The Employer has an interest in facilitating the participation of House Officers on certain committees, for the purpose of enhancing both the House Officer's professional development and the work of the committee. The Association may appoint House Officers to represent the Association on specified committees, as set forth in this Article. Prior to accepting an appointment by the HOA to serve as its representative to a committee, or as the alternate representative, the House Officer will notify their Program Director of the anticipated committee appointment and the committee's meeting schedule and will identify any potential schedule or work assignment obligations that could interfere with regular meeting attendance. The Program Director will, if necessary, meet with the House Officer to discuss how meeting attendance may be accommodated. The Program Director will thereafter make all reasonable efforts to accommodate the House Officer's attendance at committee meetings.

The Association will have the ability to appoint two (2) members to serve on the GMEC. Two (2) additional seats on the GMEC will be selected through a general election process conducted by the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office. Each House Officer member of the GMEC would receive a vote on the committee.

The following categories of committees shall have one (1) seat allotted for an HOA appointed representative for each committee contained within:

1. Executive Committee on Clinical Affairs (ECCA) and ECCA subcommittees.
2. Hospital OR Committees
3. GMEC subcommittees.
4. Other: MiChart Clinical Advisory Committee (MCAC), Clinic Radiation subcommittee, Critical Care Steering Committee, Health System Clinical Quality Committee (HSCQC), VA Partnership Affiliation Committee, VA Health Professional Education Committee.

For committees referenced in paragraph 264, the Association may appoint one (1) alternate House Officer who will be eligible to participate in meetings if and only if the primary HOA representative is unable to attend a scheduled meeting. The alternate will be identified by name, added to the master committee member list, and shall be the only Association alternate eligible to participate should the primary HOA representative be unavailable. When the alternative representative will attend the committee meeting, the alternative representative will provide advance notice to the committee chair, if practicable.

The Employer is committed to supporting the participation of House Officers appointed by the Association to committees and will explore for the use of technology to enhance opportunities for participation.

The Association reserves the right for final selection and/or approval for each Employee committee member when said Employee committee member will, in general, serve as an Association representative. At least one Association-endorsed (1) Employee member shall be designated to each committee listed above, with the exception of the GME Committee. In addition to the Association appointed representative, the Employer reserves the right to appoint any additional House Officers to any committees as it deems appropriate.

Only the Employer shall appoint a House Officer to each of the following committees:

1. GME Special Review Committee
2. Credentialing and Privileging Committee
3. Clinical Review Committee

It is understood that the voting rights of the Employee committee members may vary by committee, and members on a committee shall, in general, have one (1) vote, except in the case of Employee members of the GME Committee, or when otherwise mutually agreed upon by both the Employee member(s) and the respective Committee Chair.

Association appointed members will brief the Association on updates from committee meetings as needed. Minutes, communications, and agendas of committees containing an Association member will be available upon request to the Association Administrator.

The Association shall furnish the Employer, with the names of the Employee member(s) it appoints to each of the listed committees. The Employer shall maintain an up-to-date master Committee member list and shall promptly notify the respective Committee Chair(s) of any Employee membership changes so that the appointed House Officers will receive timely communications regarding Committee meetings and business. At least annually, the Employer and Association shall meet to discuss committees containing an Association representative and whether the University has established new committees within the categories listed within paragraph 264.

For standing or ad-hoc committees, not referenced in paragraphs 264-268 of this Article, whose work is solely administrative or operational in nature, and does not concern clinical care or operations, or academic policy or issues, and the committee's scope of work is relevant to the working conditions of House Officers, the Association may appoint a House Officer representative, and shall promptly notify the Employer's contract administrator so that the representative may be added to the master Committee member list. In addition, or in the alternative to the House Officer representative attending, one Association staff member may attend the meetings described in this paragraph, with 48 hours' (in business days) prior notice to the Employer's HOA contract administrator and the committee chair.

In the event that a new committee is established, the Employer and the Association, by mutual agreement, may include an Association-endorsed Employee committee member on the new committee. If, by mutual agreement, it is decided that it is not necessary to appoint an Employee to a committee, alternative means for soliciting Employee input on issues of concern to the Employees and the Association shall be agreed upon mutually.

It is understood that when a committee agenda includes a subject concerning the Employer's relationship (existing or potential) with any union, or involves the administration of any collective bargaining agreement or wages or benefits for any Employee, whether or not members of this bargaining unit, Employees in attendance may be excused from that portion of the committee meeting by the Chair of the Committee.