Continuing Medical Education Committee

Purpose

To ensure AASLD meets and/or exceeds all requirements for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). To provide a review and unbiased evaluation of the annual scientific meetings of AASLD, and to advise the AASLD Governing Board on how to improve the scientific content and overall structure of the annual meetings to ensure they continue to be of outstanding scientific and educational quality.

Tasks

The Committee will:

• Provide a review and unbiased evaluation of the annual scientific meetings of AASLD.
• Responsible for conflict of interest (COI) resolution for programs and abstract review.
• Advise the AASLD Governing Board on how to improve the scientific content and overall structure of the annual meetings to ensure they continue to be of outstanding scientific and educational quality.
• Review and oversee the association’s CME program evaluation processes.
• Periodically review and update the instructional materials sent to authors and presenters in preparation for annual meetings, and emphasize areas where compliance has been a problem.
• Analyze activity and program evaluation and outcomes data to identify areas for improvement of AASLD’s CME program.
• Regularly evaluate the level to which the CME program is achieving the CME mission.

The Chair will:

• Review and edit, as appropriate, the self-study report as part of the re-accreditation process
• Submit written reports to the Governing Board
• Assign committee members to review all aspects of the meetings (including program development and evaluation, and overall CME program evaluation)
• The chair is a member of the Scientific Program Committee.  Policy recommendations are made to the Governing Board.

Size, Term, Composition

• Fifteen (15) members, who will include representatives of all important fields in hepatobiliary diseases (hepatologists, surgeons, pediatricians, epidemiologists, mid-level professionals, and pathologists). 51% of the members must be non-conflicted.
• Committee members will serve staggered three-year terms.
• The committee should have expertise in all major fields of Hepatology research and practice (such as alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, pediatric liver disease, portal hypertension, autoimmune liver disease, biliary disease, cancer, and hepatic transplantation).
• The chair will serve in this capacity for three years, and thus may extend his/her term on the committee to a total of four or five years.
• Subcommittees may be formed by the chairperson to deal with specific issues.

Appointment

• Members will be selected by the AASLD president-elect with the advice and consent of the Governing Board.
• The chair will be appointed by the AASLD President-elect from the members who have already served for one to two years.
• Special ad hoc members can be assigned to specific topics at the request of the committee chair, and with the approval of the AASLD President.

Governing Board Liaison

A board liaison will be appointed to the committee for the purpose of sharing information between committee members, the Governing Board, and staff.

Reports To

The chairperson will prepare a report for the AASLD Governing Board on a semiannual basis (February and August) and provide information of the committee’s activities and future plans. 

Meetings

Committee members are expected to attend at least one meeting each year and will be replaced if they do not.

Work Outside Of Meetings

Participate in conference calls as needed.

Costs

Individual committee member expenses are reimbursed in accordance with association policy.

Relates To Goal

• 4.0 Organizational Health and Resource Alignment
• 4.4: Continually assess and improve AASLD products, processes, and infrastructure

Committee Members