Using a predetermined formula, the ONS Board of Directors annually evaluates membership dues to ensure the levels will enable the Society to continue to provide ONS members with the high-quality products, services, and resources they need to transform care for patients with cancer. Based on the formula, the Board decided to maintain dues at the 2019 level for 2020.
Here are some other key highlights and decisions the ONS Board made during its conference call on July 23, 2019.
Safe Handling Position Statement
The Ensuring Healthcare Worker Safety When Handling Hazardous Drugs position statement is a joint effort between the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) and ONS, originally released in 2015 to promote safety in healthcare workers who handle hazardous drugs. HOPA and ONS updated the position statement for 2019; the ONS Board approved the new version on its July conference call, and the HOPA Board of Directors approved it in August. It will be released later in the year.
Timeline for 2020 ONS Election
During its February 2019 meeting, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) conducted an evaluation of ONS’s governance election process. Currently, the election remains open for a total of six weeks; however, that timeline was set when the election was conducted mostly with paper ballots that were sent by mail. Now that election ballots are cast electronically, LDC proposed shortening the election from six weeks to four beginning with the 2020 ONS election in an effort to provide information to the selected candidates faster and to keep marketing materials from becoming stagnant. The ONS Board approved the policy change that the annual ONS election shall be open to eligible members for a period of approximately four weeks, commencing the first week of January each year.
For more information about other decisions the ONS Board made during its July 2019 conference call, visit ons.org/board-minutes.