Governance

Apply to serve on SCCM's Council and learn the rules, strategic plans, and history of SCCM.

Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) adheres to the strictest nonprofit governance practices. Learn about the Council nomination policy, understand the Society's member structure and bylaws, view the strategic plan, and chart the history of critical care and SCCM.

Submitting SCCM Council Nominations

All SCCM voting members are eligible to respond to the call for leadership and are encouraged to submit a nomination.

Nominations are open from June 1 through July 31.

SCCM Council terms are three years in duration and include both at-large and designated seats. Designated seats were established to ensure consistent representation and input from the Society’s major specialties. These seats are assigned to the following sections: Anesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Internal Medicine, Nursing, Pediatrics, Neuroscience, Emergency Medicine, and Surgery. An additional designated seat, the collective seat, represents the remaining specialties.

Elections for designated seats are staggered to promote continuity, preserve institutional knowledge from prior Council deliberations, and allow for the introduction of new perspectives.

The Nominations Policy recommends that each section nominates at least two, and generally no more than three, willing candidates for each designated seat. Nominations for designated seats may also be submitted by the general membership. Candidates for at-large seats may be nominated by the sections or the general membership.

Meet the Current SCCM Council

Download the SCCM Nomination Policy

Submitting Strategic Planning Proposals

SCCM members play a crucial role in cultivating new ideas and initiatives. Submitting a strategic planning proposal is one way to engage with SCCM and be a part of its mission to improve critical care.

The process for submitting proposals has been revised to increase the probability of acceptance by ensuring that the submitted proposals are appropriately aligned with the strategies outlined by the SCCM Council and are completed with the assistance of staff and volunteer leadership. The revised process begins with the submission of a letter of intent (LOI) for a proposal.

LOIs are accepted year-round and can be completed in the portal. To be considered for the Society’s 2027 fiscal year, LOIs should be received by January 4, 2028. Any proposals received after this date will be considered for the 2029 fiscal year.

Submit a Strategic Planning Proposal

Download the SCCM Strategic Plan

The Strategic Planning Management Committee (SPMC) will evaluate the submitted LOIs and invite full proposals that meet the criteria. Individuals who are selected to submit a full proposal will be assigned a staff partner and a volunteer member of the SPMC to assist in completing the proposal. Through this process, the staff partner and/or SPMC member can advise and guide the submitting individual or team to ensure that the project is feasible and consistent with the mission and vision of SCCM.

Below are some frequently asked questions and background information to support your efforts in generating strong proposals.

Who can submit an LOI?

Any SCCM member, specialty section, committee, or knowledge education group can submit an LOI.

Where and when do I start? What is the process?

Submit LOIs through the online submission process. Once logged in, collaborators can be added so others can assist with the completion of the LOI. An LOI can be submitted at any time using the online portal. LOIs received after February 15 will not be considered for the upcoming fiscal year (beginning January 1) but instead will be held until the following year. SCCM encourages early submission to allow more time for full proposal development and assistance by SCCM staff and/or SPMC members.

What happens after my LOI is submitted?

The SPMC will review the LOIs and invite qualifying proposals, which will be due March 1. These proposals will be reviewed, ranked, and submitted to SCCM Council for approval, then submitted to the SCCM Finance Committee for incorporation into the budget, which Council approves in September each year. Submitters will be notified of the proposal’s status after the September Council meeting.

What makes a strong proposal?

Comprehensive programs that address a topic or issue in one of the areas identified below can serve as a starting point for LOIs. LOIs that address other areas can also be submitted, but focusing on the following topics will increase the likelihood of acceptance. Ideally, the program should last three to five years and ultimately be self-sustaining or come to a natural conclusion.

Workforce and clinician well-being: Addressing the evolving workforce, including the expanded critical care team (e.g., advanced practice providers and physicians from noncritical care backgrounds) and the need to train, onboard, and provide professional development tools for multiprofessional clinicians, as well as methods to prevent and manage burnout and improve wellness.
Quality improvement: Ideas for quality improvement such as methods to advocate for resources from hospital administration to address important patient care needs such as post-intensive care syndrome and implementation of the ICU Liberation Bundle (A-F) and pain, agitation/sedation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption (PADIS) guidelines. Other initiatives in this area include methods for creating the business case for critical care and training on how to present that to administration.
Resource shortages: Strategies to address shortages of such resources as medications, ICU beds, and clinicians, and underresourced ICUs in rural or urban areas in developed countries. Specific examples could include the use of telemedicine, mentoring programs, or amending current programming to make applicable to underresourced areas.

What are the budget limitations?

Proposals have been funded with budgets ranging from a few thousand to several hundred thousand dollars. Your staff partner will assist with the budget. The budget must be included with the full proposal but is not required for the LOI.

What criteria are used for scoring?

Some of criteria the committee uses to judge each submission are:

Value to members
Significance of the topic and originality (Is the topic being addressed by other programs or organizations?)
Diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations, including the writing group and impact on SCCM's diverse constituencies
Financial viability
Feasibility of completion by members and staff

How can I ensure that my proposal is aligned with SCCM’s mission?

SCCM’s mission is to secure the highest-quality care for all critically ill and injured patients. SCCM’s members further this mission through activities that involve diverse representation and a multiprofessional approach.

Ask yourself:

Will the project promote the mission and vision of SCCM?
Is the project unique?
Is SCCM competent to accomplish the project?
What is the probability of success?

It also helps to be knowledgeable about SCCM’s organizational guiding principles:

Promote a healing, safe, and effective critical care environment for patients, their families, and caregivers wherever critical care occurs across the healthcare continuum
Promote the implementation of an integrated team of dedicated experts in the ICU for delivery of the highest-quality, safest, most effective, and most cost-efficient critical care
Advocate to patients, the public, and policymakers that critical care is a compassionate, patient-centered discipline
Advocate for career pathways in both research and clinical critical care that will attract and retain a quality team of personnel dedicated to improving the care of critically ill and injured patients
Provide the finest education for healthcare professionals, the public, and policymakers regarding optimal delivery of critical care
Promote and support quality research into all aspects of critical illness and injury
Promote measurement of outcomes and processes to inform and improve patient care
Promote member participation in quality improvement activities
Foster development of critical care practitioners and leaders

Can I submit a Congress session proposal using this method?

No, proposals for Congress sessions follow a different process and are not considered by the SPMC.

SCCM Bylaws

In recent years, those interested in nonprofit accountability and transparency, including policymakers, the media, and the public, have increasingly focused on nonprofit organizations. Legislative reforms have been proposed, and nonprofit organizations are calling on their members to review and strengthen nonprofit governance practices. SCCM has instituted many policies and procedures to ensure effective and transparent governance. It is important for our elected leaders and volunteers to be familiar with these policies and procedures.

Download the SCCM Bylaws

The History of SCCM and Critical Care

In 2020, SCCM celebrated its 50th anniversary! Explore the history of the Society and its influence on critical care. Head over to sccm.org/50years to share your favorite SCCM memories, learn more about the founders, and see how far the specialty has come!