Our Mission: Advancement of the science of radiology, improving radiological service to patients and the medical community, commitment to continuing education for radiologists, understanding the socioeconomic issues of radiology practice, and the establishment and maintenance of high medical and ethical standards.

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Bylaws, 03/05/05

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Alabama Academy of Radiology, hereinafter referred to as the "Chapter."

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Article II: Purposes

The purposes of the Chapter shall be those of the American College of Radiology, hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "College": advancing the science of radiology, improving radiologic service to patients and the medical community, and studying the economics of radiology; the encouragement of improved and continuing education for radiologist; and the establishment and maintenance of high medical and ethical standards in the practice of radiology.

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Article III: Affiliation

The Chapter will be an affiliate of the American College of Radiology. The Principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association and the Code of Ethics of the American College of Radiology, as published in the College’s most recent bylaws, is hereby expressly adopted as the ethics of the Chapter.

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Article IV: Membership

Section 1: Classification of Members

There shall be seven classes of members in the Chapter: (1) Active Members, (2) Associate Members, (3) Members in Physics, (4) Associate Members in Physics, (5) Members in Training and Members in Training in Physics, (6) Retired or Inactive Members, and (7) Affiliate members.

Active Membership. An active member shall:
1. be a diplomat of the American Board of Radiology;
2. be of high professional reputation and be a member of the American College of Radiology (and is encouraged to join the county medical society and the state medical society);
3. have the right to be appointed to committees, vote, and to hold office in the Chapter.
Associate Members. An associate member shall:
1. be engaged in the practice of radiology and meet all the requirements of active membership excepted requirement (1) a;
2. not have the right vote or hold office in the Chapter;
3. have the right to be appointed to committees.
Members in Physics. A member if physics shall:
1. be certified as a physicist by the American Board of Radiology;
2. have the right to be appointed to committees, vote, and to hold elective offices.
Associate Members in Physics. An associate member in physics shall:
1. be a physicist engaged in the practice of radiological physics on a full-time basis, but not certified by the American Board of Radiology;
2. not have the right to vote or hold office in the Chapter;
3. have the right to be appointed to committees.
Members in Training and Members in Training in Physics. A member in training or a member in training in physics shall:
1. occupy a residency or fellowship in radiology approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association or the American Osteopathic Association (or a formal educational program in medical physics);
2. not have the right to vote or hold office in the Chapter;
3. not be required to pay dues;
4. have the right to be appointed to committees;
5. after (1) completion of training; (2) certification by the American Board of Radiology, the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology; and (3) appropriate review by the Chapter, the member in training will automatically become a member of the Chapter in the appropriate class of membership, unless the member in training affirmatively declines membership.
Retired or Inactive Members.
1. retired members shall be those active members, associates members, members in physics, associated members in physics, and affiliate members who have retired from active practice because of age or physical disability. Temporarily inactive members shall be those from the above membership who, for reasons acceptable to the Chapter’s Executive Committee, are temporarily unable to continue their practice. Retired or temporarily inactive members shall not have the right to vote or to hold committee appointment and shall not be required to pay dues.
Affiliate Members. An affiliate member shall:
1. be a member in one of the above membership categories who maintains active membership in another Chapter that is not in the state where his or her principal practice is conducted, but chooses to have membership in this state Chapter.
2. pay dues to both Chapters;
3. have the right to vote;
4. have the right to be appointed to committees; and
5. have the right to hold office in the Chapter.

Section 2: Application for Membership

Application for any of the classes of membership established in Section 1 of this Article shall be in writing on a form provided by the Secretary. Application for all classes of membership except retired or temporarily inactive status shall include an agreement to abide by the bylaws of the Chapter including the Code of Ethics of the American College of Radiology and the Principles of Ethics of the American Medical Association. An application must be endorsed by two active members of the Chapter who shall certify the applicant's qualifications for membership.

Section 3: Retirement or Inactive Membership Requests

Members shall seek retired or inactive membership status by written request, which may be granted by the Executive Committee.

Section 4: Centralized Membership

The Chapter adopts the centralized membership system of the College whereby:

The American College of Radiology sends both the ACR and Chapter applications to the prospective member.
The prospective new member sends the application for the ACR and Chapter membership to the ACR office with the necessary supporting data to fulfill the state Chapter requirements.
The ACR sends to the Chapter Secretary the Chapter form that the applicant fills out to be on file with the Chapter.
The ACR dues and Chapter dues are collect by the ACR and the Chapter dues are forwarded to the Chapter Secretary along with the name and address of the new member.
If objection to the application is received, the application will be remanded to the Chapter Secretary for further processing.

Section 5: Resignations

Any member of the Chapter may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the Chapter Secretary.

Section 6: Disiplinary Actions

The Executive Committee may censure, suspend, or expel any member of the Chapter for violation of its rules, regulations, or principles, in accordance with the procedures outlined below.
Disciplinary questions related to such violations shall be initially referred, in writing, to the President of the Chapter. The matter shall be referred to the Chapters’ Committee on Judicial Affairs, which shall investigate the merits of the charges. On the basis of the findings of this investigation, the Committee on Judicial Affairs shall recommend to the President either that disciplinary actions be taken or that no such action be taken. If the Committee on Judicial Affairs decides that disciplinary action should be taken, its recommendation shall be submitted to the President in writing.
If disciplinary action is recommended by the Committee on Judicial Affairs, the member shall be notified in writing, by registered mail, that a professional review action may be taken against him or her and the reasons for the proposed action. The member shall be informed that he or she has the right to request a hearing on the proposed action at any time within 60 calendar days. The member shall be provided with a written summary of his or her right during the hearing. A member who does not request a hearing within the 60-day period waives the right to such a hearing and shall be deemed to have accepted the recommendation of the committee. The committee’s report shall then be forwarded to the Chapter’s Executive Committee for ratification, in accordance with Section 9 of this article. If the disciplinary action is based on professional conduct or competence that affects or could affect patient health or welfare, the final decision of the Chapter shall be reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank within 15 days. A failure to request a hearing after a complaint has been filed and found to be meritorious will also result in loss of membership in the Chapter.
If the member requests a hearing on a timely basis, the President of the Chapter must give him or her written notice of the time, place, and date of the hearing.
The right to a hearing may be forfeited if the member fails to appear without good cause, and the member shall be deemed to have accepted the disciplinary action involved. If the right is forfeited without good cause, membership in the Chapter may be terminated, and a report on the action may be forwarded to the National Practitioner Data Bank.
During the hearing, the members has the right to have record made of the proceedings.
Evidence at the hearing should be present first by the Chapter Executive Committee and then by the member.
At the end of the hearing, the member has a right to receive the written recommendation, including the basis for the recommendation. He or she also has the right to receive the written decision of the Chapter, including the basis for the decision.
Ratification of disciplinary action against any member of the Chapter shall require the affirmative vote of no fewer than three-fourths of the membership of the Executive Committee present at the meeting when the action is taken. On ratification by the Executive Committee, the disciplinary action shall be effective and be promptly reported to the Judiciary Committee of the American College of Radiology by the Secretary of the Chapter. Members against whom disciplinary actions are taken by the Chapter may appeal the decision to the Judiciary Committee of the ACR.

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Article V: Officers

Section 1: Titles

The officers of the Chapter shall be the President, President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Councilors and Alternate Councilors. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be combined.

Section 2: Elections

Election shall be by ballot at the annual meeting of the Chapter, and the nominee for each office designated in Section 1, who shall receive a majority of votes cast, shall be declared elected. In case no candidate received a majority, a second ballot shall be taken on two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes.

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Article VI: Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the President, President-Elect, immediate past President, Secretary, Treasurer and the Councilors. This committee shall act for the Chapter between regular meetings of the Chapter and shall perform such duties as specified elsewhere in these bylaws.

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Article VII: Duties of Officers and Committees

Section 1: Duties of the President

The President shall be the presiding officer of the Chapter and shall perform all of the duties which custom and parliamentary practice associate with the office of the President. He shall be a member ex officio of all committees and shall act as chairman of the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Succession

In the absence of the President, or in his inability to act, the order of succession to his duties shall be as follows: President, Secretary, Treasurer and immediate past President.

Section 3: Duties of the Secretary

The Secretary shall record and preserve the minutes of the proceedings of meetings of the Chapter and of the Executive Committee, and shall forward promptly to the Executive Director of the American College of Radiology a copy of the minutes of each meeting of the Chapter. He shall notify all members of the Chapter of their appointments and he shall keep a record of the membership of the Chapter. He shall notify all members as to time and place of meetings and of any special business to be brought before the Chapter. The Secretary shall serve a term of five years, or until a successor is elected and qualified.

Section 4: Duties of the Treasurer

The Treasurer shall receive all moneys due the Chapter and shall disburse such moneys. He shall make a report of the funds of the Chapter at each annual meeting. The Treasurer shall serve a term of five years, or until a successor is elected and qualified.

Section 5: Term for President/President-Elect

The President and President-Elect shall each serve a term of two years, or until their successors are elected and qualified.

Section 6: Vacancies in Office

Vacancies occurring in any office shall be filled by action of the Executive Committee.

Section 7: Committee Appointments

The President shall appoint such committees as are necessary for the proper functioning of the Chapter in addition to the following standing committees:

Membership Committee
This committee shall review applications for all classes of membership in the Chapter and shall report its recommendations to the Executive Committee at any regular meeting. Recruitment activities shall be conducted by this committee.
Program Committee
This committee will prepare programs for Chapter meetings, workshops for residents, and efforts in continuing education. The members of the Executive Committee will serve as members of this committee.
Committee on Radiologic Practice
This committee shall be charged with the duty of assisting members of the Chapter in the practice economics of radiology in accordance with the principles and policies of the American College of Radiology. This committee will also relate to third party carriers and refer policy problems to the Chapter.
Fellowship Committee
This committee shall annually review the membership of the Chapter for the purpose of nominating members to fellowship in the American College of Radiology. This committee shall be composed of Fellows of the College.
Legislative Committee
This committee should anticipate and review legislation proposed that affects the practice of radiology in their state. Their findings shall be reported to the Chapter for action.
Technologist Advisory Committee
This committee shall assist organizations and individuals in projects and programs undertaken to advance radiologic technology. They will also be responsible for furnishing names of radiologists to survey programs of radiologic technology to the Joint Review Committee of Education in Radiologic Technology.
Committee on Judicial Affairs
This committee shall consider charges of unethical conduct involving a member of the Chapter and shall transmit its recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Chapter. The Judicial Affairs Committee shall be composed of three members appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. Where possible, except for the chairman, members of the Executive Committee shall not be appointed to the Committee on Judicial Affairs.
Bylaws Committee
The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for periodic review of the bylaws and provide recommended revisions when necessary.
Nominating Committee
This committee shall present to the annual meeting nominations for all offices established in these bylaws and shall, when possible, consist of three past presidents and two members elected by the Chapter who are not members of the Executive Committee.

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Article VIII: Councilors and Alternate Councilors of the American College of Radiology

Section 1: Representation in the Council

The Chapter shall elect councilors to the Council of the American College of Radiology in such numbers and on the terms authorized by the Bylaws of the College and the rules and regulations of the ACR Council.

Section 2: Election of Councilors

Election of Councilors shall be by ballot at the appropriate annual meeting of the Chapter, and the nominee for each vacancy who shall receive a majority of the votes cast shall be declared elected. In case no candidate for a vacancy receives a majority, a second ballot shall be taken on the two candidates for the vacancy receiving the greatest number of votes. For each Councilor so elected, the Chapter shall elect by the same procedure, an Alternate Councilor. Councilors and Alternate Councilors must be members or Fellows of the College.

Section 3: Term of Office

The term of office of a Councilor shall be three years, or whatever term of office is prescribed in the Bylaws of the American College of Radiology. He or she may be eligible to succeed himself or herself for one additional term of three years, but shall not be eligible for re-election to additional terms until a lapse of not less than one year; provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this section 3 to the contrary, it is suggested that the terms of any or all of the Councilors first elected under this Article VIII may be established at less than three years so as to insure that the terms of one-third, or a number as near thereto as is practicable, of the Councilors so elected shall expire each year.

The term of office of an Alternate Councilor shall be one year; alternates shall be eligible to succeed themselves. An Alternate Councilor shall be eligible at any time to be elected a Councilor for a full three-year term.

A Councilor or Alternate Councilor shall take office at the conclusion of the American College Annual Meeting.

Section 4: Duties of the Councilor

The Councilor's primary duty is to serve as a representative from the Chapter in the Council — the legislative body — of the American College of Radiology.

The duties of the Councilors shall include attending and participating actively in the meetings of their Chapter and of the College; familiarizing themselves with activities and problems at the local and national levels; acting as liaison between their Chapter and the College and interpreting each to the other; contributing to both groups’ ideas, guidance, and advice; and stimulating preparation of resolutions of their Chapter for presentation to the Council.

Section 5: Duties of the Alternate Councilor

The Alternate Councilor shall help the Councilor in the performance of his or her duties and accompany him or her to meetings of the Chapter and of the College. The Alternate Councilor shall be prepared to act for the Councilor whenever necessary.

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Article IX: Meetings

Section 1: Annual and Other Regular Meetings

The annual meeting of the Chapter shall be held at such time prior to the American College of Radiology Annual Meeting and at such place as shall be selected by the Executive Committee. Notice of the exact time and place of such meeting shall be mailed to the members by the Executive Committee not less than thirty days prior to such date. Additional regular meetings may be scheduled by the Executive Committee, and notice of the time and place thereof shall be mailed to the members by the Executive Committee not less than thirty days prior to any such scheduled meeting.

Section 2: Special Meetings

Special meetings of the Chapter shall be called: (a) by the President when deemed necessary by the Executive Committee; (b) at the request of the Board of Chancellors of the American College of Radiology; or (c) by petition of one-third of the voting members in good standing or by ten such members, whichever is less. Notice stating the time, place and purpose of the meeting shall be mailed to each member at least twenty-one days prior to the meeting. At a special meeting, no business may be transacted except that for which such special meeting was called.

Section 3: Quorum

A quorum shall consist of five percent of the voting members of the Chapter.

Section 4: Order of Business

The following shall be the order of business at all regular meetings of the Chapter.

Call to order
Reading of the minutes of previous meeting of the Chapter and the meetings of the Executive Committee
Report of the Secretary
Report of the Treasurer
Report of the Membership Committee
Election of new members
Report by the President as chairman of the Executive Committee
Report of the Committee on Radiologic Practice
Report of Committee on Judicial Affairs
Other committee reports
Communications
Unfinished business
New Business
Report of Councilor(s)
Report of the Nominating Committee
Election of officers
Adjournment

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Article X: Standing Rules

Sturgis "Standard Code Of Parliamentary Procedure" shall be the authority governing all business meetings of the Chapter, unless otherwise provided in these bylaws.

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Article XI: Dues and Assessments

All active and associate members, members in physics, associates members in physics, affiliate members, and inactive members shall pay dues in an amount based upon a budget prepared by the Executive Committee and approved by the members at the annual meeting. Members in training, members in training in physics, retired, and temporarily inactive members shall not pay dues.

Members in Training and Members in Training in Physics shall not be assessed for dues for the remainder of the billing cycle in which they complete their training and for the next complete billing cycle.

Assessments may not be levied except upon recommendation of the Executive Committee and by a majority vote at the annual meeting of the Chapter, notice of such recommendation having been sent to each member not less than thirty days prior to the meeting.

Names of members in arrears in payment of dues or assessments shall be referred to the Executive Committee for action.

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Article XII: Amendments

Section 1: Amendment Process

Amendments to these bylaws may be made at any regular meeting of the Chapter by the favorable concurrence of two-thirds of the members present and voting, provided the proposed amendments shall have been presented in writing to the Executive Committee at least forty-five days prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be voted upon. The Executive Committee shall notify the members by mail of proposed amendments not less than thirty days prior to such meeting.

Section 2: Amendment Requirements

Any amendment so adopted shall not be contrary to requirements for Chapter status in the American College of Radiology and shall be immediately forwarded to the College for its records.

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