Resolution Writing Workshop

1. Resolution Writing Workshop February 22, 2006 Debbie Brooks, MS-II UPSOM Pittsburgh, PA

2. CHOOSE A TOPIC • Pertinent to medical students, the AMA-MSS, and the AMA? • Internal - handle internal MSS business only (ex/ restructuring MSS hierarchy) • External - passed by both the AMA-MSS HOD and physicians HOD (ex/ Children’s diets in schools) • Has someone written a resolution about this issue before? • Can these objectives be accomplished without writing a resolution?

3. RESEARCH TOPIC • Statistics, analysis, surveys and commentaries, federal and state laws, etc. • AMA Resources: • AMA Policy Finder • http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/noindex/category/11760.html • MSS Digest of Policy Actions • http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/15/digest_of_actions.pdf • MSS Staff (e-mail) • MEDLINE, PUBMED, Medical Journals, etc

4. WRITING RESOLUTIONS • Use the Resolution Template for Submission • http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/15/resolution_template.doc • Follow the Resolution Checklist • http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/12943.html

5. WRITING RESOLUTIONS • Authors • Single or co-authors • Include the schools attended • Introduced by: Roshni I. Thakore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Veena Kutty, Boston University • Title • Main issue addressed in the resolution • Subject: Increasing Whole Grains in School Children’s Diets

6. WRITING RESOLUTIONS • WHEREAS CLAUSES – IMPORTANT!!! • Describe the problem • Explain and support how the Resolved Clause(s) will correct the problem • Follow a logical order • Quote and site relevant AMA and AMA-MSS policy • Will not be included in the official policy wording • Whereas, AMA policy D-440.980 (“Recognizing and Taking Action in Response to the Obesity Crisis”) states that the AMA shall “recommend measures to better recognize and treat obesity as a chronic disease”; and …

7. WRITING RESOLUTIONS • RESOLVED CLAUSES • This is the policy that will be adopted • Can stand on its own • Actionable request • Amendable • RESOLVED, that our AMA shall: (1) recommend the incorporation of more whole grain foods into the nutrition standards of K-12 students…”

8. WRITING RESOLUTIONS • Fiscal Note • Do not include • MSS Staff will Evaluate after Submission • References • Cite sources of information at the end of your resolution in an Appendix • List all AMA and MSS policies that support and pertain to the resolution

9. SUBMITTING ARESOLUTION • Be aware of deadlines • Start working early • Use the Resolution Template and Checklist on the AMA Website • Resolutions must be submitted ONLINE! • Find more info on each meeting’s website on AMA site

10. Increasing Whole Grains in School Children’s Diets • Whereas: • AMA has in the past stated that it will support evidence-based nutrition standards and it will recognize obesity in adults and children as a major health problem • Childhood obesity has increased 45% in the last decade • Markers of obesity have been shown to decrease with an increase in whole grain consumption • Pediatric obesity can be lowered through diets containing ample whole grains, vegetables and fruit • Whole grains have a protective effect against diabetes • Resolved: • AMA shall recommend incorporation of whole grain foods into nutrition standards for K-12 students • AMA shall encourage school vendors to offer whole grain options and replace white bread with a whole grain alternative

11. Student Loan Forgiveness for Volunteer Clinic Work • Whereas: • Students graduating in 2004: average $115,000 in debt • National service programs offer repayment of loans in exchange for service • 45.8 million without health insurance • Students may wish to serve the uninsured but not have the uninterrupted period of time needed for national service programs • Resolved: • AMA support establishment of a national program that forgives all or part of student loan debt in exchange for unpaid work in any clinic wishing to provide free medical care to medically indigent persons.

12. Joint and Several Liability Reform • Whereas: • Proportion of liability for each defendant is a matter decided by the jury • Joint and several liability is a rule that holds each defendant in a case responsible for the entire amount of the plaintiff’s damages • It forces financially stable defendants to pay a sometimes grossly disproportionate amount of money for the negligence of others • It encourages trial lawyers to target those with the “deepest pockets” regardless of fault • Study concluded that joint and several liability reform reduced medical malpractice insurance premiums • Abolishing the joint and several liability rule helps to ensure that each defendant is held financially liable only for his proportionate share of fault

13. Joint and Several Liability Reform Cont… • Proportionate liability has been proposed and implemented in some states • Proportionate rule states that the proportion of the award owed by each defendant is the same as the proportion of liability for that defendant as decided by the jury • State laws show a range of implementation of proportionate liability • Resolved: • AMA encourage state legislatures to implement a legal standard of proportionate liability in medical malpractice awards and remove all forms of joint and several liability

14. Resolution Writing Alternatives • Write a letter to the AMA-MSS Governing Council • Research work being done by other medical societies • Work with state and county medical societies • Work with administration at your medical school • Co-author a resolution that someone else is submitting

15. Resolution  Policy?How to make it happen! • State and Regional Caucuses • Medical Student Section Assembly Meeting • Reference Committee • AMA-MSS House of Delegates • AMA House of Delegates • OFFICIAL AMA POLICY!

16. State and Regional Caucuses • Takes place before the MSS Assembly Meeting • Decide on state/regional stance on resolutions • Can speak on behalf of region > state > chapter > individual • Possible votes: accept as is, reject as is, amend, refer, defer

17. Medical Student Section Assembly Meeting • Held 1 day before the AMA-MSS HOD meeting (twice a year) • One person from each licensed medical school campus (both allopathic and osteopathic) is selected as a delegate and one as an alternate delegate • National Medical Specialty Societies also provide one delegate and one alternate delegate • Vote on which resolutions to submit to the AMA-MSS HOD meeting the next day • Quorum of 25% of the Assembly with at least 10% of each region (PA = region 6)

18. Reference Committees • All resolutions (except emergencies) must first pass through a reference committee • Research and debate a resolutions implications: • Past AMA and AMA-MSS policy • Fiscal impact • Research • Propose amendments

19. AMA-MSS HOD Meeting • 7 geographical regions • Each region is entitled to proportional representation • 1 delegate and 1 alternate delegate per 2,000 active AMA members • Resolutions that are adopted are sent to the AMA HOD for final consideration

20. Questions? Thank you! Template design by Kenan Omurtag