Chapters - Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA)

Chapter Listing

Chapter meetings and other educational and social events held throughout the year feature well-respected speakers who address a range of pertinent and timely topics impacting the Sterile Processing (SP) profession. Vendor sponsors and exhibitors are also often on hand to educate attendees and share their latest product and service offerings. Collectively, chapter involvement affords an opportunity for SP professionals to build enduring relationships with their peers while engaging in satisfying professional development programs that advance the SP discipline, and foster continued chapter growth and success.

To locate a chapter near you, click your local state on this interactive map, or click on the state listing below. States pictured in green do not currently have a chapter.

US Chapter Map 9.7.17

International Chapters: China Chapter of IAHCSMM • Central Sterile Processing Association of Ghana • Pakistan Chapter of IAHCSMM • Taiwan Chapter of IAHCSMM

Managing Your Local Chapter

Guidelines

All HSPA constituent chapters act autonomously and are responsible for providing programs of regional interest, collecting local dues, and handling all business relevant to the chapter.

Chapters must submit an Annual Chapter Recharter to continue affiliation with HSPA. See further details in the section below.

HSPA currently has constituent chapters in the U.S. and abroad. Each chapter appoints or elects a liaison to HSPA. This is usually the chapter President. This member represents the chapter on the Chapter Committee. If a chapter has 300 or more active members, they will be allowed to have a maximum of two committee members from the same constituent chapter. Elected officers of constituent chapters must be active members of HSPA.

HSPA headquarters receives several inquiries regarding chapter activities. To help answer these questions chapters should provide headquarters staff with:

Changes in officers and contact information
Updates of chapter information posted on the HSPA website
Dates and brochures of any upcoming chapter programs

Resources

Chapter representatives can access information that will provide answers to "easy" problems so you will not need to spend time "re-inventing the wheel" with issues confronting all (or almost all) other local chapters.

_{Please note: You must be logged in as an HSPA chapter representative to view available guidelines and documents. Please ensure the top of the page shows you are logged in.}

Chapter Resource Documents

Speaker Request Form

Annual Recharter Process

Deadline: February 1 (annually)

All HSPA Chapters are required to complete the Annual Chapter Recharter by February 1st to continue affiliation with HSPA. The Annual Recharter process was developed to:

Demonstrate you are an active Chapter and meeting the requirements of a Constituent Chapter of HSPA
Readily identify your current Board and Chapter Members
Make note of the activity level of your Chapter
Maintain accurate records of your bylaws, in accordance with the Association's bylaws

All Chapters submitting a Recharter will be eligible to win a Chapter of the Year Award. These Awards recognize an HSPA Chapter that has significantly advanced and embraced the SP profession. Winners of each category will receive an engraved plaque, plus $1,500 from the STERIS Corporation. There are three categories for the Chapter of the Year Award:

Large Chapter of the Year – Chapters with over 150 members
Medium Chapter of the Year - Chapters with 50-150 members
Small Chapter of the Year – Chapters with under 50 members

Chapter of the Year Awards Sponsored By: Steris

Instructions for Submission

STEP 1: Access the Recharter Form

Recharter Form

STEP 2: Complete the form and submit to HSPA by email, fax, or mail

STEP 3: Once approved, your Chapter will receive a waived registration for the designated Chapter Representative to attend the HSPA Annual Conference & Expo

Questions?: Contact chapters@myhspa.org

General Information: Form a Chapter with HSPA

Please Note: HSPA is currently in the process of assessing our strategy for chapter development to best serve our communities. New chapter applications are on hold until this assessment is complete. Please check back for further information. In the meantime, please direct all inquiries to chapters@myhspa.org.

All HSPA Constituent Chapters act autonomously. They are responsible for providing programs of regional interest, collecting local dues and handling all business relevant to the chapter. Programs may take the form of educational, commercial or social as warranted by the local chapter program committee.

Interested in Establishing a Local Chapter?

HSPA-sponsored meetings are a great way to learn the basics of the Sterile Processing (SP) discipline and keep up with advances within the profession. However, attendance at these national or regional meetings typically requires the time and cost commitment for travel to, often, distant meeting site locations.

HSPA local chapters provide additional opportunities to learn and network on a closer-to-home and more frequent basis. Like the national meetings, local chapter sessions can be educational and enjoyable and, with your team of dedicated and creative leaders and other volunteers, they will be.

Why is an active HSPA chapter important to you and other SP professionals in your area? Several reasons include:

Information learned and shared will benefit the members' healthcare facilities.
A localized network of SP professionals will be formed, and members can help each other to address their departments' challenges.
Meetings allow professionals with common interests to enjoy social opportunities.
Attendance at approved chapter educational sessions provides additional opportunities for members to earn re-certification points.

In many areas, SP professionals already know some of their peers in other facilities because they meet at seminars, hospital open-houses, local training programs, or other meetings. They use these venues as opportunities to share ideas and to keep up with the world of healthcare in general and, more specifically, the SP profession. For many, these informal conversations lead to the question: "Why don't we organize a more formal and ongoing method to interact with other SP professionals?" This idea about forming an HSPA chapter can then lead to the process of determining if others are interested in establishing an HSPA local chapter.

Needs Assessment Survey

A needs assessment survey can help to assess the extent of interest in chapter formation, and a simple survey that can be distributed (emailed) to those in nearby facilities is shown below. Note: State hospital associations can assist with mailing lists for initial contacts, and vendors who visit many hospitals may also be able to provide contact information, if necessary. It will be helpful if members of the chapter organizing team who know some potential members contact potential members in advance of the survey to review the potential benefits of an HSPA local chapter and to indicate that the survey will be forthcoming.

If survey results suggest significant potential interest, the next step can be to schedule a date and time for an informational meeting and to send out a notice indicating that the purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the formation of the local chapter. The agenda can include:

A discussion about the purpose of and possible activities to be sponsored by the local chapter.
A review of a local chapter's possible bylaws.

Sample Needs Assessment Survey

Local Chapter FAQs

Local Chapter Officer Duties

Examples of the basic duties and responsibilities of local chapter officers on the local chapter's board are provided below:

All Board Members:

Agree to serve for the time of their appointment, if possible.
Attend the majority of board meetings and contribute ideas to benefit the local chapter.
Serve as a chairperson or coordinator on a local chapter committee if requested by the President.
Participate in projects of the local chapter if requested by the President. Note: The Immediate Past President may serve as an advisor to the board because of his/her past experience with the local chapter.

The President:

The President should be familiar with the local chapter's bylaws and should have a basic understanding of parliamentary procedure; however, it is important to be tactful and use "common sense," especially with small groups and when board members are not familiar with parliamentary procedure.
Other potential duties and responsibilities of the President may include:
- Assist board members in the planning and scheduling of chapter meetings.
- Coordinate correspondence with the local chapter secretary.
- Consistently comply with local chapter bylaws.
- Coordinate the formulation of a proposed annual budget.
- Coordinate the development of short- and long-term goals and the plans to attain them.

Guidelines for Chapter Presidents

The Vice President:

Assist the President with his/her responsibilities when requested to do so.
Act as chairperson, coordinator, or advisor on committees as appointed by the President.

The Secretary:

Write appreciation letters to speakers, those organizing meetings, and the representatives of facilities that sponsor meetings.
Assure the BYLAW amendments and/or additions are recorded in the bylaws.
Maintain each member's activity record.
Send a welcoming letter and membership certificate to new members and maintain a record of certificates distributed.
Gather information from surveys and studies and develop this input into a report form.

The Treasurer:

Maintain a balanced checkbook and proof of receipts, bills, bank statements, and other financial records.
Assure that paid members have a current membership card.
Prepare renewal notices to be sent to members.
Submit records to auditors as directed by the local chapter's board.
Develop reports of receipts, advertisements, assets, liabilities, and cash balances.

Legal Disclaimer

The HSPA Executive Board approved the following chapter disclaimer on March 4, 2011: "HSPA is an Illinois corporation exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code. Although HSPA's bylaws make provision for participation by "constituent chapters," HSPA's corporate standing is separate and independent of each of those chapters. As such, HSPA has no involvement in, direction over, or responsibility for the business affairs of any chapter. Each chapter is responsible for overseeing and conducting its operations, including without limitation: establishing its organizational existence in compliance with any applicable state law, seeking independent tax-exempt status separate from HSPA; maintaining its own financial accounts, books and records; and submitting its own tax filings independent of HSPA. As a matter of policy, HSPA refrains from any interference in any of the business affairs of any of its constituents so as to, inter alia, specifically preserve the separate and independent identities of the organizations. The only standard to which constituent chapters are held by HSPA is that, as a member of HSPA, the chapter acts in compliance with the bylaws and objectives of HSPA. As such, HSPA disclaims any responsibility, legal or otherwise, for any matter, claim or dispute involving, arising from, or relating to any of the activities or business affairs or operations of any of its constituent chapters."

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