Student Advocates Impacting Decisions On Healthcare (SAIDOH)
Mission
Purpose:
To educate medical students regarding advocacy and examine health care policy as it impacts physicians and their patients.
Goals:
Provide discussions regarding health care policy implications and changes in the form of lectures, meetings, and forums.
Engage the community through advocacy events which encourage health promotion and disease prevention.
Collaborate with the Charleston and Eastern campuses to participate in state legislative discussions and lobbying opportunities.
Educate medical students about ways to advocate for a healthier West Virginia through the use of both traditional outlets and social media as methods to reach out to the community.
The Student Advocates Impacting Decisions On Healthcare (SAIDOH) organization was formed at WVU School of Medicine in the 2017-18 by medical students as a way to educate students about advocacy relating to patients and physicians and to provide a platform for students to examine and interact with health care policy at a local, state, and federal level. Since the group's establishment, we have organized advocacy events, invited speakers to share their varied work and perspectives in advocacy, and engaged the medical student body on matters related to health care and social justice issues impacting West Virginia patients.
For more information contact: wvuSAIDOH@gmail.com
Officers
- Sarah Hughes
- President
- Ana Alcantara
- Vice President
- Kathryn Gerbo
- Secretary
- Gigi Grillo
- Treasurer
- Dr. Lisa Costello
- Faculty Advisor
Bylaws
Name
1. The name of the organization shall be Student Advocates Impacting Decisions On Healthcare (SAIDOH)
Purpose
1. To educate medical students regarding advocacy and examine health care policy as it impacts physicians and their patients.
Goals
1. Provide discussions regarding health care policy implications and changes in the form of lectures, meetings, and forums.
2. Engage the community through advocacy events which encourage health promotion and disease prevention.
3. Collaborate with the Charleston and Eastern campuses to participate in state legislative discussions and lobbying opportunities.
4. Educate medical students about ways to advocate for a healthier West Virginia through the use of both traditional outlets and social media as methods to reach out to the community.
Membership
1. Any student, faculty, or staff of West Virginia University is eligible to become a member.
2. This organization will not deny membership on the basis of race, gender, age, disability, veteran status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs and/or nationality.
Officers
1. The offices comprising the executive board shall include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Charleston/Eastern Liaisons, Charleston Event Coordinators, and MS2 Liaisons
2. Additional positions may be appointed as decided by a unanimous vote of the executive board.
Duties
1. The President and Vice President shall preside at the meetings, coordinate events, oversee the executive board, and be spokespeople for the organization both within and outside West Virginia University.
2. In the event of resignation or removal of one of the presidents during a term, the remaining president may request a meeting of the executive board to appoint an additional President.
3. President and Vice President shall fairly balance both the duties of the positions as well as differing policy and advocacy positions.
4. The Treasurer shall serve as a member of the executive board with the primary responsibility of maintaining the organization’s financial security and appropriately handling all fiscal matters. Expenditures will be recorded by the treasurer and reported to the WVU School of Medicine Department of Student Services.
5. The Secretary shall serve as a member of the executive board and record both pertinent information discussed at executive board meetings as well as the attendance of organizational events.
6. The Charleston and Eastern Liaisons will coordinate events across campuses with the Morgantown officers as well as communicate ideas that could benefit the school as a whole. They can also help plan events exclusively for their own respective campuses.
7. The Charleston Event Coordinators will help plan meetings in Charleston and coordinate events with local venues.
8. The MS2 Liaisons will communicate the MS2/MS1 schedules with the Executive Board as well as help coordinate events with the MS1 and MS2 classes.
9. All members of the governing board must be in good academic standing.
Officer Appointments
1. Candidates shall submit written requests for officer positions at the end of the executive board’s term.
2. The presiding executive board members shall appoint the subsequent officers based on organizational attendance, participation, and dedication to the purpose of this organization.
Amendments
1. An amendment proposed by a member will be passed after acquiring three-quarters of the votes of the organization’s voting members.