Welcome, somehow, to the January 2023 chapter newsletter. 

January’s musical selection is a Swedish folk song titled “Mandom, mod och morska man,” meaning (according to my sources) “Bravery, courage and fearless men.” While I can’t speak to its historical or cultural significance, the music is equal parts haunting and hypnotic. The andante opening riff leads us into the song like snowy footprints through a dark forest. The flute flutters above, a starling in the moonlight. The song’s centerpiece — a piercing, steel-string acoustic slide guitar solo — catches us off guard, revealing jagged ice beneath the velvet snow. 

Let us know what you think, and remember, you can also read it on the chapter website. You can find previous newsletters on the website as well.

In this issue:

CHAPTER NEWS

• President-Elect, Programming Chair, CAC Rep positions currently open! See details below. 

• Join our AMWA North Central LinkedIn Community! Link here. 

CHAPTER EVENTS

• Book club meetings – next one on Jan 23 at 7pm CST

FEATURES 

• Chapter Advisory Council Update by LeAnn Stee, North Central Chapter Representative

CHAPTER NEWS

Volunteers needed for President Elect, Programming Chair, CAC Representative

The AMWA North Central chapter is looking for a new President-Elect, Programming Chair and CAC Representative. Please consider volunteering! More information below. 

AMWA North Central is a volunteer-based organization. If members don’t take an active role, the chapter will cease to function, and members will lose access to programming, news, and networking opportunities. Consider taking your turn to lead (or join) a committee or serve as a chapter officer. If members don’t take an active role, the chapter will cease to function, and members will lose access to programming, news, and networking opportunities. Consider taking your turn to lead (or join) a committee or serve as a chapter officer. Please submit your interest or nominations for any of the above positions to bod@list.amwanorthcentral.org. 

• President-Elect: We are seeking a President-Elect for the 2023 term. This position is critical to our status as a chapter!  Without a volunteer to fill this vital position, we will not be able to continue as a chapter. Please volunteer! As President-Elect, you will attend the monthly AMWA NC chapter board meetings, take minutes, and chair the meeting if the president is unable to attend. Other duties may be assigned by the President or Board on an ad hoc basis. 

• Programming Committee Chair: The Program Committee Chair is responsible for organizing AMWA events throughout the year, including identifying topics of interest and recruiting speakers. This is an important role in AMWA and is valuable for both member engagement and education. Please submit your interest or nominations. 

• CAC Representative: We are looking for a new Chapter Advisory Council (CAC) Representative. The CAC Rep attends all meetings of the CAC, either held in person at the annual AMWA National meeting or by conference call. The CAC Rep then communicates all concerns and questions from chapter leaders and members to the CAC.

Not ready or able to lead a committee? All of our committees invite members to share ideas and keep the workload light. 

In addition to keeping our group viable, volunteering with AMWA is a great way to network with your fellow members. It’s also a good way to fortify your C.V. with an extra line showing how you give back to your profession! If you can volunteer a few hours a month to help, please send a message to bod@list.amwanorthcentral.org. 

EVENTS

Book club selections for 2023

We have selected books for the North Central AMWA 2023 Book Club. AMWA members may want to add these selections to their current reading lists. The selections are as follows:   

•  January 23, 2023 at 7pm CST: How Charts Lie: Getting Smarter about Visual Information by Alberto Cairo.  This book may help writers understand how to present data and watch for ways graphic presentations can misrepresent information. How Charts Lie: Getting Smarter About Visual Information – YouTube 

• April 24, 2023: The Illusion of Evidence–Based Medicine: Exposing the Crisis of Credibility in Clinical Research by Jon Jureidini and Leemon B McHenry. The book presents a detailed account of two influential clinical studies that seriously misrepresented the drugs’ efficacy and safety. The drugs, paroxetine and citalopram, are used for pediatric and adolescent depression. The book argues for reevaluating the relationship between medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. 

• September 25, 2023: Man’s 4th Best Hospital by Samuel Shem. The cast of characters from Shem’s book House of God (a popular 1978 novel about medical training), now mid-career physicians, return, recruited to raise the status of a local hospital that has fallen from their first place in the ranking system. The modern plagues causing the drop stem from the affliction of many modern hospitals: a bloated administration, corporate greed, and an inefficient electronic medical record system. 

Please feel free to send us any title (medical, technical, or nonfiction) that you would like to discuss at our Book Club.   

FEATURES

Chapter Advisory Council Update

By LeAnn Stee, North Central Chapter Representative

Mission of the Chapter Advisory Council (CAC) 

The CAC serves to maintain a connection between chapter leaders and the AMWA Board of Directors by advising the AMWA board on the organization’s strategic direction as it affects the chapters and acting as a sounding board about issues that have an impact on chapters and the national organization. 

First Quarterly Meeting 

The AMWA CAC held its last meeting of 2022 on November 19. The meeting was held virtually with GoToMeeting software. Twelve chapters were represented. 

Jen Minarcik, chair, opened the meeting with a review of the mission of the CAC (see first paragraph). 

AMWA 2022 Medical Writing and Communication Conference: Sharon Ruckdeschel, director of membership and systems for AMWA 

The 2022 conference was held November 2 through November 5 in Denver, Colorado. The theme for this year’s conference was Elevating Health and Well-being Through Medical Communication.  COVID protocols included proof of being fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) or proof of a negative COVID test result (PCR or rapid test) 72 hours before the first day of attendance. All registrants agreed to a personal responsibility statement/liability waiver. Attendees showed their verification before entering the conference area. They received a ticket to present at the registration desk before receiving their badge. Only registered attendees were allowed into the conference area. Overall, the protocol worked smoothly. The pre-conference registration number was 742; there were several last-minute registrations, and the number of cancellations was higher than usual. 

The chapter leaders session, held on Saturday, November 5, had representatives from 14 of the 16 AMWA chapters (all chapter officers and CAC representatives were invited). The session included small-group discussions of chapter hot topics and an overview of the available chapter resources and compliance requirements. 

Updates from the AMWA Board of Directors: Jen Minarcik 

1. A new slate of officers and directors was approved:

• President: Elise Eller, PhD 

• President-elect: Michelle S. Gehring, PhD, ELS 

• Secretary: Kim Korwek, PhD 

• Treasurer: Julie Phelan, MD, MBA 

• 7 at-large directors were approved 

• Jen Minarcik will continue as chair of the CAC 

Updates From AMWA Headquarters: Sharon Ruckdeschel, director of membership and systems for AMWA 

1. Call for Volunteers: The call was launched in late September. Each week, headquarters forwards to the chapter president and president-elect the volunteer interest forms from those who express an interest in volunteering at the chapter level

2. Chapter Advisory Council—2023: Chapters should begin recruiting volunteers for the 2023 council. The 1-year term will be from January through December 2023, and it is a renewable position. Meetings are held quarterly and will continue to be virtual. Dates for the 2023 meetings will be decided soon.

3. AMWA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Survey: Nearly 400 responses were received. The task force is compiling the results and will present them to the Board of Directors at their January 2023 meeting.