Bylaws & Constitution
Below are the Bylaws of the AOCPMR. Download a pdf version of the bylaws.
Timeline of Updates to Constitution and Bylaws:
The American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Adopted at Los Angeles, California October 13, 1953
Revised. July, 1955 – Los Angeles, California
Revised. January, 1963 – Miami Beach, Florida
Revised. October, 1963 – New Orleans, Louisiana
Revised. September, 1965 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Revised. October, 1969 – New York City, New York
Revised. November, 1971 – Honolulu, Hawaii
Revised. September, 1974 – Portland, Oregon
Revised. November, 1977 – Atlanta, Georgia
Revised. November, 1980 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Revised. November, 1981 – Los Angeles, California
Revised. November, 1985 – Atlanta, Georgia
Revised. November, 1991 – New Orleans, Louisiana
Revised. November, 1994 – San Francisco, California
Revised. October, 1999 – San Francisco, California
Revised. November, 2008 – Las Vegas, Nevada
Revised. November, 2009 – New Orleans, Louisiana
Revised. March, 2017 – Nashville, Tennessee
Revised. April, 2022 – Tampa, Florida
AOCPMR Constitution
This organization shall be known as the AMERICAN OSTEOPATHIC COLLEGE OF PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION (AOCPM&R).
This organization shall consist of individuals who are members in the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in accordance with the rules of eligibility in each class of membership as set forth in the Bylaws.
The objectives of this organization shall be as follows:
• To promote health and well-being via the principles inherent to osteopathic physiatric practice.
• To be leaders in osteopathic healthcare promotion via research, educational symposia and sound practice management.
• To heighten awareness of the positive benefits osteopathic physiatric practice offers the medical profession.
• To contribute to the interests of the profession by functioning as an affiliated organization of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).
The AOCPMR provides value added services in the areas of education and practice. The AOCPM&R values camaraderie, excellence, and quality as it lives its mission. The AOCPMR values diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure that all members are represented.
The vision of the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is that we are dedicated to providing leadership for the osteopathic PMR profession and to providing a home to PMR physicians and other rehabilitation professional who practice osteopathically.
The code of ethics of this organization shall be the same as that adopted by the AOA.
The officers of this organization shall be a President, a President-Elect, a Vice-President, a Secretary-Treasurer, a Resident-Student Liaison, Immediate Past President and six (6) Trustees. Their election, term of office and duties shall be as hereinafter provided in the Bylaws.
Qualifications for membership shall be those set forth in the Bylaws of this organization.
In the event of dissolution or other termination of this corporation, there shall be no distribution of assets among the members there of, all assets shall be distributed to a similar tax exempt corporation or organization.
Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of this College can only occur upon a simple majority vote of active members in good standing present at the Mid Year Meeting. No proposal to amend shall be acted upon unless written or electronic notice thereof has been sent to the membership not more than ninety (90) days and not less than thirty (30) days prior to the said vote which will occur at the Mid Year Meeting. Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the College shall not become effective until approved by the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association.
The private property of the members shall not be subject to payment of organization debts. The general management of the affairs of this organization shall be under the control, supervision and directions of the Executive Council as hereinafter provided by the Bylaws.
AOCPMR Bylaws
Article I – MEMBERSHIP
a. Satisfactory moral and ethical standing in the profession, conforming to the code of ethics of the AOA.
b. Application for membership is available on the AOCPM&R website and by hardcopy by request to the Executive Director.
c. The membership application shall be accompanied by the dues for the current fiscal year and are refundable if the applicant is not accepted for membership.
Membership in this College shall consist of the following classes: Full Physician Members, Associate Member, Affiliate Member, Honorary Members, Life Member and Semiretired Member.
a. Full Physician Member: A graduate of a Commission of Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) college of osteopathic medicine and an accredited American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), and is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation by either American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AOBPMR) or the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR). Full members must maintain their AOBPMR or ABPMR certification to maintain this membership status. Full members may hold office within the College, have voting privileges in the affairs of the College, be privileged to participate in scientific and educational programs and may serve as member and/or chairperson of committees.
b. Associate Member: A graduate of a Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) or Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical college and an ACGME or AOA accredited residency in PMR but does not meet criteria for Full Membership (ex. is not board certified in PMR). Associate members may neither hold office nor vote in the affairs of the College. They shall have voice and be privileged to participate in scientific and education programs. Associate members may participate on committees but not chair them.
c. Affiliate Member: An allied health professional who has a practice focus in PMR and does not meet criteria for full or associate member. Affiliate members may neither hold office nor vote in the affairs of the College. They shall have voice and be privileged to participate in scientific and education programs. They may participate on committees but not chair them.
d. Intern / Resident/ Fellow in Training Member: A graduate of a COCA or LCME accredited medical school who is currently participating in an ACGME-accredited internship/residency in PMR. Resident members may neither hold office nor vote in the affairs of the College. They shall have voice and be privileged to participate in scientific and educational programs. They may participate on committees but not chair them. Exception: Intern / Resident/ Fellow in Training Members may hold office on and chair Resident Council Committees.
e. Medical Student Member: A student who is currently enrolled in a COCA OR LCME accredited medical school. The member may neither hold office nor vote in the affairs of the College. They shall be privileged to participate in scientific and educational programs. They may participate on committees but not chair them. Exception: Medical Student Members may hold office on and chair Student Council Committees.
f. Courtesy Member: Any person who is engaged in administration, research, teaching or clinical practice in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and possesses professional qualifications for their specific profession
g. Honorary Members: Honorary Membership in this College may be granted to any person upon a majority vote of the Executive Council. Honorary Members shall not have voice or vote in the affairs of the College but shall be privileged to participate in the scientific and educational programs. They may not hold office. They may participate on committees but not chair them.
h. Life Members: Life Membership may be granted by a majority vote of the Executive Council to any full physician member who has reached retirement and who has been in good standing as a full physician member for 25 years immediately preceding. Such members shall have the privileges and duties of Full Physician members but shall not be required to pay dues or assessments beginning the year in which retirement begins if they have been a member for 25 years immediately preceding. Life Membership may also be granted by the Executive Council to any regular member who has become permanently or totally disabled. Such disabled members shall have the privileges and duties of full physician members but shall not be required to pay dues or assessments.
i. Semiretired Members: A member who has reduced his or her practice to no more than 20 hours per week, may be granted a 50% reduction in dues upon unanimous vote of the Executive Council.
a. The designation “Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation” (FAOCPMR) may be awarded to an Active Member of the College as follows: Nomination will be by those “Fellows in the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation” duly assembled in conclave and by subsequent confirmation through election by the Executive Council. This honor is to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and this College.
b. Honorary Fellows. The Executive Council, by unanimous vote, may award an “Honorary Fellow in the American College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,” FAOCPMR HON to any member at the time of or subsequent to, his or her retirement from practice or to any Associate or Affiliate Member who has contributed outstandingly through teaching, authorship, or professional leadership, to the stated purpose of this College.
c. Appropriate certificates of Fellowship shall be issued by the College.
d. Distinguished Fellow – The designation of Distinguished Fellow in the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation shall be voted on by current Distinguished Fellows and share the designation, FAOCPM&R-D. It is awarded to those members of the AOCPMR who have previously received Fellowship and who have exemplified significant involvement and importance to the AOCPMR, above the call of duty.
a. To maintain membership in the College a member must be current with dues (Article VII Dues and Fees, Section 2).
b. To maintain membership in the College, a member must meet all relevant requirements as stated in Bylaws, Article I, Section 1, Letters a – g.
c. Membership can be revoked by majority vote of the Executive Council for actions/behaviors not consistent with the AOA Code of Ethics.
Article II – THE EXECUTIVE BOARD AND EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
The Executive Board will be comprised of the President, President Elect, Immediate Past President and Vice President and Secretary Treasurer. ALL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MUST BE FULL PHYSICIAN MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING OF THE AOCPMR.
The Executive Council will be comprised of the Executive Board members, the Student-Resident Liaison and six (6) Trustees.
There shall be two (2) Members at Large that report directly to the Executive Council that will not have voting privileges on the Executive Council. One shall be a Student Member and one shall be a Resident Member, and both shall be elected by their respective councils and approved by Executive Council as stated in their respective Bylaws.
The Executive Council is expected to meet in person semi-annually or at the call of the President to conduct business of the College. The Executive Council shall also meet monthly or bimonthly (every 2 months) telephonically, if a quorum is able to be present. The Council shall act on committee appointments recommended by the President or President-Elect.
Six (6) members of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum at any regular or specially called meeting.
The Resident Council will report directly to and operate under the jurisdiction of the Executive Council. Resident Council will function under its own Constitution and Bylaws as approved by AOCPMR Executive Council. The Student-Resident Liaison will be present on the majority of Resident Council Meetings and business.
The Student Council will report directly to and operate under the jurisdiction of the Executive Council. The Student Council will function under its own Constitution and Bylaws as approved by AOCPMR Executive Council. The Student-Resident Liaison will be present on the majority of Student Council Meetings and business.
Article III – ELECTED OFFICERS, APPOINTEES AND THEIR DUTIES
The President shall preside at all meetings of the College or its officers and shall execute all duties delegated by the Executive Council. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President’s term of office shall be two (2) years. Having served the previous year as the President-Elect, the President shall take office automatically at the Mid Year Meeting. In the event of death, resignation, or removal for cause by the Executive Council, the President-Elect shall fill the office of President for the unexpired term of office.
The President-Elect shall be elected by the voting membership for two (2) years at the Mid Year Meeting. The candidate must have served one full term on the Executive Council. The President-Elect shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President and shall execute all duties delegated. In the event of death, resignation, or removal for cause by the Executive Council, the President-Elect shall fill the office of the President during the balance of the term.
The Vice-President shall be elected by the voting membership for two (2) years at the Mid Year Meeting. The Vice President shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President and the President-Elect and shall execute all duties delegated.
If the office of both President and President-Elect become vacant during their term, the Vice President shall fill the unexpired term. At the next duly constituted meeting, the membership shall elect a President and President-Elect to complete the unexpired term and serve during the next full year.
The Immediate Past President will assist the transition of the newly elected President into office. The Immediate Past President will serve on the Executive Council.
a. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected at the Mid Year Meeting for a renewable 2-year term. In the event of death, resignation, or removal for cause by the Executive Council, the President’s appointee shall take over all duties of the Secretary-Treasurer until a replacement has been duly elected at the next Mid Year Meeting.
b. The Secretary-Treasurer shall make and preserve all financial records of the College. The Secretary-Treasurer shall protect and disburse funds of the College as directed by the Executive Council and shall be in charge of all other fiscal assets of the College, in conjunction with the Finance Chair. All funds of the College shall require three (3) names on account. All checks issued by the
Secretary-Treasurer shall require two (2) signatures of the three (3) persons named on the account over and above an amount of $500.00. The three (3) signatories will be as follows: Secretary-Treasurer, Executive Director and Financial Advisor.
c.The Secretary-Treasurer shall present a budget summary complete with P&L statement to the Executive Council. This shouldoccur at the Mid Year meeting and again at the Annual Meeting.
d.The Secretary-Treasurer shall be reimbursed for all expenses connected with the administration of these duties.
a. The Student-Resident Liaison shall be appointed by the executive committee to serve a three-year term. In this role theStudent-Resident Liaison will mentor osteopathic medical students and residents in training and serve an oversight role in studentand resident council initiatives and policy and procedure.
There shall be six (6) Trustees and they shall serve with the above-mentioned officers to conduct the usual business of the College during the fiscal year. Each shall be elected to a three (3) year term. In the event that a Trustee is unable to complete the elected term because of death, resignation or removal by the Executive Council for just cause, the Executive Council will appoint a qualified Full Physician member to complete the unexpired term.
There shall be two (2) Members at Large as appointed by the President.
a. The Resident Representative shall be elected by the Resident Council and approved by the Executive Council to serve aone (1) year term. The Resident Representative will also serve as President of the Resident Council. ResidentRepresentative shall be responsible for Resident Member Recruitment and shall serve as the liaison for residency trainingissues and concerns as applicable to the objectives, vision and mission statements of the AOCPMR.
b. The Student Representative shall be elected by the Student Council and approved by the Executive Council to serve aone (1) year term. The Student Representative will also serve as President of the Student Council. Student Representativeshall be responsible for Student Member Recruitment and shall serve as the liaison for student training issues andconcerns as applicable to the objectives, vision and mission statements of the AOCPMR.
c. All public statements made by the members at large or the councils they represent must be approved in advance by theExecutive Council.
Article IV – COMMITTEES
The Membership Committee shall consist of at least four (4) members each to be appointed by the President.
The Education Committee shall consist of at least four (4) members appointed for a two (2) year term by the President. Committee chairperson appointed by the President.
This Committee shall keep informed of any recommendations of the Executive Council concerning AOA regulations applicable to Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements. It shall act in other educational areas on assignment by the Executive Council. It shall report to the Executive Council at the Mid-Year Meeting.
This Committee shall be responsible for the programs at OMED and the Mid-Year Meetings of the College. The Program Chairperson appointed by the President shall seek counsel and advice from the Educational Committee pertinent to program content. Upon approval of the program, the Chairperson shall communicate with the President and the Executive Director at least monthly to report the progress of the program planning. All arrangements, with the assistance of the Executive Director, shall be completed and provided to the Executive Director no later than sixty (60) days before the scheduled meeting. If the Chairperson is noncompliant with the reporting requirement, the Chairperson can be removed and another Chairperson can be appointed at the discretion of the President.
The Media Committee shall consist of at least three (3) members. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the President and shall be responsible disseminating information at regular intervals to the Membership with the assistance of the Executive Director.
This Committee shall gather and disseminate information to the membership as is appropriate via the web site.
The Constitution and By Laws Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past President, the President and the President-Elect. The Committee Chair will be the Immediate Past President.
This Committee shall every two years review the existing Bylaws and propose changes as deemed appropriate to the Membership for their approval.
The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the President-Elect, who shall act as the Chairperson along with the Immediate Past President, the Vice President, and the Secretary-Treasurer. They shall present a slate of candidates for office to the general membership of the College at least thirty (30) days before the Mid-Year Meeting. The slate and any other nominations made by the membership prior to or at the Mid-Year Meeting. The slate and any other nominations made by the membership presented to the voting members. Election shall be by simple majority of those present and voting at the Mid-YearMeeting. In the event of meeting cancelation, an electronic vote will suffice.
The Finance Committee shall consist of five (5) members: the Immediate Past-President, President, President-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and one additional member appointed by the President. The Secretary-Treasurer will serve as Chairperson of the Committee.
a.They shall prepare and present an annual budget to the Executive Council at the Mid-Year Meeting, orelectronically shouldthe Mid-Year Meeting be cancelled.
b.They shall be responsible for reviewing a detailed analysis of the Auditor’s Report as submitted by the Secretary- Treasurer.An Auditor’s Report shall be completed by a third party every three years.
c.They shall see that the Secretary-Treasurer keeps full and accurate accounts of receipts and expenses which shallbe theproperty of the College.
This Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least two (2) other members appointed by the President. The Chairperson will represent AOCPM&R at the annual AOA House of Delegates meeting. The Committee will work with the AOA to disseminate pertinent information to the membership and petition the membership to take action when necessary. The Committee will review specialty pertinent health care reform legislation, determine a position statement for the College and/or advise the Executive Council on signing on to AOA position statements.
The President shall appoint such temporary committees as may be necessary for the conduct of the business of AOCPMR.
This Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and at least 2 other members appointed by the President to conduct the business of the Fellowship Committee whose purpose is to advise the fellows about applications received in the calendar year for Fellowship in the American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. This honor is to acknowledge outstanding accomplishments in the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in this College.
Article V – AOBPMR MEMBER
The Executive Council shall recommend nominees from Full Physician members for selection by the American Osteopathic Association Board of Trustees to serve on the American Osteopathic Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as vacancies exist. Each nominee must be board certified and in good standing with the AOA.
Article VI – MEETINGS
a. There shall be a meeting at OMED and a Mid-Year Meeting or Assembly of the College for educational purposes and thetransaction of business. Additional special meetings may be called by the Executive Council or the President.
The Annual Business Meeting of the College shall be held in conjunction with the Mid-Year Meeting of the College. Notification of the time and place of regular meetings of the College shall be sent to each member at least thirty (30) days in advance of such meeting and posted on the website.
Each voting member shall be notified in writing by the Secretary-Treasurer of the time and place of any special meeting to be convened under the Bylaws of this organization.
Article VII – DUES AND FEES
The fiscal year shall be from January 1 – December 31.
a. Dues, if any, for each membership class, shall be determined by the Executive Council as amended from time to time. The membership shall be notified in writing of any proposed change no less than sixty (60) days prior to its being enacted.
b. An application for membership shall not be considered unless accompanied by the dues for the current fiscal year.
The Executive Council may, at its discretion, set additional fees as deemed necessary for the operation of the College.
Article VIII – NON-DISCRIMINATION
The American Osteopathic College of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation does not discriminate against any person because of sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sex, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law.
Article IX– RULES OF ORDER
In the absence of any provisions in these bylaws to the contrary, all meetings of AOCPMR, of the Executive Council and of any committee shall be governed by the parliamentary rules and usages contained in the current edition of “Roberts Rules of Order.