Structure and Organisation
ESICM is a non-profit making organisation, with the goal to advance and to promote knowledge in intensive care medicine, in particular, the promotion of the highest standards of multidisciplinary care of critically ill patients and their families through education, research and professional development.
To fullfill its activities, ESICM has a defined organisational structure. The society consists of and is managed by the following groups.
- The General Membership
- The Council
- The Divisions
- The Executive Committee
General Membership. Besides profiting from the various benefits ESICM offers, many members participate actively and help the society to move forward. The base for most of the activities is formed by the scientific Sections. Currently eleven different sections exist, each one dealing with a specific subject, such as Respiratory Failure, Sepsis, Ethics, etc. In addition, Working Groups gather members across sections who want to work together on a specific subject (e.g. WG on Quality Improvement).
Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals are represented in ESICM through the AHP Committee , which is active at all levels of the organisation.
The Council is the tool for the membership to influence and control decisions on all levels of the Society’s affairs. Along with its national and international delegates, it reflects the regional and geographical variety of the Society.
The Divisions of Administrative Affairs, Scientific Affairs and Professional Development consist of several committees and sub committees and organise the various activities of the ESICM, such as congresses, research activities and training programmes. The divisions are coordinated and led by the Executive Committee, which is responsible for all business issues of the Association.
The General Assembly takes place each year during the Annual Congress. All ESICM and ESPNIC members are invited to participate. It is the occasion whereby the Executive Committee reports on the business activities of the society. The General Assembly has moreover the duty to vote about acceptance, or rejection, of several proposals, such as statute changes.
ESICM Statutes
The first Statutes of the Society were written in March 1982 at the foundation meeting that was been held in Geneva at the WHO (World Health Organisation). The latest version is available here:
Statutes: September 2014 (PDF 50KB)
The latest changes and amendments have permitted the Society to implement further restructuring of the Association with the aim of organising its activities in a more professional and intuitive way.
The Statutes are now accompanied by the Standard Operating Procedures of the Society, which contain additional information to the Statutes of ESICM, as well as Internal Operating Instructions: they describe in detail all necessary information for the daily work in the Society, including description of committees, positions and procedures.
General Standard Operating Procedures - 2014 (PDF)
ESICM Office
ESICM’s permanent administrative office is established in Brussels, Belgium. The office is managed by an Executive Officer, who is appointed by the Executive Committee and directed by the ESICM General Secretary. The Brussels office staff are responsible for the daily work related to all the Society's activities.