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ARTICLE I   TITLE AND OBJECTIVES

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Section 1.     The title of this organization shall be The Vascular Society of New Jersey.

 

Section 2.     The Vascular Society of New Jersey shall be incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.

 

Section 3.     The objectives of this organization shall be:

a.   to establish standards of proficiency in the recognition and care of vascular disease, 

b.   to promote adherence by the membership to these standards, 

c.   to enhance and disseminate education in vascular disease at the resident, post graduate and lay levels, 

d.   to encourage research in the etiology and modalities of treatment of vascular disease,

 

ARTICLE II  MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     The active membership shall consist of Board certified surgeons in the area who are currently practicing vascular surgery. Qualification for admission to the Society shall be dependent upon training, demonstrated skills, and adherence to ethical and moral standards as exemplified by members of the national vascular societies—International Cardiovascular Society (ICVS) and/or Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS).

 

Section 2.     There shall be five categories of membership: Active, Senior, Honorary, Candidate and Associate.

 

Section 3.     Admission to membership shall be by a 2/3 vote of Active members, following recommendation by the Membership and Evaluation Committee.

 

Section 4.     The privileges of holding office, membership on committees, voting and paying dues shall be limited to Active members.  Adherence to the regulations of the Society, as specified in the bylaws, is mandatory for continued membership in good standing.

 

ARTICLE III   OFFICERS

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Section 1.     The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, President Elect, Secretary/Recorder, and a Treasurer.

 

Section 2.     The term in-office of the officers shall be:

                      President                             2 years

   President-Elect                   2 years

                      Secretary/Recorder           2 years

                      Treasurer                            2 years

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Section 3.     The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the Active members at the time of the Annual Meeting.

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Section 4.     There shall be an Executive Council consisting of the President, immediate Past-President, President-Elect, Secretary/Recorder, and Treasurer. The President shall act as Chief Executive Officer. In addition, two Executive Directors elected by the membership will serve for one year terms on the Executive Council.

 

ARTICLE IV  AMENDMENTS

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Section 1.     Proposals for amendments to the Constitution or Bylaws of the Society shall be made in writing, signed by three Active members, and sent to the Executive Council at least ninety days prior to the next meeting. The Secretary shall ensure distribution of the proposal to the membership at least thirty days prior to the next annual meeting.

 

Section 2.     Approval of such an amendment shall be by 3/4 vote of the Active membership.

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BYLAWS

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ARTICLE I  OFFICERS

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Section 1.     The President, President-Elect, Secretary/Recorder and Treasurer shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee and elected by a majority vote of the Active members by closed ballot. The term of office shall begin with the Annual Spring Meeting during which they were elected, and shall extend for one year. Vacancies occurring during the year shall be fulfilled by appointment of the Executive Council.

 

Section 2.     The President presides over all meetings and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council. He appoints all standing and ad hoc committees and can serve as ex-officio member to all committees.

 

Section 3.     The President-Elect acts in the capacity of President when the President is absent.

 

Section 4.     The Secretary records all business and transactions of the Society and its committees. He is an ex-officio member of all standing committees. He is the recipient of all applications for membership, proposals for amendments, and abstracts for papers. He arranges all meetings of the Society.

 

Section 5.     The Treasurer is custodian of the funds and assets of the Society. He shall offer an annual report for audit.

 

ARTICLE II  COMMITTEES

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Section 1.     The standing committees of the Society shall be the Nominating Committee, the Program Committee, the Membership and Evaluation Committee and the Professional Activities Committee.

 

Section 2.     The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Council at least 3 months before the next Annual Meeting. It shall consist of three members. They shall prepare a slate of nominees for officers and directors, to be presented to the Society at the next Annual Meeting.

 

Section 3.     The Program Committee shall be appointed by the President. It shall consist of three members, each serving three years, one member being replaced annually. It shall receive material from the Secretary and will arrange the programs for the Annual Meeting, as well as interim meetings. Its actions shall be subject to review by the Executive Council.

 

Section 4.     The Membership and Evaluation Committee shall be appointed by the President. It shall consist of three members, each serving three years, one member being replaced annually. It shall receive all applications for membership, and according to the regulations governing eligibility for membership, shall recommend certain applicants to the Society for membership at the next Annual Meeting. It shall also review the activities of all Active and Candidate members periodically, using whatever criteria may be available.  Any questions concerning a member’s continued eligibility shall be referred to the Executive Council for consideration. All actions of the Membership and Evaluation Committee shall be subject to review by the Executive Council.

 

Section 5.     Professional Activities Committee shall be appointed by the President. It shall consist of three members, each serving three years, one member being replaced annually. In conjunction with the Program Committee it shall ensure that the dissemination of education as stated in Article I, Section 3C of the Constitution is carried out. It shall review, consider, and offer suggestions concerning those educational efforts that apply to vascular disease being carried out by the various medical institutions represented by the membership. In addition, the Committee will maintain a Registry of all patients with vascular disease who are cared for by its membership. Such Registry entries will be submitted by the members on a form supplied by the Committee. The information required will vary with the different aspects of vascular disease, but will include as a minimum the reason for the treatment, the method of treatment, and the gross result. The Registry, and compilations made from it, are available to all members. Additional duties will include medicolegal, public relations, and third party review.

 

Section 6.     Membership on one committee does not preclude membership on one or more other committees at the same time.

 

ARTICLE III  MEMBERSHIP

 

A. ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     Applications for active membership will be considered from surgeons who practice vascular surgery, who are of good moral and ethical standing, and who practice in New Jersey. Applications will be considered if adequately supported by appropriate data. This should include (a) the applicant’s previous vascular training, (b) a letter from the vascular surgeon who trained the applicant, if said applicant completed his training within the past ten years, (c) two letters of recommendation from other surgeons, preferably from members of the Vascular Society of New Jersey and those who can speak to his proficiency in vascular surgery, (d) a list of the applicant’s contributions to vascular surgical literature,
(e) vascular meetings attended in the past three years, and
(f) membership in vascular societies.

 

Section 2.     Applicants for active membership will only be considered
after one year of active practice.

 

Section 3.     Certification by the American Board of Surgery, or a sub-specialty surgical board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is required.

 

Section 4.     The applicant must submit evidence of having performed at least 20 major reconstructive or vascular interventional procedures per year, exclusive of residency and fellowship training.  For vascular medicine specialists, documentation of management of at least 20 patients per year with vascular medical problems will be required.

 

Section 5.     The application and supporting data must be submitted to the Secretary four months prior to the Annual Meeting of the Membership Committee. These applications will be reviewed by the Chairman of the Membership Committee. A list of recommended candidates, together with summarized supporting data for each candidate, shall be submitted to members of the Society by the Secretary two months before the annual business meeting. At least one month before the annual business meeting, the Chairman of the Membership Committee will meet with the Executive Council to present the opinions and recommendations of the Committee to that Council.

 

Section 6.     Election to membership shall be by  a 2/3 vote of the Executive Council, following recommendation by the Membership and Evaluation Committee.

 

Section 7.     A candidate who fails at one meeting will be so notified and may apply for presentation to the membership at the next two annual business sessions of the Society. If he fails election the third time, his name shall be dropped from the list of applicants for membership. Such candidates may re-apply after an interval of two years.

 

Section 8.     Newly elected members shall be furnished, by the Secretary, an official notification of election, a copy of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society, and a certificate of membership.

 

Section 9.     After  30 years as a member of the Society, and upon reaching age 65, an Active member in good standing shall become a Senior member.

 

Section 10.   Recommendation for membership by the Committee must be in adherence to Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution.

 

Section 11.   An Active member is eligible to vote, to be considered as an officer, to serve on committees and to pay dues.

 

B. SENIOR MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     Any Active member who has reached the age of 65 and has been an Active member of the Society for  thirty years shall become a Senior member. He shall pay no dues.

 

C. INACTIVE MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     Inactive membership shall be reserved for Active or Senior members who have left the State of New Jersey permanently.

 

D. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     Honorary membership may be conferred by the Executive Council upon individuals who have distinguished themselves by outstanding achievements in the field of vascular disease.

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E. CANDIDATE GROUP

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Section 1.     General surgery residents in their final year of training may apply for Candidate Membership.  Candidates become associate members upon commencement of vascular surgery fellowships.

                   

F. ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP

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Section 1.     Associate membership may be conferred by the Executive Committee upon health professionals other than vascular surgeons who hold a doctorate and are actively engaged in the investigation and management of vascular diseases.

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Section 2.     General Surgery residents who obtain additional vascular surgery training (fellowship) will be eligible for Associate Membership during the time of their fellowship in New Jersey.

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Section 3.     Vascular surgeons who have completed a vascular fellowship outside New Jersey, will be eligible for Associate Membership during their first year of practice.

 

Section 4.     An associate member practicing vascular surgery who does not apply for active membership status within two years of completion of his/her fellowship will have that status reviewed by the Membership Committee.  A recommendation will then be made to the Executive Committee for appropriate action.

 

G . MEMBERSHIP SUSPENSION

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Section 1.     Suspension of membership from any of the five classifications may be invoked by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee for: 

a. Persistent failure to pay dues (3 years).

b. Due cause; e.g., loss of state license.

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Section 2.     A member so suspended shall have the right to appeal the suspension and will be given the opportunity to appear before an ad hoc committee, consisting of the President, a Past President and a member of the Executive Committee.

 

ARTICLE IV  MEETINGS

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Section 1.     There shall be an annual business meeting of the Active members of the Society.

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Section 2.     There shall be an annual scientific meeting of the Society held at the same time and place as the business meeting.

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Section 3.     There shall be at least one interim meeting of the Society for educational purposes. The content, time, location and frequency of these meetings shall be determined by the Program Committee.

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Section 4.     All Active members are expected to attend the Annual Meeting, unless their absence is covered by a letter to this effect, mailed to the Secretary, prior to the date of the Annual Meeting. Attendance at the interim meetings is strongly urged, and a roster of attendees at each interim meeting shall be supplied to the Membership and Evaluation Committee by the Secretary. Unexcused absences from two successive Annual Meetings will result in loss of membership from the Society.

 

ARTICLE V DUES

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Section 1.     The fiscal year of the Society shall date from July 1 of each year.

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Section 2.     Annual dues for Active and Associate members shall be set at the discretion of the Executive Committee, on the recommendation of the Treasurer and shall be passed by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Committee.  (Candidate and Associate members in training will not be required to pay dues.)

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Section 3.     Assessments may be levied by the Executive Committee as necessary.