SGO Standardizes Committee Structure for Member Volunteer Groups
On July 15, the SGO Board of Directors approved the SGO Policy 3.9 Transition from a Taskforce to a Committee to standardize the Society’s committee structure. This recent change impacted several SGO volunteer taskforces and pods. As a result, three existing taskforces have transitioned to full committees, and ten existing taskforces and Education Committee pods have transitioned to subcommittees.
Warner K. Huh, MD, Chair of the SGO Governance Committee, has approved the following transitions from taskforce to full committee:
- Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce is now the Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity Committee
- Wellness Taskforce is now the Wellness Committee
- Palliative Care Taskforce is now the Palliative Care Committee
Additionally, all four Health Policy and Socioeconomic Committee (HPSE) taskforces are now subcommittees:
- Coding and Reimbursement
- Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
- Policy, Quality and Outcomes
- Future of Physician Payment Reform
And all six Education Committee pods are now subcommittees:
- Chemotherapy
- Compliance
- ConnectEd
- Opioid/ERAS
- Surgical Education
- Targeted Therapies
According to SGO Policy, a taskforce is formed if there is an objective that can be achieved in a relatively short period of time. SGO taskforces are eligible to become committees if they meet the following criteria:
- The scope of work of a taskforce is ongoing—the work is no longer time-limited
- The purpose of the taskforce must be aligned with SGO mission and strategic plan
- The work of a taskforce is integral to the core values of SGO
Dr. Huh explained that it was the Board’s opinion that certain taskforces should be transitioned to full committee status given their importance of the function of SGO and its members.
“I look forward to seeing these groups deliver educational and practical content to our members so that they can more effectively take care of our patients and serve as pillars and leaders of their medical community, particularly in the areas of cancer care and women’s health,” said Dr. Huh. “When requests for volunteers come out, please put your name in. SGO would simply not exist without its volunteers.”