This week, College representatives are attending the Annual Meeting of the AMA’s House of Delegates. The AMA celebrates 175 years of service to the medical community this year, and the College has had a long-standing partnership with the organization.
The AMA helps propel the science and research that drive organized medicine forward. It works to both standardize and modernize medical education and physician training for the betterment of public health.
The AMA is not only an individual membership association, but also a convening national body of medicine through its House of Delegates (HOD). Representation by more than 190 state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders make the AMA the nation’s largest and most influential medical organization. The policies adopted by its House of Delegates help guide ethical medical practice for physicians in the U.S. and around the world.
Fortunately, our relatively small sub-specialty is well-represented. Today, the College’s representatives in the AMA HOD include Drs. Alnoor Malick (delegate) and John Seyerle (alternate). We also have representatives in the Young Physician Section – Drs. Purvi Parikh (delegate) and Timothy Chow (alternate). Drs. Christopher Foster (delegate) and Brent Griffin (alternate) represent the College in the Resident Physician Section.
In addition, allergy is strongly represented by Dr. Susan Bailey, immediate past president of the AMA and Dr. Stephen Imbeau, chair of AMPAC, the AMA’s independent, bipartisan political action committee. Others who are serving or have served in the AMA’s House of Delegates or on AMA Councils include:
- Dr. Andrew Cooke
- Dr. Linda Ford
- Dr. Kira Geraci-Ciardullo
- Dr. David Jakubowicz
- Dr. Lynda Kabbash
- Dr. Theodore Kanellakes
- Dr. Sunita Kanumury
- Dr. Robert Puchalski
- Dr. Ai-Yui Maria Tan
- Dr. Steven Tolber
- Dr. Wesley VanderArk
- Dr. Shahab Virani
- Dr. Michael Volz
College representation as part of the Allergy Section of the AMA-HOD dates back to 1966. ACAAI Past President Dr. Philip M. Gottlieb was instrumental in establishing the Section. The College was also involved in organizing the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) in 1971. In 1978, national specialties were given seats in AMA’s HOD (delegate and alternate delegate). The College became a member represented by Dr. Ralph Hale as the College’s first AMA delegate and Dr. Irvin Caplan as the alternate delegate.
Since the earliest days of its founding, the AMA has spoken for physicians in a unified voice. It continues to work to remove obstacles to patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises, and driving the future of medicine through innovation and improved physician training and education. The College strongly encourages its members to renew or join the AMA today!
