Chapter Report – Fall 2011
American Medical Writers Association
North Central Chapter
Chapter Report – Fall 2011
Officers (October 2011 through September 2012)
Past President: Michael Franklin
President: Karen Steinhilber
President-Elect: Theresa King-Hunter
Co-Secretary: Mary Pat McGinnis and Carolyn Peterson
Treasurer: Alexandra Woods
Committee Chairs
Finance Committee: Michele Burlew
Membership Committee: Stephanie Kuohujoki
Program Committee: Marty Swain
Publications Committee: Deborah Sugerman
Editorial Assistant: Linda Raab
LinkedIn Subgroup Manager: Mary Van Beusekom
Membership
Number of members: 138 (as of September 9, 2011)
The chapter’s territory includes Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and northern Wisconsin.
Financial Status
The account balance on August 31, 2011 was $17,755.01.
Events and Meetings
AMWA Book Club: AMWA members meet periodically for lunch at a Minneapolis restaurant to discuss books related to medical writing and health issues (attendance: 5 to 6). Mary Knatterud coordinates the book club. For 2011, the group’s books are the following:
(1) Monday, January 31: Listening to Prozac: The Landmark Book about Antidepressants and the Remaking of the Self by Peter D. Kramer
(2) Monday, April 25: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
(3) Monday, September 26: Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA by Maryn McKenna (author will be present to join the discussion)
For 2012, the group’s books will be:
(1) Monday, January 30: W;t, the Pulitzer-winning play by Margaret Edson
(2) Monday, April 30: Mount Misery by Samuel Shem (pseudonym of psychiatrist Stephen Bergman)
Southern Minnesota Area AMWA Writers and Editors Discussion Group: AMWA members and interested writers and editors in the Rochester area meet for lunch and discussion at Mayo Clinic in Rochester on the fourth Friday every other month (attendance: 4 to 8).
Twin Cities Area AMWA Writers and Editors Discussion Group: AMWA members and interested writers and editors in the Twin Cities area meet for lunch and discussion at the Overflow Espresso Café in Minneapolis on a Wednesday four times per year (attendance: 3 to 5). Michele Burlew organizes the Discussion Group.
Meeting dates for 2011 are:
(1) Wednesday, February 16
(2) Wednesday, March 16
(3) Wednesday, July 20
(4) Wednesday, November 16
Meeting dates for 2012 are TBD.
North Central Chapter Freelancers Group: AMWA freelance members are invited to attend a new monthly meeting that is designed to foster networking and discussion among AMWA North Central freelancers. It meets once a month in the Twin Cities at different times and places in order to accommodate a variety of schedules. Leslie Charles coordinates the Freelancers Group.
Spring Chapter Meeting: The spring 2011 chapter program was held in the Masonic Cancer Research Building (MCRB) conference room at the University of Minnesota on Saturday, April 30, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Regulatory Writing. The program was free of charge and open to AMWA members and nonmembers. Following the program, attendees were invited to walk to a nearby restaurant for lunch and social time.
Program Description
What, exactly, is regulatory writing and how is it changing? Is this a field you might want to get involved in, and would you be qualified? How are changes at the FDA and in the regulatory environment itself impacting your work today, and how will they impact the many Minnesota medical device companies? North Central AMWA chapter member Joy Frestedt, PhD, RAC, CCTI, who has 30 years of regulatory experience, will be our speaker. Her talk will appeal to novices and those familiar with regulatory writing alike.
Fall Chapter Meeting: The Program Committee is pleased to invite AMWA members and their guests to the fall 2011 chapter program: What’s Your Brand? How to Market Yourself as More Than Your Resume. The event will be held at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., including time for an optional box lunch. The program is free of charge; lunch is Dutch treat.
Program Description
Joe Ruhland, a performance strategist with YourTime Performance Group, will help participants explore the brand they represent and begin to construct a plan to reinforce or renovate that brand. His workshop will be followed by a speed networking session so that participants can practice conveying their brand in a fun and non-threatening way.
Web Site
The chapter continues to add content to the redesigned Web site to further its role as an important communication vehicle for the membership. Profiles of AMWA members are published nearly every month; these articles highlight the varied career paths of current medical writers. The Web site also serves to publicize upcoming events and as a document archive. A password-protected part of the site contains historical documents (eg, attendance records, meeting minutes, financial reports) for reference by the Executive Committee.
The chapter also continues to provide an e-mail service for local chapter members that forwards announcements of local freelance opportunities and job openings. A new form on the Web site allows potential employers (freelance or otherwise) to describe open positions. These descriptions will then be e-mailed only to those who have asked to receive these announcements.
Newsletter
A monthly newsletter that contains member profiles, chapter news and upcoming events continues to be published on the chapter Web site. Complete newsletters are archived online. In 2011, the Publications Committee also began publishing an editing challenge in the monthly newsletter, posting answers the following month. The chapter also created a new position, Editorial Assistant, responsible for coordinating between the Publications Committee Chair and the Secretary to post the newsletter in WordPress.
Outreach
The Membership Committee continues to focus its efforts on welcoming and orienting new members, on making contact with lapsed members, and on working with local universities and colleges to let students know about AMWA. In January 2011, the Membership Committee created a chapter subgroup on LinkedIn. 2011-2012 will be the first time money has specifically been set aside for advertising in an effort to attract new potential members.
Submitted by Karen Steinhilber
September 22, 2011
