HCH Clinicians' Network Leadership Content Manager: Brenda Proffitt, MHA
CALL FOR HCH CLINICIANS' NETWORK STEERING COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS We are pleased to announce the opportunity to apply for a position on the Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians' Network Steering Committee. Between two and six Steering Committee positions are open to any Network member who has been a member for at least one year. Successful candidates may be elected to a three-year term and are eligible to serve a second term. We invite you to take this opportunity to serve your membership association, collaborate with other leaders and influence the future direction and growth of the Network. We encourage applications from hands-on providers from any discipline, and we welcome applications from providers who have a personal history of homelessness. In helping us identify good candidates, consider qualities and experiences that make these people ideal for the Steering Committee. Consider their views about working in health care for the homeless and how they might represent us. You are also encouraged to nominate yourself as a qualified candidate. The Steering Committee consists of 15 - 21 Network members elected by the general membership during its annual meeting. In addition to other responsibilities, the Steering Committee determines the overall direction and formulates Network policies. Depending on the budget, the Committee may hold one or two in-person meetings in addition to an annual meeting during the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference. If you have questions, please contact the Nominating Committee Chair Judi Allen at 513/352-6363 or gcajla@prodigy.net or the Network Director Brenda Proffitt at 505/872-1151 or bproffitt@nhchc.org. If you have a question about your membership status or length of membership, please call Administrative Assistant Pat Petty at 615/226-2292. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2008. These elections are extremely important for the future development of the Network. Please take a moment to consider whether you wish to nominate a candidate or volunteer for a Steering Committee position.
Brenda J. Proffitt, MHA Director, HCH Clinicians' Network	Judith L. Allen, DMD Chair, Network Nominating Committee
NOMINATIONS PROCESS Any Network member may nominate candidate(s) for election to the Steering Committee. All candidates must be current Network members providing hands-on care to homeless people. The candidate must have been a member of the Network for at least one year by the time of their election to the Steering Committee. Ideally, candidates will have experience on one of the Network's many committees, work groups or task forces. Self-nomination by members is acceptable and encouraged. Each candidate must have potential to chair a working committee and become a Network officer. The Nominating Committee will interview each candidate to learn more about them as individuals and ascertain the skills and strengths he or she would bring to the Steering Committee. After interviewing all candidates, the Nominating Committee will prepare a slate of Steering Committee nominees considering the need for diversity of clinical discipline, demography and geography among those candidates who are interested, available and qualified. Network staff will mail the Nominating Committee's slate of nominees to the Network Membership at least 30 days before the annual membership meeting in June 2008. APPLICATION PROCESS Interested candidates must complete and submit the following materials by the March 31 deadline: 2008 Nomination Form A letter explaining why he or she wishes to serve on the Steering Committee, and giving assurance of attending Steering Committee meetings and regularly participating in conference calls A letter of approval from the candidate's superior giving approval for the candidate's participation in Steering Committee activities A current resume or curriculum vitae ELECTIONS PROCESS The membership will elect Network members to the Steering Committee during the annual Network membership. meeting, which will be in Phoenix, Arizona, in June 2008. The Network holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the National Health Care for the Homeless Conference. For purposes of electing Steering Committee members, each current Network member is entitled one vote for each vacancy. A majority vote of the Network membership is required to elect a nominee to the Steering Committee. TERM OF OFFICE Each Steering Committee member is elected to serve a three-year term Members of the Steering Committee may serve two full consecutive terms, if elected by the Network membership After a one-year absence from the Steering Committee, a member may be elected to the Steering Committee again Steering Committee members assume office upon completion of the annual Network membership meeting ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES The Steering Committee is the Network's governing body; it manages, controls and directs the affairs of our membership association. Steering Committee members are subject to Network bylaws and the Board of Directors of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Inc. Steering Committee members are expected to serve on at least one working committee, participate in monthly committee conference calls, and complete committee assignments. Members are expected to attend all Steering Committee meetings (i.e., two or three meetings annually, budget permitting). Members are asked to recruit at least two new members to the Network annually. The HCH Clinicians' Network covers conference call expenses and-budget allowing-reimburses travel expenses to meetings. Steering Committee members serve without compensation. REMOVAL OF MEMBERS FROM THE STEERING COMMITTEE A Steering Committee member is subject to removal when he or she is no longer working at a Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) project funded by the Bureau of Primary Health Care or working at a Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program funded by the Center for Mental Health Services' Homeless Programs Branch. A Steering Committee member may be removed from office with just cause by consensus of the Steering Committee. Just cause includes-but is not limited to-recorded absence at three consecutive committee conference calls, or three consecutive Steering Committee meetings. If the Steering Committee determines that any member is obstructive to the progress or well being of the Network, the remaining Steering Committee members may remove said member by consensus decision. All Steering Committee transactions will be conducted in a manner to avoid any conflict of interest.
NETWORK CHAIR BECHARA CHOUCAIR, MD, RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
	Bechara Choucair, MD, is among a select group of physicians honored by the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation for his commitment to education in the field of family medicine. Dr. Choucair was selected to receive the 2007 Pfizer Teacher Development Award based on his scholastic achievement, leadership qualities and dedication to family medicine.
2007 - 08 STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
2007 - 08 Steering Committee Standing, left to right: Brenda Proffitt, Pia Valvassori, Lisa Thompson, Betsy Baldwin, Bechara Choucair, Judi Allen, Chris Reller, Linda Barnet and Mark Rabiner. Seated, left to right: Erin Smith, Rachel Witwer, Bob Donovan, Barbara Wismer, Alan Pickett, Jan Caughlan and Bernie Creaven. 2006 - 07 Steering Committee Standing, left to right: Brenda Proffitt, Bechara Choucair, Erin Smith, Rachel Marzec, Eddie Bonin, Lisa Thompson, Bob Donovan, Linda Barnet, Rachel Witwer, Carol Fokes, Wayne Centrone, Sameer Qureshi, Betty Schulz and Jan Caughlan. Seated, left to right: Barbara Wismer, Chris Reller, Judi Allen and Betsy Gee	REGION MEMBER LOCATION REGION I     Betsy G. Balwin, BS Bridgeport, CT   Linda C. Barnet, BSN, RN Springfield, MA REGION II     Mark Rabiner, MD New York, NY REGION III     Janet (Jan) P. Caughlan, LCSW-C Baltimore, MD REGION IV     Erin C. Smith, MSW, LISW-CP Charleston, SC   Pia C. Valvassori, PhD, ARNP Orlando, FL REGION V     Alan Pickett, BSN, RN Ann Arbor, MI   Bechara Choucair, MD Chicago, IL   Judith Allen, DMD Cincinnati, OH   Robert (Bob) Donovan, MD Cincinnati, OH REGION VI     Cristina (Tina) Carlson, APRN, BC Albuquerque, NM REGION VII     Vacant   REGION VIII     Lisa Thompson, ND, RN Denver, CO REGION IX     Barbara A. Wismer, MD, MPH San Francisco , CA REGION X     Bernadette (Bernie) Creaven, MN, RN Seattle, WA   Wayne A. Centrone, NMD, MPH Portland, OR