Governance

The Wisconsin Medical Society is an individual membership organization formed to represent and unify Wisconsin physicians to advance the practice of medicine, improve the health of the public and support the enactment and enforcement of appropriate public policy. Volunteer physician leaders guide the organization through its policymaking processes, advance the Society’s mission and foster the principles of good governance.

Board of Directors

The Society's Board of Directors is currently the Society’s policymaking body. It has authority to set policy, establish dues, adopt bylaws and elect officers. The Board also is responsible for deliberating issues presented in the form of resolutions and, where appropriate, establishing organizational policy.

The Board is comprised of Society officers (president, president-elect, immediate past president, speaker, vice speaker); 31 district directors; directors from each of the following sections: Medical Schools Section, Young Physician Section, Resident Physician Section and Medical students Section (2); and the Society chief executive officer. District directors are elected from each of eight districts.

The Board meets four to five times each year to act quickly on policy resolutions, approve the Society budget and to shape and advance Society initiatives and its strategic plan.

AMA Delegation

The Wisconsin Medical Society is represented at the national level by an active delegation to the American Medical Association House of Delegates. Wisconsin’s delegates participate in the national policymaking process at AMA House of Delegates meetings and keep their colleagues informed about developments at the national level of organized medicine. The Society also has delegates in the AMA Young Physicians’ Section and the AMA Medical Student Section, which meet in conjunction with the AMA House of Delegates.

Constitution and Bylaws

The Wisconsin Medical Society’s Constitution and Bylaws provide the guiding principles for governance of the Society and its relationship with county medical societies. The documents provide the statement of purpose, the process for elections and representation as well as the process for the development of guiding policy for the organization and its members.