2024 – April 11 – 12
Minutes: Board Meeting Nordic Fertility Society
| Date: | April 11 th -12 th 2024 |
| Location: | Grand Hotel Oslo, Karl Johans gate 31, |
| Invited: | Stina Järvholm (President), Astrid Helene Sydtveit (N), Steinunn Thorsteinsdottir (IC), Sirpa Mäkinen (FI), Niels Fuglede (S), Hans Ivar Hanevik (N), Kirsten Louise Tryde Macklon (DK), Antti Perheentupa (FI) Janni Vikkelsø Jeppesen (DFS), Hanna Savolainen-Peltonen (SFY), Åsmund Mjøen-Vigeland (NOFAB), Mats Brännström (SSRM) |
| Present in Oslo: | Stina Järvholm (President), Steinunn Thorsteinsdottir (IC) Hanna Savolainen-Peltonen (SFY), Åsmund Mjøen-Vigeland (NOFAB), Astrid Helene Sydtveit (N), Kirsten Louise Tryde Macklon (DK), Niels Fuglede (S) |
| Attending digital; Thursday meeting: | Mats Brännström (SSRM), Antti Perheentupa (FI), Janni Vikkelsø Jeppesen (DFS), Hans Ivar Hanevik (N) Hans Ivar also present at Friday discussion about the congress. |
| Co-opted: | Vice-president of NFS congress Anette Bergh present at discussion concerning the up-coming congress |
| Apologizes. | Sirpa Mäkinen (FI), |
- Welcome
- Secretary of the meeting
Steinunn Thorsteinsdottir/Stina Järvholm - Upcoming NFS congress in Oslo (Hans Ivar/Anette)
Up till today almost 100 persons have registered, mostly speakers, sponsors or other invited such as the board. The registration so far among members are slow. The early-bird cost ends at April 30th. We discussed how we to a greater extent can inform potential participants about the congress. The national societies will increase their activity in reminding.
We discussed pros and cons with encourage non-members of other countries or for example patients’ organizations to join the congress. We did not solve this question.
We agreed that we will not control those who register to see if they are members or not. We will give the benefit of the doubt and if problem regarding this arise, we will handle it along the way.
Concerning the sponsors most of the slots are taken. Some voices have been raised that the sponsor fee is too expensive. We agreed to stick with the original plan for sponsors for now. We elaborated on different models to fulfill the plan for complete sponsorship.
As we stand today budget does not end up in a positive result. We discussed that NFS this time may have to handle a minus. We elaborated on how we can cut back costs even more and the local board is looking into this. The circumstances for organizing the congress have change rapidly since last time and this we need to bear in mind for upcoming meetings. Most likely we will in a greater extent do things the layman-way in the future and chose venue/collaborations with lower budget.
The chairs will be two at every session and the board can help by looking at registered members to get representatives from all countries. It is also a good idea to use the board and the invited speakers for this task.
Regarding abstract submitted we agree that the chosen should pay for the congress/travel/accommodation by themselves. A price will be given to best oral (10 000 DKK) and poster (free congress next time). Antti and Kirsten will make themselves available for advice to the local board in the selection process. Important that two board members chair the oral session and that at least two are present at the poster promenade. The posters should be presented digital, and we would like a screen in the main hall or in the Bronze hall were they are viable during all the congress.
For the assembly Stina will send out the agenda to be shared by national societies and be published on the home page. Good if some/all can go through the by-laws and see if we will ask for changes. At least the following will need to change:
§2.The objectives of the society are:
8. To invite and be responsible for arranging Nordic summer meetings with not less than 24 months´ interval and in uneven years (second revision, Sept 2013).§4.
Their term of office for the national representatives shall be 2 years with the possibility of one re-appointment for a maximum of 4 years.
I also see in the by-laws that we can appoint honorable members, maybe that’s a good idea to make people aware of NFS?
Stina we will write the activity report and Astrid the financial report.
Next congress will be held in Iceland or Denmark. This decision needs to be ready before the congress. We discussed pros and cons with different solutions.
- Reports from national societies
All the societies have noted the changed financial situation affecting reproductive medicine and that there are in a higher degree a hard time for members to be out from work for example educations etc. All countries have recently had or are up to the national meetings in April. Despite this all national meetings so far have been very well attendant. In varied degrees the societies have been focusing lately on finding ways to collaborate with the surrounding society about for example changes in laws, the question about surrogacy and numbers of treatment cycles that could be offered within the public system. - Financial situation (Astrid)
Stable however we need to adjust our work to the change financial situation both for the clinics as well as global.
We agreed that we will raise the fee from the national societies with 10 % 2025. And thereafter increase by 10 % every 3-5 years. Asit is now we have not changed the fee since 2015. - Homepage (Steinunn)
Very low activity. Not so easy and prompt to get help with updates, info.mail etc as we would like it to be. - Exchange program (Steinunn and Niels)
Steinunn and Niels have outlined two possible ways to take this question further. These are attached in a separate file. We agreed to continuing this discussion on our board meeting in August since it is dependent of the general economic situation for NFS. - Matters arising
We discussed the overlapping situation with NILS and that we after the pandemic have congress at the same year. We agreed on asking Sirpa and other members of NILS board present in Oslo in August to join at the end of the board meeting for a discussion.
We are bit frustrated over not having enough time together to be able to develop NFS work to a higher degree. We discussed the possibility to have two on-site meeting/year, one in spring ad one in autumn regardless of if it is the congress or not. We touched the question about taking up the work of affecting political decisions etc. - Next board meetings:
- Digital 21st of May 19:00 CET.
- Board dinner/meeting Wednesday the 14th of August at 20, restaurant Teatro.
- On-site board meeting Thursday the 15th of August in Oslo 9-11:30.