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NHSMA Mission Statement: 

"The NHSMA is committed to the promotion and advancement of the Medical Assistant profession within the state of New Hampshire by way of advocacy, inclusion, and education."

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NHSMA SCOPE OF PRACTICE 

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Bylaws  2017

New Hampshire State Society of Medical Assistants


NHSMA
 

The New Hampshire State Society of Medical Assistants
 

An Affiliate of the American Association of Medical Assistants

 BYLAWS                                                                                      

 

Article I - NAME

The name of this organization shall be the New Hampshire State Society of Medical Assistants, hereafter referred to as the NHSMA.  It is a constituent society affiliated with the American Association of Medical Assistants, Inc., hereafter known as AAMA.


Article II - PURPOSE

The purpose of NHSMA is to enable medical assisting professionals to enhance and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professionalism required by employers and patients, protect the medical assistants right to practice, and promote effective, efficient health care delivery through optimal use of multiskilled CMAs (AAMA).


Article III - ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY

The NHSMA is hereby declared to be nonprofit.  It is not, nor shall it ever become, a trade union of collective bargaining agency.  No person otherwise qualified for membership in the Society will be denied membership. No person who attends or participates in the activities of organizations whose purpose is to overthrow the Government of the United States by force or violence may become a member of this Society.


Article IV - CONSTITUENT SOCIETIES

Section 1 - Constituent society bylaws must be in strict conformity with the
mandated sections of the AAMA Bylaws: Name and Affiliation, Purpose, Membership, Dues, Reciprocity of Membership, Delegates/Alternates representation to the House of Delegates, Dissolution.  

Section 2 - It will be the responsibility of the AAMA to notify constituent societies to make mandated changes.  Copies of revised bylaws will be returned to AAMA within 30 days of notification.
 

Section 3 - Any action taken by a state society that is inconsistent with such
mandated language shall immediately be null and void and of no effect.

Section 4 -  In the event of dissolution of Constituent Societies, a financial reporting of finances shall be due in the AAMA Headquarters no later than ninety (90) days after said state is dissolved.


Article V - COMPONENT CHAPTERS

Section 1 - Component (local) chapters are those county or district chapters of
medical assistants contained within the geographic limits of that Constituent society.

Section 2 - A component (local) chapter shall become a member of the NHSMA by
applying for membership to the President of the Society.

Section 3 - The component chapter will be notified after the NHSMA has approved
their affiliation.

Section 4 - Component (Local) Chapters are those county or district chapters of
medical assistants within the geographic limits of a Constituent Society. The Component Chapters shall be under the jurisdiction of that Constituent Society.





Article VI - MEMBERSHIP
These definitions cannot be changed since they are mandated by AAMA Bylaws.  However, Society, Honorary and Life Membership are optional and only pertain to the Society level membership.


Section 1- There shall be eight classes of membership.  Active, Life, Sustaining,
Associate, Student, Honorary, Affiliate and Member-at large.  Membership in a
component (local) chapter, constituent (state) and AAMA shall be required for all classes except Life and Honorary, unless there is no component chapter in the area.  No other membership or quasi-membership classes shall be permitted by the New Hampshire Society or the component chapter. All rights and privileges of membership in this Society shall be given to Active and Life members.


Section 2 - Qualifications -

1. Active - An Active member shall be one of the following:
 

1. A credentialed medical assistant holding current status through a  National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)–accredited  certification program and whose credential has not been revoked as  provided by the respective credentialing body. 

2. Anyone who was an Active member on Dec. 31, 1987, who has never  been a CMA (AAMA), and who has maintained continuous Active  membership. Continuous Active membership shall be defined as having  dues postmarked or submitted electronically to the AAMA Executive  Office by December 31 (the controlling time is that of sending, not that of  receiving).                                                             

1. Life - A Life member of the NHSMA shall be an Active member who has had life
membership conferred by NHSMA for having made an outstanding contribution
to the society.  Any member of a component chapter may submit to the General
Assembly, for its consideration, the name of a candidate for life membership
provided that the individual’s name and statement outlining the contribution be
submitted at least sixty (60) days prior to the Annual Meeting.  Conferral of Life
membership shall require a two-thirds vote by ballot.  There shall be no more than one Life membership conferred in one year.  A Life member shall not pay state dues but shall pay national and Chapter dues unless life membership has been conferred at these levels.  A Life member shall continue to enjoy all of the rights and privileges of active membership.

1. Sustaining - Anyone who has been an Active member for at least two (2) years,
who has retired from medical assisting is eligible for sustaining membership.  This membership shall be forfeited if not renewed annually.  Such a member shall pay one-half dues, shall not vote, hold office, chair a committee or serve as a delegate.
 

1. Associate -- An Associate member shall be a medical assistant who is not yet a
CMA (AAMA) and who does not fall under any other category.

E.    Student -- Student member
      1.    Shall be enrolled in a medical assisting program.
      2.    May choose a two-year student membership term or a one-year student
membership term.
              a.    After a two-year student membership term, the member is then eligible only for either associate membership or active membership (if the member meets the active membership requirements).
b.     After a one-year student membership term, the member is eligible for a second year of student membership as long as the member renews during the member’s one-year student membership term. After the second-year of student membership, the member is then eligible only for either associate membership or active membership (if the member meets the active membership requirements).
c.      No member is eligible for more than a total of two consecutive years of student membership.

F.       Honorary - An Honorary member shall be one who is not eligible for Active
membership but has made outstanding contributions to the advancement of medical assisting and/or the Association.  Honorary membership is conferred by two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees.  No more than two Honorary memberships may be conferred in any year. Nominations with supporting documentation shall be submitted to the Board by a constituent Society or a member of the Board of Trustees.  This documentation must be received by the Executive Office no later than June 1.

G.      Affiliate -An affiliate member shall be one who is not eligible for another category of membership but who is interested in the profession of medical assisting.
                                                                                                                                         

H.      Member-at-Large - Member-at-large is one who meets all the qualifications of Active, Life, Sustaining, Associate, Student, Honorary and Affiliate except that a component chapter does not exist in the area of residence.  Such a member shall pay only state and national dues.



 

Section 3 - Privileges

A.         Only NHSMA Active or Life members who are CMAs (AAMA) holding current status (defined as submitting dues to AAMA Executive Office postmarked or submitted electronically by December 31. The controlling time is that of the sending, not receiving) may be candidates for NHSMA President and Vice President (President Elect).

B.     Sustaining members shall not vote, hold office, or chair a committee within NHSMA.
                                                                                                                                           

C.     Associate members are eligible to serve as State officers (excepting President or President Elect as above), chair a committee, and have a vote at the NHSMA Annual Meetings.

D.     Student members may vote at NHSMA and serve on committees.  They may not serve as NHSMA officers

E.      Affiliate members may not vote, hold office or chair a NHSMA committee.

F.      To be a delegate of the House of Delegates of AAMA, one must be an AAMA Active or Life member. holding current status.

Section 4 - Reciprocity of Membership -

Constituent societies and component chapters shall offer reciprocity to members
transferring from another state.  The transferring member shall present proof of current AAMA membership status.


Section 5 - Revocation -
Any member who has had their CMA (AAMA) credential revoked by the Certifying Board as provided by the AAMA Certifying Board Disciplinary Standards and Procedures for CMA (AAMA) (see www.aama-ntl.org), will immediately lose their membership and all privileged attached thereto and shall not be allowed reinstatement, unless the revocation of the credential is rescinded by the Certifying Board.  No refund of any dues amount paid will be made.

 

Article VII - DUES

Annual dues for all classes of membership shall be established by the House of Delegates upon recommendation by the Board of Trustees.  State dues shall be set by vote of the membership attending either a Regular meeting or the Annual meeting upon recommendation of the Executive Board of the NHSMA.

Section 1 -  Dues shall become due and payable on November 1st and shall be
delinquent if not postmarked or submitted electronically to the AAMA Executive Office by December 31st  (the controlling time is that of the sending, not of receiving). Dues will be billed by and remitted directly to the Executive Office of AAMA.

A.           Full dues will be assessed for active, associate and affiliate members.        

Dues for a new member joining on or after September 1st shall be credited to the following year
                                                                                                                                         

B.     One-half dues will be assessed for sustaining members
                                                                                                                                               

C.    Dues will be assessed for student members at the national level.  No dues will be assessed at the state level for student members  

                                                                                                                                                         

D.    Life and Honorary membership conferred at the national level are not assessed National dues

Section 2 - To serve and continue to serve as a [AAMA] Delegate, an Alternate, an
Officer, or a Trustee, a member’s dues shall be postmarked or submitted electronically to the AAMA Executive Office by December 31 for each year of office (the controlling time is that of sending, not that of receiving).

Section 3 - Membership belongs to the individual and shall be non transferable.


Article VIII OFFICERS

Section 1- The officers of the NHSMA shall be President, VP (President Elect),
Secretary and Treasurer.

Section 2 - The term of office for each elected officer shall be for one (1) year or
until their successors are elected.   There is no limit on the number of consecutive terms in any one office.

Section 3 - Duties of officers

A.      The President shall preside at all meetings; shall appoint all standing and special committees with the approval of the officers.  If at all possible, the President should attend the National AAMA Convention, attend presidential functions as well as be an AAMA delegate.

B.      The Vice-President (President Elect) shall assist the President as requested during the year.  In the absence of the President, the VP shall assume the duties of the President.  At the end of his/her term, the VP shall assume the office of President following installation.

C.      The Treasurer shall be responsible for the money and financial records of the NHSMA and shall pay all authorized obligations.  The Treasurer must be able to be bonded.

D.      The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of all NHSMA Executive Board meetings, regular and special.


Article IX - ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1 - No member may run for an elected office if dues are not considered
current by the Executive Office of the AAMA.
 

Section 2 - The VP (President Elect) shall be responsible for setting up a slate of
officers from those candidates submitted to her/him 10 (ten) days prior to the Annual Meeting by the Election Committee.

Section 3 - In order to be nominated for election as NHSMA President or VP
(President Elect), he/she must be an Active or Life Member of the AAMA and member of NHSMA.  He/ she must have served as an Elected Board Member or on a state committee for two years prior to nomination.

Section 4 -In order to be nominated for election as NHSMA Secretary or Treasurer,
he/she must be an Active, Life or Associate member of the AAMA and member of
NHSMA.

Section 5 -- Nominations for office may be made to the VP (President Elect) from the floor on the day of elections.  The nominee must present documentation that he/she is an eligible member for the office he/she is seeking, provide proof he/she is in good standing, has a current professional resume to be provided to all voting members at the conference, and has signed a statement of intent to uphold NHSMA and AAMA standards

Section 6 - Election of officers shall be held during the Annual Spring Meeting. Each present eligible member shall vote by written ballot at the Annual Meeting on those officers so nominated and presented to them by the VP (President Elect).  If there is only a single slate of nominees, vote may be taken by raise of hands.

Section 7 - Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the total voting power
present at the annual NHSMA meeting.  If a single candidate does not receive a majority vote after two ballots, the candidate with the least number of votes is removed and a revote occurs.  This process would continue until such time that a single candidate receives a majority vote.
 
Article IX - PHYSICIAN LIAISON BOARD

The Liaison Board shall consist of a minimum of one doctor appointed by the Executive Committee at the Annual Meeting.  They are to serve a one (1) year term and may be re-appointed.

Article X - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive committee shall consist of President, VP (President Elect), Secretary, Treasurer, Past President, and Committee Chairpersons.


 

 

Article XI - MEETING

Section 1 - There shall be at least one meeting per year.

Section 2 - There shall be specially called Executive Board Meetings as deemed necessary for the continuance of the NHSMA.
 
Article XII - DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES TO AAMA ANNUAL BUSINESS
MEETING
Representation of this Society in the AAMA House of Delegates shall be in accordance with the Bylaws of AAMA (Article XV Section 2C 1-4 as follows:

A.       [AAMA] Delegates and Alternates shall be Active or AAMA National Life members whose membership has not been revoked, as delineated in Article VI.

B.     The names of the Delegates and Alternates shall be submitted to the Executive Office at least ninety (90) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates.

C.     The number of delegates shall be determined by the constituent society's total Active and Associate membership of the membership year prior to the date on which names of delegates and alternates shall be submitted to the Speaker of the House.

D.     AAMA Delegates and alternates shall be elected at the Annual meeting of NHSMA. They must be in good standing in AAMA and be either an Active or Life member.
                                                                                                             

E. AAMA Delegates and Alternates shall be elected to serve from the opening of the House of Delegates for the year elected until the next convening of the House of Delegates.


Article XIII - COMMITTEES

Section 1 - The Committees of the NHSMA shall be Membership, Program, Public
Relations, Bylaws, Ways and Means, and Newsletter, but not limited by such.  These Committee Chairmen will serve on the Executive Board along with officers of NHSMA.

A.      The Membership and Marketing Committee shall work toward maintaining and increasing the membership of the NHSMA.

B.      The Program Committee shall obtain AAMA CEU approved speakers as determined by the Executive Board.
                                                                                                                                         

C.      The Public Relations Committee will promote goodwill about the NHSMA through association of the media and publicize any and all meetings of the NHSMA.

D.      The Bylaws Committee will be responsible for the writing and bylaw changes as well as interpreting the bylaws as currently written.

E.       The Newsletter Committee will be responsible for writing and sending newsletters periodically.

F.       The Ways and Means Committee shall be responsible for fundraising for NHSMA.

G.      The Audit Committee shall be appointed by the Executive Committee and will review the treasury as necessary.
 
Article XV - AMENDMENTS

These NHSMA bylaws may be amended with a minimal 30-day written notice to members and may be voted on by attending members at Regular or Annual meetings.


Article XVI - PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, most current edition, shall govern NHSMA in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of NHSMA.


 

 

Article XVII - DISSOLUTION

Section 1 - In the event of dissolution of NHSMA, the assets shall not be distributed to any member, but shall be transferred to the Maxine Williams Scholarship Fund of the AAMA.

Section 2 - Notification shall be sent to the AAMA Executive Office by the state
president no later than ten (10) days after meeting for the purpose of voting on dissolution.
 

CODE OF ETHICS

The Code of Ethics of the AAMA and the NHSMA shall set forth principles of ethical and moral conduct as they relate to the medical profession and the practice of medical assisting.

Members of the AAMA and NHSMA dedicated to the conscientious pursuit of their
profession, and desiring to merit the high regard of the entire medical profession and the respect of the general public which they serve, do pledge themselves to strive always to:

 

A.      Render service with full respect for the dignity of humanity;

B.      Respect confidential information obtained through employment unless legally authorized through employment or required by responsible performance of duty to divulge such information;

C.      Uphold the honor and high principles of the profession and accept its disciplines;

D.      Seek to continually improve the knowledge and skills of medical assistants for the benefit of patients and professional colleagues; Render service with full respect for the dignity of humanity;

E.       Participate in additional service activities aimed toward improving the health and well being of the community.



 

CREED:

I believe in the principles and purposes of the profession of medical assisting.

I endeavor to be more effective.

I aspire to render greater service.

I protect the confidence entrusted to me.

I am dedicated to the care and well being of all patients.

I am loyal to my physician employer.

I am true to the ethics of my profession.

I am strengthened by compassion, courage and faith.
 

NHSMA approved April 1, 2006
Updated 6/16/05 per AAMA
Updated 2/25/08 per AAMA
Updated 6/22/13 per AAMA
Updated 4/12/14 NHSMA approved
Updated 11/17/2017 per AAMA
Updated 09/24/2018 per AAMA
Updated 8/5/2022 per AAMA                                                                                                                                 Updated 6/5/2024 per AAMA
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