The BeHRA is made up of two levels of management:
a) The INNER NUCLEUS or Board of Directors, consisting of the President and Vice President (one of French mother tongue, the other of Dutch mother tongue), two secretaries (one of French mother tongue, the other of Dutch mother tongue), treasurer and Past President.
Members of the Inner Nucleus are elected by and from the effective members. The vote is ratified by the General Meeting.
The role of the Inner Nucleus, which meets when convened by the President and/or one of the secretaries, is to manage the day-to-day activities of the BeHRA. Its members also act as spokesmen for the association vis-à-vis the public authorities.
b) The NUCLEUS, which includes all of the effective members who play an active part in meetings, in taking decisions and in the association’s activities.
The effective members meet once a year at the General Meeting. A General Meeting may also be convened by the Board of Directors when at least one-fifth of its members so request.
The General Meeting examines and ratifies the decisions made by the Inner Nucleus, as well as any major amendments to the articles of association.
The General Meeting’s powers are as follows:
- Approval and expulsion of effective members (following the non-payment of membership fees, serious misdemeanours, etc.)
- Nomination and revocation of the mandates of the directors (or members of the Inner Nucleus)
- Approval of budgets and accounts (in particular the amount of the annual membership fee, which may not be more than 100 EUR)
- Amendments to the articles of association
- Voluntary dissolution of the association
- All other powers conferred under the law or the articles of association
Effective members
The effective members of the BeHRA (or Nucleus) are all cardiologists who specialise in treating cardiac rhythm disorders. They meet 2 to 4 times a year to participate actively in the decisions taken by the association, as well as in the activities initiated by the BeHRA.
All associate members are eligible to become effective members, but to do so they must also meet a series of requirements. They must:
- Be a Doctor practising in Cardiology in Belgium
- Submit a curriculum vitae illustrating their specialisation in one or more areas specific to cardiac arrhythmia
- Agree to comply with the rules of good medical practice decreed by the BeHRA
- Agree to take part in activities including management of the association, communication and research on the topic of arrhythmia disorders organised by the Nucleus (and where appropriate by taking part in study groups on cardiac stimulation, electrophysiology, ablation, clinical rhythmology, etc.)
- Have presented, as leading author, at least one abstract or poster at one of the scientific meetings organised by the BeHRA or at an international congress
- Take part in the databases developed by the BeHRA
- Have paid their annual membership fee
Applications for admission to the BeHRA are examined by the Nucleus at the first General Meeting following submission of the application. This examination is conducted on the basis of the straightforward, effective and unequivocal criteria mentioned above. No vote is called for and the number of effective members is not limited.
To submit your application for membership, please send your curriculum vitae via email to the secretary of the BeHRA of your choice.
You will then receive a letter of acceptance provided all of the conditions mentioned above have been complied with.
Associate members
Also unlimited in number, associate members can be cardiologists or doctors specialising in the treatment of cardiac rhythm disorders. They can also be interns, assistants, nurses, technicians, etc. whose professional activities are partly or totally related to cardiac arrhythmia.
By paying their annual membership fee, these members demonstrate their support for the association’s objectives, but they are not involved in its day-to-day running or management.
Their status entitles them to reductions on their registration fees for scientific meetings organised by members of the BeHRA, in particular the Belgian Heart Rhythm Meeting.
In addition, associate members have access to a report relating to statistics about the implantation of cardiac stimulators in Belgium.