Invitation to Serve

Iris W. Nichols
Founding Editor-in-Chief, Rheumatology Practice Management
Practice Administrator, Arthritis and Osteoporosis Consultants of the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC

In just a few short months we will be in Louisville, KY, for our National Organization of Rheumatology Managers (NORM) conference, which is scheduled for September 12-13, 2014. Members of the NORM Board of Directors and various committees have spent innumerable hours throughout the year in planning and organizing the conference so it can meet our members’ expectations.

We all work hard between meetings as well as serving on various committees to ensure that NORM continues to grow and become stronger. Part of the growth and development of NORM is having an active and involved board, and each year at our conference we hold elections to fill board positions. This year we have 3 members who will rotate off the board.

We have developed an Education Committee that has worked hard to develop education modules, which are close to being rolled out. Our current website does not have the capability to host these modules; otherwise, you would have these modules in your hands at this time. This is just one of the many unique challenges we face as your Board of Directors.

In order to be a board member you must be a manager or administrator of a rheumatology practice and a current member of NORM. Our practices require full-time focus and devotion to the day-to-day operations. We all work hard juggling daily challenges and priorities.
As I have said before, you would not be a member of NORM if you did not have the drive, a high level of expectations, and a desire to learn, network, and make our specialty stronger. By the same token, with our practices being so busy, it is difficult for us to be away from the office. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the duties involved in serving on the NORM board.

The current board would like to take this opportunity and use this platform to explain the time commitment necessary for this position. In addition to a monthly teleconference call (at least 1 hour long), duties include the following:

Three “fly-in” board meetings: The NORM conference and other business are discussed and group decisions are made at these meetings. We have found that as the organization grows, person-to-person meetings have allowed us to accomplish many things. With travel, this could be as many as 8 to 12 days throughout the year, some of which are weekends.

The initial fly-in meeting usually takes place in October so conference details can be discussed and we can begin our preparation for next year’s conference. We have been fortunate that these fly-in meetings have been supported by some of our corporate members. In return for their support, we meet with them and have some incredibly good brainstorming sessions.

National conference: The NORM conference is 7 days (Monday to Sunday). Prior to the conference, we meet with our corporate members, a provision required by our bylaws. We attend the conference Thursday to Saturday afternoon, and then after the conference concludes, we meet Saturday afternoon to elect officers for the upcoming year and do a preliminary conference wrap-up.

Committee assignments: These committees develop goals and services for membership. Our current active committees are Policy and Procedure, Charity, Education, Finance, Legislative, Membership, Nominating, Group Purchasing Organization, and Conference. Each board member serves on specific committees since reports must be given back to the entire NORM board.

Serving on the NORM board has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. It has given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many wonderful people who share the same passion as I do when it comes to our specialty. We are able to work with our business partners in developing webinars, in-office presentations, a new website, and new publications.

This article is addressed to members who want to be involved and who would be interested in joining the board. To continue to grow and focus our organization, we want to have an involved membership. That involvement includes members taking on responsibilities that ensure the continued running of this dynamic entity. You will have an opportunity to serve with others who are interested in growing our specialty. You will have an opportunity to be involved at a local, state, regional, and even national level. Please consider the opportunity.
I am very proud of the current board and have the utmost respect for past board members. I am grateful for the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO) for thinking it was important that not only the physicians become more involved in their specialty but the managers as well. “This organization is a group of state or regional professional rheumatology societies formed in order to advocate for excellence in rheumatologic disease care and to ensure access to the highest quality care for the management of rheumatologic and musculoskeletal diseases,” the CSRO notes on its site. NORM was formed due to its vision.

If you are interested in being considered for the Board of Directors, please take a moment and e-mail your interest to our current nominating committee, which comprises Dave Rothhaas (past president) at dave@dmandelmd.com or Karen Grace (current board member and co-chair) at kgrace@arthritisclinic.org. Please provide either a short bio or resume for presentation to the current Board of Directors, and to the membership thereafter.

I appreciate your consideration and look forward to seeing all of you at the conference in September.

Related Items

Urology Practice Management logo
Subscribe to Urology Practice Management

Stay up to date with urology news & updates by subscribing to receive the free UPM print publications or e‑Newsletters.

UPM e-Newsletter
UPM print publication