How to Write a Resolution to the MSMS House of Delegates
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How to Write a Resolution to the MSMS House of Delegates

Introduction

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The House of Delegates is the official policy-making body of the Michigan State Medical Society. Resolutions and Board Action Reports are the vehicles used to debate and determine the policies, priorities, and direction of MSMS during the ensuing 12 months and beyond. Therefore, a well-crafted resolution is essential in order to present the most effective case for those issues that are of importance and concern to you.

Resolutions are presented to the MSMS House of Delegates by voting delegates on behalf of their county delegation, specialty society, ethnic medical society, MSMS membership section, or as individual delegates. In order to be considered as regular business of the House of Delegates, resolutions must be submitted to MSMS by 5:00 p.m. on either March 1 or the next business day if March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Once received, resolutions are reviewed by MSMS staff for comparison to existing MSMS and AMA policy, legal considerations, and appropriate editing. They are then assigned numbers and referred to one of the six House reference committees or placed on the "Reaffirmation Calendar."

All resolutions for which the Resolveds state either MSMS or AMA existing policy will be placed on a "Reaffirmation Calendar" and voted upon at Sunday's session. A delegate can ask the Committee on Rules and Order of Business to extract a resolution from the Reaffirmation Calendar for referral to a reference committee. The Committee on Rules and Order of Business meets on Saturday morning prior to the opening of the House.

Please note, pursuant to adopted HOD Resolution 65-14, any resolutions "submitted to the MSMS House of Delegates that require action by the AMA may only be submitted by MSMS members that are also members of the AMA."

The reference committees are responsible for listening to testimony on the rationale and merits of the submitted resolutions, discussing the issues raised for and against resolutions, and making recommendations to the House of Delegates on the fate of the resolutions.

Process

All resolutions are to be submitted online at http://www.msms.org/hod.

To complete the online resolution form, simply fill out the required fields and hit the "submit" button. Persons completing the form will need to the following information:

  • Name, email, telephone number, affiliated organization, and county of the original author
  • Resolution title
  • The name of the person introducing the resolution and for whom the resolution is being introduced
  • Resolution text
  • Fiscal information (if applicable)
  • Footnotes/Endnotes (if applicable)

Deadline

5:00 p.m. on March 1 (or the next business day if March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday)

Late Resolutions

Resolutions received after the deadline, will be considered late resolutions and will be referred to the Committee on Rules and Order of Business which meets on Saturday morning. The Committee reviews any late resolutions on the following criteria:

  • Could the resolution have been submitted before the deadline?
  • Did new developments after the deadline justify the acceptance of the resolution?
  • Were there any extenuating circumstances?
  • Are there any other resolutions that cover the same logic?

If the Committee on Rules and Order of Business agrees to accept a late resolution, the resolution will be immediately referred to one of the six reference committees for testimony and consideration later that morning. The final recommendation as to the resolution’s fate will be submitted to the House as part of the respective committee's report on Sunday.

If the Committee on Rules and Order of Business does not accept a late resolution, a delegate may ask to have the resolution extracted from the Report of the Committee on Rules and Order of Business on Sunday morning and present his or her arguments before the Committee of the Whole. If the House concurs with the Committee on Rules and Order of Business's recommendation to not accept the late resolution, there is no further recourse and the resolution will not be considered.

Structure of a Resolution

Title:

  • Select a title that is brief and accurately reflects the action for which the resolution calls.

Body:

  • Begin with the inclusion of one or more "whereas" statements.
  • "Whereas" statements explain why the resolution is needed, provide documentation in support of the resolution (i.e., data, statistics, references), and contribute to the general understanding of the subject matter.
  • "Whereas" statements lead into one or more "resolved" sections.
  • "Resolved" sections define the "ask" or intent of the resolution (e.g., the author’s desired action).
  • Because the House only adopts the "resolved" sections, each "resolved" section must be able to stand independent of the "whereas" statements.
    • Example of an improperly written "resolved" statement, as the reader cannot readily identify the targeted issue(s), specific action requested, or to whom responsibility for acting upon the issue(s) is directed:
      RESOLVED: That physicians need to know about the process and extent of diversion in the community and need to act as described above.
    • Example of a properly written "resolved" statement in which the issue and "ask" are clearly stated:
      RESOLVED: That MSMS actively educate physicians about the process and extent of prescribed opiate medication diversion in the community and urge the health care providers prescribing daily opiates in chronic pain patients to monitor those patients at a minimum with yearly quantitative urine drug screens.

Tips

Paying particular attention to the following will enhance your chances of drafting a successful resolution:

  • Ensure the accuracy of information presented in the resolution.
  • Determine whether the topic of the resolution is existing MSMS and/or AMA policy prior to submission. MSMS and AMA policy can be found on their respective websites.
    • If the Resolved statement is already existing policy, the resolution will be placed on the "Reaffirmation Calendar."
    • If the Resolved statement is consistent with existing policy, specifically state the amendment you want to that policy.
    • If the Resolved statement is not consistent with existing policy, indicate that you want to replace the existing policy.
  • Ensure that the desired intent or "ask" is clear.
  • Consider whether the requested action is feasible (i.e., is it relevant to medicine and to what the Michigan State Medical Society can reasonably affect).
  • Determine whether there are cost implications to the proposed policy, program, or action and if so, select an estimated cost range.
  • Contact your respective county society, specialty society, or sections to learn of their resolution vetting process should you wish for them to introduce the resolution on your behalf.

Contacts

MSMS staff is available to answer additional questions you may have. Please direct questions to Stacey Hettiger at 517-336-5766 or shettiger@msms.org.

Thank you for your interest in helping to establish the business of the MSMS House of Delegates. Please remember, only online resolutions will be accepted and they must be received by 5:00 p.m. on March 1 (or the next business day if March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday).

Connect

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AMA
As part of CCB, and having become known in the HOD as a trusted and respected parliamentarian and advisor, he has been actively sought out by sections and delegations for his expertise and counsel, to ensure their concerns are met and can be adopted by the House. His commitment to open, fair and unbiased discussion and debate empowers colleagues wherever he leads, including in our House of Delegates.

ACEP
In addition to his commitments to MSMS, the AMA and CCB, Pino participates in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Section Council. This allows him to stay informed about the latest issues facing their specialty and the broader medical landscape across the country. The council comprises representatives from all over the US, who bring unique perspectives and experiences to the table, and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing emergency medicine in different regions, and work collaboratively to develop solutions and best practices. This also allows him to build relationships across the country, which are key to getting the House to “yes.”

MSMS
Dr. Colone has been an active member of the AMA since his first year of medical school. He served as Chair of the Medical Student Section, Resident and Fellows Section, and the Young Physician Section of the Michigan State Medical Society, as well as representing each of those sections as delegate from MSMS to the AMA. He has served on the Michigan Delegation to the AMA for almost 30 years, and on the MSMS Board of Directors for 11 years during that time. He is also a recipient of the AMA Foundation Leadership Award.

In addition to influencing the national debate, Dr. Colone served as president of his county and state medical societies during times of crisis. He led his county medical society during the Flint water crisis and MSMS during the COVID pandemic from 2021-2022, standing up to outside efforts by lay persons and legislators and standing by science for the safety and betterment of the public. During his presidency he led a coalition of 50 patient and health care organizations to achieve comprehensive prior authorization reform removing barriers and improving the health of all Michiganders.

President of MSMS: Pino took the helm of MSMS as President during a tumultuous time. The COVID pandemic was entering its second year. Effective and, more importantly, ineffective treatments, were becoming better known, better understood, as physicians were learning every day how to best save lives. He stood by science and resisted pressures and endorsed science based treatments based on what we’d learned, over unproven, and even dangerous, treatments.

Health Can’t Wait Initiative: Pino advanced the Health Can’t Wait Initiative as President of MSMS, a coalition of over 50 health-focused groups that saw the successful passage of comprehensive prior authorization reform into law.

Read more about the coalition here

Organizations involved in the coalition 

PA Reform Signed into Law

“Today is a wonderful day for Michigan patients who can now rest easy knowing insurance company prior authorization practices will no longer prove to be an impassable roadblock between them and the timely care and treatment they too often desperately need," said MSMS President Pino Colone, MD. “Speaking on behalf of providers, patient advocacy groups and patients across the state, I want to thank Governor Whitmer and Michigan’s lawmakers for recognizing the need for reform in this area and then working to craft and enact legislation that delivers. In signing SB 247, Governor Whitmer has ushered in a new era where transparency, clinical validity and fairness to patients will all be factored into the prior authorization process, protecting Michigan patients from costly and dangerous delays in access to health care. Officially signing this bill into law is a tremendous—and much needed—win for countless Michigan patients and the providers who serve them.”

Scope of Practice: He has testified on scope of practice helping legislators understand that nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) do not have the training or education to safely care for our families, and that medical school matters. (include the graphic from the article) and link the article: https://www.mha.org/newsroom/tag/pino-colone/

Pino spent six years as chair of the MSMS Task Force on Opioid Stewardship, advocating for naloxone to be available to residents of Michigan without a prescription, collaborating with colleagues and state officials, and disseminating timely and accurate information to MSMS members. In this role, he was pivotal in shaping MSMS’s strategic plan to reduce opioid-related overdose, eliminate stigma, and support harm reduction efforts by fighting to make naloxone available over the counter.

He was also a member of the MSMS Executive Task Force on Health Care Disparities. 

Genesee County Medical Society
Pino was also president of the GCMS during the water crisis of its largest city, Flint. He led efforts by the Society to disseminate accurate information about lead in drinking water and its effects on health. With the city and state in the national spotlight, Pino stood firm against pressure from government officials to endorse what would later prove to be flawed information, putting the expertise of his physician colleagues and the safety of local residents first.
Read more about Pino’s service as county medical society president below: 

§  November 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  December 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  January 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  February 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  March 2020 GCMS Bulletin 

§  April 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  May 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  June 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  July 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  August 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  September 2020 GCMS Bulletin

§  October 2020 GCMS Bulletin

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§  Twindemic – 2021-2022

§  COVID-19 vaccination