Welcome to the November-December 2022 chapter newsletter. 

As you may know, the Netflix series Stranger Things has revitalized interest in that strangest of British rock stars, Kate Bush. “Running Up That Hill,” featured in the fourth season, topped the UK charts 37 years after its release. The song weaves a fascinating tapestry of melody and harmony, hooking you with a C minor chord progression followed by an ethereal descending minor seventh interval from Bb to low C. If you’re interested, I’d also recommend an earlier song from Bush, “Suspended in Gaffa.” Catchy and enigmatic… just don’t ask me what a “gaffa” is. 

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

• Future book club dates and selections for 2023 

FEATURES 

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

• What’s your favorite music to work to? 

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. 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: Starting in January, we will be looking for a new CAC Rep. The Cahpter Advisory Council Representative attends all meetings of the Chapter Advisory Council, 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 Chapter Advisory Council.

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

Mark your calendars!

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 30, 2023: 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. 

Third Quarterly Meeting 

The AMWA CAC held its third quarterly meeting of 2022 on August 11. 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 will be held November 2 through November 5 in Denver, Colorado. An in-person format is being planned (the last in-person conference was held in 2019). The theme for this year’s conference is Elevating Health and Well-being Through Medical Communication.  As of August 1, 400 people had registered for the conference. 

COVID protocols have been determined and will be printed in the conference brochure. They will comply with national, state, and local mandates and guidance. All conference attendees must observe the protocols. 

The chapter leaders session will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, November 5. Chapter resources will be reviewed, and chapter leaders will receive an invitation. 

Updates from the AMWA Board of Directors: Jen Minarcik 

1. AMWA will issue its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement in the fall.

2. Chapter Education and Networking Events: Chapter events are increasing as COVID mandates decrease. Many chapters plan to offer both in-person and virtual events for the remainder of the year.

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

1. AMWA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey: The DEI Task Force developed a survey for members. It was sent on August 4, and replies are due by September 12. The results will help AMWA identify ways to enhance DEI efforts and better serve current and potential members.

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.

3. Fall Compliance Review: It is important for chapters to have their updates in on time (part of chapter compliance). Support checks will be mailed to treasurers in September.  The report template, the Chapter Requirements and Compliance Checklist, and the Chapter Website Checklist are on the AMWA website in the Chapter Leader Resource Center.

4. Call for Volunteers: The yearly call for volunteers for AMWA will go out in late September. Chapter leaders will receive information about responses for chapter volunteers.

Discussion Topics 

Discussion topics included how chapters measure success, strategies for engaging members and nurturing volunteers, and ensuring succession of chapter leaders. 

Future CAC Meeting 

November 10, 2022 

What’s your favorite music to work to?

This month’s work music selections come courtesy of Carmen Peterson: 

Carmen: I like listening to Lofi, Chillstep type music while working (if I’m not listening to MPR Classical). The YouTube channels that I recommend listening to are: 

-Chillhop Music 

–Dreamhop Music 

–Fantastic Music (they have really good Lofi JazzHop) 

Adam: I checked out a few of these channels, and they do indeed offer an exquisite combination of chill and hop. Like tea with just the right kick of caffeine. 

If you would like to submit a favorite work music for next month’s newsletter, please send suggestions to adamfix1@gmail.com. Thanks!