Welcome to the September 2021 chapter newsletter.

As summer folds into fall, we look back to glimpse yet another fleeting year passing us by. Before long, apples will ripen, trees will burst into autumnal hues, and northern stars will glisten across an obsidian sky.

Medical writers may not be seasonal, but we cherish the seasons all the same. May we, like the Midwestern moon, maintain our satellitic dependence and luminary reflections, rising and setting by our own appointed times.

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

• Chapter Programming Chair and Co-Secretary positions are currently open! Please submit nominations now.

• Join our AMWA North Central LinkedIn Community

CHAPTER EVENTS (held via Zoom)

• Trivia Night & Happy Hour: Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 6 PM Central Time

• Next Book Club: Monday, September 27, 2021 from 6 to 7 PM

FEATURES

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

CHAPTER NEWS

Seeking Candidates for Programming Chair and Co-Secretary

The AMWA North Central chapter is looking for a new Programming Chair and Co-Secretary. Please consider volunteering!

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 positions to bod (at) list.amwanorthcentral (dot) org

The following positions are open:

• 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.

• Co-Secretary: This position is vital to our chapter! The Co-Secretary will serve a 1-year term starting January 2022 along with the current Secretary, and ideally transition to the role of Secretary the following year. The Co-Secretary will attend the monthly AMWA NC chapter board meetings and assist the Secretary in managing the chapter’s website,  distributing the monthly newsletter by email, and sending email communications about upcoming events.

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, contact bod (at) list.amwanorthcentral (dot) org.

CHAPTER EVENTS

Trivia Night & Happy Hour

When: Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 6:00 PM Central Time via Zoom

You thought you were done with Zoom happy hours? Well, what’s one more, for old time’s sake? Come join AMWA North Central Chapter members for an hour of fun and trivia. Drinks will be provided, if you can find a way to download them.

Meeting ID: 875 3646 4990. Passcode: 282423.

Book Club hosted by Paul Mamula

Book: Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment by James H. Jones

When: Monday, September 27th, 2021 at 6:00 pm Central Time via Zoom

RSVP: Please email Book Club coordinator Paul Mamula to let him know you will attend before Monday, September 27th, if you have not done so already: paulpat (at) pclink (dot) com.

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.

Second Quarterly Meeting

The AMWA CAC held its second quarterly meeting of 2021 on May 20, 2021. The meeting was held virtually with GoToMeeting software. Twelve chapters were represented.

Kim Korwek, chair, opened the meeting with a review of the mission of the CAC.

1. AMWA 2021 Medical Writing and Communication Conference: Sharon Ruckdeschel, director of membership and systems for AMWA, provided an update on the 2021 conference. The Board of Directors decided the conference will be held virtually again. Factors considered to make the decision were public health guidance, federal and state restrictions, and feedback from members. It will be held October 27 through 29, and some pre-conference workshops will be offered October 25 and 26. The virtual platform used for the 2020 conference will be used again. The theme for this year’s conference is Spotlight on Medical Communication: Disruption, Innovation, and Resilience.

2. Updates from the AMWA Board of Directors: Chapter Virtual Events Reminder: The board approved an extension of the approval for chapters to hold webinars and online meetings until December 31, 2021. These events will count toward the minimum number of events that chapters must hold each year. Chapter Trends Report: Chapters are doing well, and expenditures are decreased overall. Information for the trends report is obtained from the Chapter Activity Reports.

3. Spring Compliance Review: Sharon explained that AMWA conducts a chapter compliance review in March every year. Each chapter submits a Chapter Activity Report for the review. One chapter had a vacant officer position and requested an extension. The board granted this exception. Chapter websites were reviewed. Chapters are doing a better job of keeping their sites current; only a few chapters needed minor updates. One chapter has a large amount of outdated information and is working to correct that issue. Several chapters have new websites.

4. Discussion Items: CAC representatives discussed member preferences for attending fall chapter events that are virtual or in-person and whether personal vaccination status will affect attendance at in-person meetings. Some chapters will survey their members, and CAC representatives can share their results with Sharon and Kim.

5. Support/Strategy Needs for Chapter Events: Types of support that are needed to improve chapters’ ability to host events were discussed. 

6. Future CAC Teleconferences: August 19, 2021 and October 2021 (dependent on 2021 conference schedule)