COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Chairs, Co- chairs, and committee members are selected though the IPEG nomination process. The Presidents Committee can make recommendations, however, all nominations are approved by the Executive Board. Unless otherwise stated, all Committee Chairs are appointed to a three-year term, may be reappointed, and perform the following functions:

Chairman Functions:

• Presides as chair for all committee meetings and conference calls.
• Provides leadership for achieving committee’s goals by directing, monitoring and evaluating committee activities.
• Can be called to Participate as a non-voting, advisory capacity during the Executive Committee Annual Congress.
• Reports committee progress and issues to the Executive Committee during the Annual Congress.
• Reports committee progress and issues to the membership during the General Assembly during the Annual Congress.

In the absence of the Committee Chair, Co-chairs shall perform all duties of the Chair and preside at all meetings.

COMMITTEE SELECTION PROCESS

NOMINATION PROCESS:

• IPEG members present at the annual meeting will have the opportunity to self nominate by placing their names for consideration of committee selection.
• Members may self nominate to serve on multiple committees, but they must number their order of preference.
• Members will serve on 1 committee at a time with the exception of the program committee, publication committee, executive committee, past-presidents committee and CME committee.
• Members may also become committee members by nomination of the committee chair or any member of the executive committee.

SELECTION PROCESS:

• The secretary will select the new members using the suggested maximum numbers listed below for each committee.
• The secretary will submit the preliminary committee rosters to the executive committee for approval by vote. Any suggested new committee members receiving 2 no votes will not be selected.
• Prior to voting to approve the new rosters, the executive committee has the option to remove committee members or suggests alternative names prior to the final vote.

TERMS OF COMMITTEE SERVICE:

• New members will serve a 3-year term and then become eligible for 2-year extension by the executive committee.
• Only committee members who attend the committee meeting in person at the annual meeting 2 of the 3 years will be considered for extension or rotation into the chair role.

TERMS OF CHAIRPERSON SERVICE:

• The chairperson will be selected by the executive committee from the eligible committee members
• Committee members who move into the chair role will serve a 3- year term and become eligible for a 2-year extension decided by the executive committee.
• This extension will only be considered for those chairpersons who presided over the annual committee meeting in person at least 2 of the 3 years.
• A committee chairperson may be removed and replaced during the 3- year term at the discretion of the executive committee.

PUBLICATION, PROGRAM AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

• Only after serving a 3-year term will members become eligible for the program committee or publication committee.
• Only members of the program committee or publication committee will be considered for a leadership position within the executive committee.

MEMBERSHIP STATUS:

Members who fail to pay their dues and lose IPEG membership status according to the previously defined membership rules will be removed their committee positions. These members will be reminded of this implication with a final written warning after their dues notifications prior to dropping their membership status.

STANDING COMMITTEES

Business Strategies Committee

This committee reports to the Development Committee and is responsible for developing monetized opportunities to support the budget and mission of IPEG. The Committee develops program (in-person and virtual) that present educational content (CME and non-CME) in new & emerging technology, innovations, quality & value analysis, supply chain management, as well as connections to industry partners seeking insight from pediatric surgeons. Must complete one 3-year term on another committee to be eligible.

Calendar of Content Committee

Tasked to develop internal content (IPEG generated) while overseeing the release of external content to provide an organized and controlled product throughout the year. This includes receiving proposals for courses, webinars and other content after being vetted by regional representative for final suggestions, decisions and date of release. This committee is separate from the program committee (primarily responsible for the annual meeting). Therefore, this committee need to organize with foresight how the meeting content folds into the other offerings.

Development Committee

It shall be the duty of this standing committee to pursue fundraising in support of the activities and programs of the Society, through both outside funding sources and member gifts in conjunction with the administrative office.

The committee should consist of 10-15 members (no more than 15) and include a Chair and Co-chair, President, Program Chair, President-Elect and the Treasurer.

Committee Charges:

1. Assist staff with the solicitation of grants and funding from our corporate partners towards the society’s annual meeting and educational goals;
2. Adhere to the policies and procedures of the American Academy of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) in regards to fundraising initiatives;
3. Establish short and long term goals for the Long Term Research Fund (LTRF) and serve as the champions for this fund.

Digital & Social Media Committee

It shall be the duty of this standing committee to design, maintain, timely update, and secure the IPEG website, a primary means of communication with the IPEG membership and interested individuals.

The committee should consist of 15-20 members and include a Chair and Co-chair.

Committee Charges:

1. Review and evaluate the society website for currency, comprehensiveness and accuracy on an ongoing basis;
2. Evaluate and recommend new website features and technologies that would enhance the society’s mission and goals and/or improve collaboration between members;
3. Oversee the implementation and participate in the testing of additional features on the society website.

Education Committee

Committee Charge

The duty of the Education Committee, a standing committee of IPEG, shall be to develop and promote educational contents for all surgeons who aspire to apply minimally invasive surgical treatment for children in their practice. These contents shall be assessed based on the educational needs of the general membership of the Society, as well as their quality and validity.

Committee Goals/Activities

• Develop and operationalize all educational activities and materials, other than the annual in-person meeting, based on identified practice gaps (IPEG Academy Subcommittee)
• Develop and implement a continuous learning space where interactive case-based webinars/symposia are hosted in rotating time zones to allow for diverse international involvement and to allow real-time access to international pediatric surgery experts (IPEG Academy Subcommittee)
• Develop and promote an integrated web- and app-based curriculum (Curriculum Subcommittee)
• Curate and categorize instructional and procedural videos into a platform that is intuitive, functional, and searchable (Video Content Subcommittee)
• Develop and promote the Society’s endorsed instructional videos (Video Task Force Subcommittee)
• Develop subset education for global pediatric surgery trainees to foster sustainable membership (IPEG Academy Subcommittee)
• Implement mechanism for CME (or international equivalent) with web and app content through partnership with Program Committee (Program Committee Liaison)
• Disseminate new materials and promote app and website integration through partnership with the Social Media Committee (Social Media Liaison)
• Review, approve, and endorse proposals (on behalf of the Society) for related IPEG courses (IPEG Academy Subcommittee)

Membership

• Composition
  1. The committee will consist of active membership of IPEG with diversity in terms geographic region, institution, career phrase, race, and gender.
  2. Members will be selected with particular attention to inclusion of members with interest and expertise in areas relevant to pediatric surgical education. Member selection will be aligned with the Committee’s work, disseminating educational information to those who care for children.
  3. Subcommittees will be assigned at the discretion of the Chair/Co-Chair.

• Size
  • The size of the committee will be between fifteen and twenty members, including the Chair and the Co-Chair(s). All members of the committee will be voting members.

• Roles/Responsibilities
  1. Committee members must be members of the IPEG Society in good standing.
  2. Duties
     • The responsibilities of the Chair during his/her term will include: 1) establishing the Committee’s topics of focus and deliverables that represent contemporary issues in pediatric MIS; 2) partnering with Calendar of Content Committee to develop monthly educational offerings to the membership; 3) partnering with Digital/Social Media Committee to distribute educational material to the membership; 4) report of Committee activities to the Society Executive Committee; and 5) any other responsibility or task deemed necessary or needed by the IPEG Executive Committee.
  3. Attendance
     • The Chair and Co-Chair are mandated to attend the IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
     • All Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend the annual IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
     • All Committee members are mandated to participate in and complete all committee duties.
     • Committee members are required to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings during each year of their term. Meetings will take place by conference calls and in person at the annual meeting.

New Innovative Spaces Committee

Committee Charge

It shall be the duty of the New Innovative Spaces Committee to acknowledge that IPEG members desire to develop innovations that ultimately benefit children, to promote the identification of similar interests and complementary expertise amongst IPEG members, and to encourage worldwide collaboration based on self-identified areas of interest.

Committee Goals/Activities

While IPEG is focused on the advancement of minimally invasive techniques in children, the society has always broadly encouraged innovative approaches to surgical treatment in children. The charge of NISC is to continually pursue a three-step process to identify developing biomedical advances from which pediatric surgeons and our patients will benefit:

1. Environmental Scanning: Using individual experiences and expertise, the Committee should strive to make a broad, inclusive list of contemporary innovations that may affect pediatric surgical care
2. Prioritization: Subsequently, committee members should seek consensus amongst themselves regarding which innovations are most likely to affect IPEG membership
3. Dissemination: The Committee should seek a venue by which to educate IPEG membership on the highest priority innovations. This could be by way of formal seminar, educational materials, or new collaborative efforts.

Membership

• Composition

1. The committee will consist of active membership of IPEG with diversity in terms geographic region, institution, career phrase, race, and gender. Surgeons of all experience levels as well as trainees are welcome.
2. Members will be selected with particular attention to inclusion of members with interest and expertise in exploring new opportunities/venues to educate surgeons and disseminate that knowledge.
3. Subcommittees will be assigned at the discretion of the Chair/Co-Chair.

• Size
  • There are no limits or restrictions to the size of the Committee
• Roles/Responsibilities

1. Committee members must be members of IPEG in good standing.
2. Attendance
   1. The Chair and Co-Chair are mandated to attend the IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
   2. The Chair and the Co-Chair are asked to to attend the IPEG Executive Committee meeting to update the leadership and answer questions.
   3. All Committee members are required to participate in and complete all committee duties.
      • Committee members are asked to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings during each year of their term. Meetings will take place by virtual conference calls and virtually or in person at the annual IPEG meeting.
   4. Committee members should be able to commit to monthly virtual meetings, and are encouraged to attend the IPEG annual meeting
   5. Additional duties and responsibilities will be determined by the Chair and Co-Chair, which may include instructional content creation, collaboration, or other activities directed toward member education.

Presidents Committee

It shall be the duty of this standing committee to serve as the financial and political advisers to the Society, and bring proposals to the Executive Committee, where all proposals will be subject to a vote by the Executive Committee. Committee Members serve life appointments.

The committee should consist of the Immediate Past President as the Chair of the committee, the current President, and all Past Presidents so long as they are able to participate in the Society.

Committee Charge

1. Nomination of IPEG Officers and Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs;
2. Work with the IPEG leadership to identify appropriate meeting venues and facilities for the annual congress based on IPEG strategies;
3. Work with other societies to represent pediatric endoscopic surgery.

Program Committee

It shall be the duty of this standing committee to be responsible for developing the program schedule, courses and special events that will be held in conjunction with the Annual Congress.  The Program Chairs are appointed for only a one-year term.

The committee should consist of 25-30 members and include the current Chair, 2 Co-Chairs (one of which being the previous Annual Congress chair), previous year’s President, President-Elect and incoming Program Chairs.

Committee Charge

1. Develop overall goals, objectives and educational criteria in conjunction with the Program Chair for the annual congress;
2. Review and grade abstract submissions for the annual congress;
3. Adhere to the policies and procedures of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Publications Committee

This committee works with the journal, JLAST, to review and encourage manuscript submissions to the journal. Must complete one 3-year term on another committee to be eligible.

Research Committee

Committee Charge

The activities of the Research Committee of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG) will include facilitation of quality research among the IPEG membership, primarily aimed at Pediatric Minimal Access Surgery and Endoscopy.

Committee Goals/Activities

• Identifies research studies for membership participation and collects data on these studies with the intent to publish in peer-reviewed journals.
• Serves as a clearinghouse for surveys to be sent to the membership, which may lead to publications in journals.
• Distributes selected articles of interest to IPEG membership every quarter.
• Reviews eligible candidates for the Basic Science Award at the annual IPEG congress and selects a recipient.
• Reviews applications for the Research Grant Award and selects a recipient.

Membership

• Composition

1. The committee will consist of active membership of IPEG in terms of career phase (early, mid, late) and pathway (academic, private practice, etc.), academic institution and/or geographic region, gender and ethnicity.
2. Members will be selected with particular attention to inclusion of members with interest and expertise in areas relevant to minimal access and endoscopic pediatric surgical research. Member selection will be aligned with the Committee’s work, with regard to disseminating information to pediatric surgeon members.
3. Resident Members
   1. One (1) resident member will be identified from current pediatric surgery fellows, will be elected in their second year of fellowship, and will begin service during the second year of their fellowship.
   2. Resident members will serve a single three (3) year term, with one year being their last year as a fellow and the final two years as active pediatric surgeons.
   3. This format guarantees that on the Committee, there will be up to three (3) young members – one (1) second-year fellows, one (1) first-year attending, and one (1) second-year attending.
   4. Resident members will be included in the number of total members and will have voting privileges.
   5. Resident committee members must be resident members of IPEG.

• Size
  • The size of the committee will be between fifteen (15) and twenty (20) members and include a Chair and a Co-Chair. The total number of voting members will be equal to the number of committee members.

• Roles/Responsibilities

1. Committee members must be members of IPEG in good standing.
2. Committee members will be expected to participate in all activities delegated to them throughout their three-year term. Precise duties and responsibilities will be determined by the Chair and Co-Chair, and these duties will likely include, but will not be limited to, composing Committee newsletters, review of IPEG position statements, survey development and administration, original research, and intramural (IPEG) and extramural collaboration.
3. It is expected that the Chair and Co-Chair will work collaboratively to fulfill the mission of the Committee.
4. Duties
   • The responsibilities of the Chair and the Co-Chair during his/her term will include: 1) establishing the Committee’s topics of focus and deliverables that represent contemporary issues in pediatric surgery; 2) establishing collaborative partnerships with pertinent Committees of IPEG; 3) communicating information of interest from the Committee to the IPEG membership; 4) reporting Committee activities to the IPEG Executive Committee; and 5) any other responsibility or task deemed necessary or needed by the IPEG Executive Committee.
5. Attendance
   • The Chair and Co-Chair are mandated to attend the IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
   • The Chair and the Co-Chair are asked to to attend the IPEG Executive Committee meeting to update the leadership and answer questions.
   • All Committee members are required to participate in and complete all committee duties.
     • Committee members are asked to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings during each year of their term. Meetings will take place by virtual conference calls and virtually or in person at the annual IPEG meeting.
   • All Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend the annual IPEG meeting each year during his/her three (3)-year term.

• Leadership
  1. The Chair term of service will be three (3) years.
  2. The rising Co-Chair will be identified in his/her second or third year of service by the Committee Chair and approved by the Executive Committee of IPEG.
  3. The Chair and Co-Chair term of service will be three (3) years.
  4. The Co-Chair will advance to Chair unless otherwise incapacitated or other action warranted by the Executive Committee.
  5. At the end of his/her term, the Co-Chair will assume the Chair position after completion of the IPEG Annual Meeting.

Simulation and Training Committee

Committee Charge

The activities of the Simulation and Training Committee of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG) will be dedicated to developing efficient training programs in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for all levels of training for Pediatric Surgeons worldwide.

Committee Goals/Activities

• To create an accessible useful program focused on healthcare and education needs
• Reinforce knowledge and technical skill for IPEG members
• To implement cutting-edge educational techniques
• To increase the number of active IPEG members and encourage global participation

Membership

• Composition
  1. The committee will consist of active membership of IPEG in terms of career phase (early, mid, late) and pathway (academic, private practice, etc.), academic institution and/or geographic region, gender and ethnicity.
  2. Members will be selected with particular attention to inclusion of members with interest and expertise in teaching minimal access and endoscopic techniques.
• Size
  • The size of the committee will be between fifteen (15) and twenty (20) members and include a Chair and a Co-Chair. The total number of voting members will be equal to the number of committee members.
• Roles/Responsibilities
  1. Committee members must be members of the IPEG Society in good standing.
  2. Duties
     • The responsibilities of the Chair and the Co-Chair during his/her term will include: 1) review of current surgical training curricula and implementation of change based on needs assessment; 2) communication of information of interest from the Committee to the IPEG membership; 3) report of Committee activities to the IPEG Executive Committee; and 4) any other responsibility or task deemed necessary or needed by the IPEG Executive Committee.
     • Committee members will be expected to participate in all activities delegated to them throughout their three-year term. Precise duties and responsibilities will be determined by the Chair and Co-Chair, and these duties will likely include, but will not be limited to, development and improvement on current training curricula based on needs assessment, develop low cost trainers that promote minimal access surgery in underdeveloped countries.
     • Participation and development of an annual training curriculum that is offered by IPEG Academy.

3. Attendance
   • The Chair and Co-Chair are mandated to attend the IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
   • The Chair and the Co-Chair are asked to to attend the IPEG Executive Committee meeting to update the leadership and answer questions.

• • All Committee members are required to participate in and complete all committee duties.
    • Committee members are asked to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings during each year of their term. Meetings will take place by virtual conference calls and virtually or in person at the annual IPEG meeting.
  • All Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend the annual IPEG meeting each year during his/her three (3)-year term.

• Leadership

1. The Chair term of service will be three (3) years.
2. The rising Co-Chair will be identified in his/her second or third year of service by the Committee Chair and approved by the Executive Committee of IPEG.
3. The Chair and Co-Chair term of service will be three (3) years.
4. The Co-Chair will advance to Chair unless otherwise incapacitated or other action warranted by the Executive Committee.
5. At the end of his/her term, the Co-Chair will assume the Chair position after completion of the IPEG Annual Meeting.

Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Commercialization Committee

Committee Charge

The duty of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Commercialization Committee is to foster IPEG members’ understanding and ability to implement the processes for the translate promising technologies from idea to bedside in order to benefit pediatric surgical patients.

Committee Goals/Activities

• Education:
  • The committee will be responsible for developing and delivering relevant educational sessions at the annual IPEG meeting.
  • The committee with be responsible for developing and delivering relevant educational sessions and online content that will occur throughout the year.

• Enablement:
  • The committee will be responsible for developing resources that enable IPEG members to participate in the development of novel heath technologies.
  • The committee will develop and enforce a code of conduct to protect the sharing of novel ideas among members and outside entities.

• Investment:
  • The committee will work with the IPEG executive leadership to understand options for an investment fund to support new technology development.

Membership

• Composition
  1. The committee will consist of active membership of IPEG with diversity in terms geographic region, institution, career phrase, race, and gender.
  2. Members will be selected with particular attention to inclusion of those with interest and expertise in areas relevant to developing technologies and entrepreneurship. Member selection will be aligned with the Committee’s work, identifying emerging technologies and helping to connect industry representatives with surgeons.
  3. Subcommittees will be assigned at the discretion of the Chair/Co-Chair.

• Size
  • The size of the committee will be between fifteen and twenty members, including the Chair and the Co-Chair(s). All members of the committee will be voting members.

• Roles/Responsibilities
  1. Committee members must be members of the IPEG Society in good standing.
  2. Duties
     • The responsibilities of the Chair during his/her term will include: 1) establishing the Committee’s topics of focus and deliverables that represent contemporary issues in pediatric MIS; 2) partnering with Calendar of Content Committee to develop monthly educational offerings to the membership; 3) partnering with Digital/Social Media Committee to distribute educational material to the membership; 4) report of Committee activities to the Society Executive Committee; and 5) any other responsibility or task deemed necessary or needed by the IPEG Executive Committee.
  3. Attendance
     • The Chair and Co-Chair are mandated to attend the IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
     • All Committee members are strongly encouraged to attend the annual IPEG meeting each year during his/her term.
     • All Committee members are mandated to participate in and complete all committee duties.
     • Committee members are required to attend at least 50% of the Committee meetings during each year of their term. Meetings will take place by conference calls and in person at the annual meeting.

 

CURRENT LEADERSHIP and COMMITTEES ROSTERS – access at IPEG Leadership page