapter activities and informs on items of interest to the cardiovascular community.

Budget and Finance

The Budget and Finance Committee prepares an annual budget and monitors the results of the Chapter operations against said budget. We prepare and present reports of the financial condition of the Chapter.

Membership

The Membership Committee conducts retention and recruitment programs with special emphasis on College members who did not pay Chapter dues. We encourage cardiovascular specialists who qualify for membership to join the ACC and the state Chapter.

Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery

The Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery Committee provides input from pediatric and surgical cardiology to the Chapter's Committees and Council.

American College of Cardiology National Committees

Every fall, the ACC President-Elect makes appointments to committees, task forces and working groups. If you would like to nominate yourself or a colleague, please forward a letter of interest to volunteers@acc.org by October 1. The letter should outline areas of interest and specific committees or other groups. Please attach an updated electronic version of the candidate's Curriculum Vitae. Questions should be forwarded to Denyse Spence at (800) 253-4636 extension 332.

Bylaws

ARTICLE I: NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1. Name. This organization, a not-for-profit corporation,* shall be known as the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (hereinafter referred to as the “Chapter”).

Section 2. Purpose. The purpose of the Chapter shall be to contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and to ensure optimal quality of care for individuals with such diseases. In carrying out these purposes the Chapter shall function, in consultation with the leadership of the College, as a source of advice to local and state governmental and professional organizations concerning issues related to cardiovascular disease. The Chapter shall, in the interests of patients, physicians, and the public in general, maintain a high level of social consciousness and investment with socioeconomic factors and access to the highest possible quality of cardiovascular health care.

*This Chapter will be formed as a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit corporation under the federal and state tax codes.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Eligibility. All members of the American College of Cardiology residing or working in Virginia shall be eligible for membership in the Chapter.

Section 2. Classes of Members. The Chapter shall have three classes of membership. The qualifications for membership in the respective classes are:

1. Active Members: all Fellows, Associate Fellows, Affiliates, Distinguished Fellows and Honorary Fellows of the American College of Cardiology residing or working in Virginia.
2. Affiliate-in-Training Members: all Affiliates-in-Training of the American College of Cardiology residing or working in Virginia.
3. Emeritus Members: all Emeritus members of the American College of Cardiology residing or working in Virginia.

Section 3. Voting and Office Holding Rights. Only Active members of the Chapter in good standing shall be eligible to vote and to hold office in the Chapter. Other classes of Chapter membership shall be eligible to serve on committees of the Chapter.

Section 4. Termination of Membership. Membership in the Chapter shall terminate when that member ceases to hold membership in the American College of Cardiology or fails to pay Chapter dues as specified in Article VIII.

ARTICLE III: OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers. The officers of the Chapter shall consist of the President, the President-Elect, the Immediate Past President and the Secretary-Treasurer. The American College of Cardiology Governor for the state of Virginia shall serve concurrently as the President of the Chapter. The American College of Cardiology Governor-Elect for the state of Virginia shall serve concurrently as the President-Elect of the Chapter. The American College of Cardiology Immediate Past Governor for the state of Virginia shall serve concurrently as the Immediate Past President of the Chapter.

Section 2. Election and Term of Office. Governors and Governors-Elect of the College are elected through a process as set forth in Article III, Section 6 of the Bylaws of the American College of Cardiology. The term of office for College Governors is three (3) years; therefore, the Chapter President-Elect’s term shall be for a like number of years. At the end of his/her one-year term as President-Elect, he/she shall begin a three-year term as President. The Chapter Immediate Past President shall also serve a term of three (3) years. The Chapter Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a term of two (2) consecutive terms as Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 3. Vacancies. If a vacancy for the office of President and/or the President-Elect occurs for any cause it shall be filled, after consultation with the Chapter, in accordance with Article VI, Section 3 of the Bylaws of the American College of Cardiology. If the offices of Immediate Past President or Secretary-Treasurer become vacant, these offices shall be filled by action of the members of the Council and subsequently ratified by the members of the Council at any meeting of the Council.

ARTICLE IV: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. President. The President of the Chapter, who concurrently is the American College of Cardiology Governor for the state of Virginia, shall be the chief elected officer of the Chapter and shall in general supervise and direct the business and affairs of the Chapter, in consultation with the Council. The President shall serve as Chairman at all meetings of the membership and of the Council. The President, in consultation with the Council and committee chairmen, shall appoint the members of all standing and special committees of the Chapter.

Section 2. President-Elect and Immediate Past President. The President-Elect and Immediate Past President shall assist the President in the discharge of the duties of the President as the President may direct, and shall perform such duties as from time to time may be assigned by the President. In the absence of the President, the Immediate Past President shall perform the duties of the President.

Section 3. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall: 1) maintain a current roster of all members of the chapter, 2) send all notices of meetings of the Chapter and of the Council, 3) keep a record of proceedings of all meetings of the Chapter, 4) serve as the principal financial officer of the Chapter and shall have responsibility for maintenance of adequate books and accounts for the Chapter, 5) have charge and custody of all funds and securities of the Chapter, and be responsible for the receipt and disbursement thereof, 6) deposit all funds and securities of the Chapter in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be selected by the Council, and 7) in general perform all duties customarily incident to the offices of Secretary and Treasurer and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Chapter President or Council. If required by the Council, the Secretary-Treasurer shall give a bond for the faithful discharges of duties of the office in such sum and with such surety or sureties as the Council shall determine, the cost of any such bond or surety to be paid from the funds of the Chapter.

ARTICLE V: COUNCIL

Section 1. General Powers. The administration, property and activities of the Chapter shall be managed by its Council.

Section 2. Composition. The Council shall consist of the officers of the Chapter; ten (10) (area) councilors: two (2) each from districts I, II, and III, and one (1) each from the remaining districts; and a delegate and alternate delegate, appointed by the Council, who represent the Chapter in the House of Delegates of the Virginia Medical Association. The Chapter President shall serve as Chairman of the Council.

Section 3. Election and Term of Office. During the initial year of the Chapter, half of the (area) councilors shall be appointed by the President to two-year terms and half to three-year terms. For subsequent years, councilors shall be elected by the members of the Chapter residing in each (area), using a mail ballot of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee, and shall serve two-year terms. The Chapter Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for mailing ballots containing nominees recommended by the Nominating Committee and approved by the Council. (Area) councilors are eligible to succeed themselves for one additional two-year term.

Section 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in the Council for members other than the President and President-Elect may be filled by action of the members of the Council at any meeting of the Council. The individual so appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.

Section 5. Meetings. Meetings of the Council may be called by the Chapter President, who also serves as Chairman of the Council, or at the request of 4 Council members. The President shall fix the place for holding all Council Meetings unless otherwise directed by the Council. The Council shall meet at least twice each year.

Section 6. Notice. A notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be mailed to each Council member not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting.

Section 7. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Council, when duly called and assembled, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Council.

ARTICLE VI: COMMITTEES

Section 1. Establishment and Composition. Committees may be established by resolution of the Council adopted at any duly called and constituted meeting. The size, purposes and powers of any such committee shall be as provided in such resolution. The President of the Chapter shall, in consultation with the Council, appoint the members of each subcommittee. All Standing Committee appointments must have the approval of the Council. The term of service of any committee member may be terminated by the President, whenever, in the judgment of the President and the Council, the best interest of the Chapter shall be served by such termination.

Section 2. Term of Office. The term of office for the members of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee, shall be determined by the Council.

Section 3. Chairman. A chairman for each committee, with the exception of the Nominating Committee, shall be appointed by the President of the Chapter.

Section 4. Vacancies. Vacancies in the membership of any committee shall be filled by appointments made by the Chapter President. Standing committee vacancy replacements require the approval of the Council. The individual so appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of his/her predecessor.

Section 5. Reporting. All Chapter committees shall report to the Council.

Section 6. Standing Committees. Standing Committees of the Chapter shall be: a Government Relations Committee and a Nominating Committee.

Section 7. Special Committees. Upon recommendation by the Chapter President, the Council may establish special or ad hoc committees to address special subjects of interest to the Chapter.

Section 8. Nominating Committee.

Committee Composition: The Immediate Past President shall serve on this committee. With the Immediate Past President representing his/her (area), the Chapter President shall select four (4) additional Chapter members to this committee. These shall be (area) councilors or members of other Chapter committees. The Immediate Past President shall not be eligible to serve as committee chairman. Each year, the chairman of the committee shall be elected by the members of the committee.

It is recommended that whenever possible, consideration be given for a balanced representation on this committee (i.e., Adult Cardiology, Pediatric Cardiology, Cardiovascular Surgery, Private Practice, Academic Practice).

Term of Committee Membership: The term of the Immediate Past President shall be for as long as that individual holds office as the Immediate Past President of the Chapter. The remaining four (4) members of the committee shall serve one-year terms. No member shall be eligible to serve a second consecutive term on the committee. Vacancies in the membership of this committee shall be filled by the process set forth in Article VI, Section 4 of the Bylaws.

Charge and Function of Nominating Committee: The committee shall recommend to the Council at least two (2) nominees for each (area) councilor position whose term is due to expire. Nominations shall be restricted to Active members of the Chapter residing in the (area) where vacancy is to occur. The committee shall not nominate any of its members to any position on the ballot.

The committee shall recommend to the Chapter membership at the annual business meeting the committee’s nominee(s) for the office of Secretary-Treasurer.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section 1. Annual Business Meeting. The Chapter shall hold an annual business meeting, open to all members and invited guests, at a time and place designated by the Council. The Council is described in Article V of these Bylaws. The purpose of the meeting shall be to transact any business that may come before the Chapter.

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President after consultation with the Council or upon written request of not less than twenty (20%) percent of the membership.

Section 3. Notice of Meeting. A notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting shall be mailed to each member of the Chapter not less than thirty (30) days before the date of the meeting. In the case of special meetings, the purpose or purposes of the meeting shall be stated in the notification and no other business shall be transacted except that stated in the call.

ARTICLE VIII: DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

Annual dues and assessments shall be set by the Council and approved by the American College of Cardiology prior to implementation. The American College of Cardiology shall be responsible for billing all ACC members in the state of Virginia for Chapter dues. Upon receipt of the dues payment, the American College of Cardiology shall promptly remit such payments to the Chapter Secretary-Treasurer. Active members, with the exception of (Distinguished Fellows or Honorary Fellows, or both), shall be deemed as dues paying members. Dues shall be waived for Emeritus members and Affiliate-in-Training members.

ARTICLE IX: REPORTING

The Chapter shall submit to the American College of Cardiology an annual report which includes a) a statement of income and expenses signed by a duly authorized Chapter officer; b) a copy of Internal Revenue Service Form 990 (if applicable) and other required IRS forms submitted by the Chapter; and c) a summary of Chapter activities for the previous twelve-month period and plans for the coming year twice a year, prior to each Chapter Relations Committee meeting.

ARTICLE X: CHAPTER AND NATIONAL RELATIONS

Neither the Chapter nor any of its officers, or members, is authorized to represent or in any way bind the American College of Cardiology, unless authorized to do so by the College President, nor will any of them in any way hold themselves out as being authorized to do so without specific authorization of the College President. The College shall inform the Chapter of all policy and position statements in order for Chapter statements to be consistent with those of the College, and major new policy statements by the Chapter shall be developed in consultation with College leadership. The relationship between the Chapter and the governing bodies of the American College of Cardiology is defined in the American College of Cardiology Constitution and Bylaws Article XI of the Constitutions states that: 1) Chapters may be organized under guidelines established by the ACC Board of Trustees for the purpose of furthering the objectives of the College; 2) Articles of Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of each Chapter must be approved by the Board of Trustees of the College; and 3) after incorporation, no Chapter shall amend, restate, or otherwise change the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws or other governing documents without the approval of the ACC Board of Trustees.

The American College of Cardiology may terminate Chapter status for any Chapter if the ACC Board of Trustees finds that the Chapter has engaged in activities detrimental to the best interests of the College. The Chapter shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard pursuant to such reasonable procedures as the ACC Board of Trustees shall provide.

ARTICLE XI: DISSOLUTION

Upon dissolution of the corporation, all its assets, after payment of all debts and other liabilities, shall be paid and distributed to the American College of Cardiology.

ARTICLE XII: INDEMNIFICATION

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Chapter may indemnify any and all of its officers, council members and committee members for certain expenses and other amounts paid in connection with legal proceedings in which any such person becomes involved by reason of serving in any such capacity with or for the Chapter. The Chapter may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any or all officers, council members, or committee members against any liability asserted against any such person, and incurred in any such capacity, whether or not the Chapter would have the power to indemnify them against such liability under the provisions of this article.

ARTICLE XIII: ETHICS

Members of the Chapter are expected to exhibit high ethical and moral standards. The Bylaws of the American College of Cardiology provide a mechanism for addressing matters related to the ethical conduct of all members of the College.

ARTICLE XIV: AMENDMENTS

Bylaws may be amended or repealed and new Bylaws may be adopted by mail ballot with a two-thirds (2/3) approval by the respondents, provided that written notice of the proposed change or changes has been mailed to each voting member at least thirty (30) days before the final vote count. However, before becoming effective such amendments must have the approval of the Board of Trustees of the American College of Cardiology.