The Board of Directors last month adopted a new policy to guide ATS on when to issue public statements in response to global current events.
The framework incorporates a scorecard consisting of multiple criteria that will be rated by members of the executive committee and other leaders on a scale of 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating a greater likelihood of making a public statement. Led by Erin DeMartino, MD, ATSF the framework was developed after months of study and discussion by members of the Ethics and Conflicts of Interest, Environmental Health and Health Policy Committees along with ATS advocacy and communications staff. These criteria include mission alignment, impacted parties, and ATS’s authority on the topic.
The scorecard is not a decision-making tool, but rather a starting point for discussion and deliberation within the ATS. The goal is to have a transparent and inclusive process that involves different perspectives and considers various factors.
The framework is currently being beta-tested, and feedback from the ATS membership will be incorporated to refine the scorecard in future iterations. The aim is to have a process that promotes accountability, transparency, and the best interests of the ATS and its members.
