​Name of Association


Approved name: Middle East Association of Health Informatics- Nursing Informatics (MEAHI-NI )

​
Relationship


MEAHI-NI is nonprofit organization of a special interest group for nursing informatics.
Board members include one representative from each country in the Middle East and North Africa. The board president will be elected 2 years for 2 terms only. This members will be representative for each their countries.
The focus of MEAHI-NI is to foster collaboration among nurses and others who are interested in nursing informatics to facilitate development in the field.  We aim to share knowledge, experience and ideas with nurses and healthcare providers in the Middle East and worldwide about the practice of nursing informatics and the benefits of enhanced information management.



Seat



The seat of the MEAHI-NI shall be the same as that of its Chairperson.



Membership



• National Members: There will be nurse informatics from the county members.The role of the MEAHI-NI national members would include:

1. Representing the own country’s view about NI discipline
2. Assisting MEAHI-NI achieve its objectives by recognizing, supporting, initiating Nursing Informatics events in his or her own country
3. Sharing knowledge, expertise and developments plus difficulties and needs in the NI discipline
4. Promoting a multi-disciplinary collaborative approach to informatics in health care and demonstrating sensitivity to the contributions that other disciplines make.
5. Serving effectively on MEAHI-NI
6. Considering hosting a symposium or workshop in his or her own country and recognizing the unique opportunity this offers to the nursing profession in the host country.

• Institutional Members: any institution, hospital, or organization, working with the field of nursing informatics or related fields, may become an institutional member of MEAHI-NI .
• Associate Members: Associate members to MEAHI-NI from nonmember countries can be honored by the chairperson on MEAHI-NI upon recommendation by the Executive Committee based on defined criteria.. roles follow the same role of the National members
• Honorary Members: upon the recommendation of the executive committee the MEAHI-NI appoints honorary members. Past chairpersons are automatically honorary members.
• Observers: Observers to MEAHI-NI from non-member countries can be honored by the chairperson on MEAHI-NI upon recommendation by the Executive Committee.

The Officers



MEAHI-NI has an Executive Committee with five officers. In selecting officers both experience in health care informatics and are willing to serve on that committee and selected from the Regional Members.
Term of office
The term of the office shall be three years and can be renewed only for another term after voting in general assembly.  
Nominating Committee (Electoral College)
The nominating committee is appointed for a three-year period by the General Assembly. The Committee consists of at least two members, a past chairperson and one regional member.  The nominating committee will seek nominations for vice chair roles and the chair elect that will succeed the chair.



​The Role of the Chairperson



Appointment

The nominating committee shall propose the next chair from a current vice chair to be agreed by the members of MEAHI-NI in a general assembly meeting. Should more than one vice chair be suitable and seek election to become chair, a vote of regional members would be made at the General Assembly. The chair elect will be appointed 3 months before the term commences.The Chairperson of MEAHI-NI is appointed by General Assembly on recommendation of the Assembly.

The Role
The Chairperson has both a reactive and a strategic role.
The reactive role would include:



• Promoting the exploration of the scope of nursing informatics with and through the group.
• Noting when new countries or institutions are joining MEAHI-NI , making links with the IMIA members and, through the national nursing and professional computer associations, seeking a nurse member to represent the country.
• Giving support to MEAHI-NI members and their nursing contacts.
• Recognizing the potential of group members and playing a facilitative role in putting this to good use.
• Initiating meetings in conjunction with other Health Informatics Groups to maximize the opportunity of group members being together and to minimize costs.
• Ensure that developments and achievements identified in a particular country or working group are shared with the group as a whole.
• Identifying nursing informatics problems and needs that are common across countries and lead an appropriate response.
• Recognize the need to initiate and facilitate publications and to use appropriate influence to get publications out.

The strategic role would include:



• Leading the development of an IMIA-NI strategic plan that meets the aims and objectives of the group, ensuring implementation and monitoring of achievements.
• Prioritizing nursing informatics issues to be addressed by the group.
• Initiating appropriate task force meetings for specific purposes.
• Ensuring that conferences are sensitive to the wider issues of health care, major new informatics initiatives and the multi-disciplinary health care team approach.
• Ensuring that working conferences undertake a wider exploration of specific issues that are appropriately chosen for their current relevance and future significance.
• Recognizing the vast expertise of the group members that this makes the group a formidable source of knowledge, skills and expertise and ensure that this is channeled to meet the IMIA-NI’s vision, aims and objectives.

The Role of the Vice Chairpersons



Appointment

The nominating committee shall propose vice chairs from current national members to be agreed by the members of MEAHI-NI in a General Assembly meeting. Should more than one regional member be suitable and seek election to become a vice chair, a vote of national members would be made at the General Assembly.
Role of the vice chair, administration/treasury, would include:



• Knowing what funds are available from MEAHI-NI .
• Generating income to improve the financial state of the group.
• Keeping adequate records of meetings and looking ahead, ensuring meeting agendas are prepared and communicated in advance

Role of the vice chair, communications, would include:



• Promoting and follow up on the group’s activities regionally and across MEAHI-NI members.
• Acting as a conduit between the Executive Committee, Working Group Chairs and members, and ensuring they are properly informed
• coordinate maintaining the website and using other communication media to disseminate information and ensure the nursing informatics and the nursing community are informed of the groups strategies, activities and plans.

Role of the vice chair, membership, would include:



• Ensuring new members have adequate information about the operation of the group.
• Encouraging new membership from the nursing informatics community.
• Maintaining a Membership Database.

Role of the vice chair, working groups, would include:

• Supporting the development of new working groups.
• Co-ordinating regular report on the activities of the working group.
• Ensuring publication of working groups activities.

​The Operation


The governing and advisory bodies of MEAHI-NI shall be:



• The Assembly
• The Executive Committee
• Standing and ad hoc Advisory Committees 

The scientific activities of MEAHI-NI will be channeled through:



• Scientific and Technical Committees
• Working Groups

MEAHI-NI does not take into account the political or social aspects of its member organizations, because MEAHI-NI is totally dedicated to the transfer of scientific and technical information and experience.



The Assembly



Composition

The Assembly shall be composed of the Executive Committee (Chair and 4 Vice Chairs) one representative from each MEAHI-NI Member Country (National Members), Honorary Members, Institutional Members, Working Group Chairs, Associate Members and Observers.
The Vice Chairs are accountable for secretarial and treasury roles plus further accountabilities as defined by the current chair. The National Members of MEAHI-NI should be encouraged to serve for a minimum period of three years.

Voting rights

Only National Members of MEAHI-NI have full voting rights in the Assembly and represent only one vote per country. The Chair has a casting vote if required. The Assembly shall be able to conduct business if at least eight Executive Committee and/or National Members are present or represented by proxy (nominated and previously defined by each national member).

Meetings
The Assembly shall decide on the dates and the places of its meetings.

Notice of meetings
The meeting will be held 4 times every year. The Vice Chair, Administration/Treasurer shall send a predefined agenda in: Mid-January, Mid April, Mid July, and Mid October. The Agenda should be sent one month ahead of each meeting. Specific dates for each years meeting need to be defined during the first meeting in the year.

Waiver of notice
No business other than that included in the agenda for the meeting shall be transacted at any such meeting except by special consideration of the Executive Committee or if by two-third-majority vote.

Minutes of the Assembly
The minutes of one meeting of the Assembly as submitted by the Vice Chair, Administration/Treasurer shall be approved by the Assembly at its next meeting.



International Conferences on Nursing Informatics



MEAHI-NI shall organize an international conference every two years with the aim to present the status of Health/ Nursing/ Informatics in the region.

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MEAHI-NI Working Groups

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An MEAHI-NI working group is established by the Assembly upon the submission of the proposed scope of the working group and shall deliver whatever result is decided at a specific time. The term of a working group shall be decided by the Assembly. 
A working group consists of experts selected and assigned, without consideration of nationality, to work in a specified area. Membership in a working group is not restricted to MEAHI-NI members 
The Chairperson of a working group is elected by the Assembly upon recommendation of the Executive Committee. The term of office of the Working Group Chairperson is three years but can be renewed for one further three year period.
The Chairperson of the working group may designate a Vice Chairperson and a Secretary with the approval of the working group members.
The Chairperson of the Working Group shall report to the Executive Committee via the Vice Chair, Working Groups twice a year. If no report has been delivered on two consecutive occasions the working group shall be restructured.

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Publication

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Publication by MEAHI-NI or its Working Groups in the MEAHI-NI of MEAHI-NI may be made only after authorization of the MEAHI-NI predefined Publication Committee that includes editorials. After approval the publication becomes an official MEAHI-NI publication.



Last updated on December 15 2012