The American Medical Association named Bobby Mukkamala, MD, as its 180th president.
Here are six things to know:
1. An otolaryngologist from Flint, Mich., Dr. Mukkamala has been active in the AMA since his residency, according to a June 10 association news release. He has served in a number of positions in the association, including his current role as chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force. He has served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society board of directors since 2011, is a past president of the Genesee County Medical Society, and continues to serve on the GCMS board of directors.
2. Last November, Dr. Mukkamala was diagnosed with an 8-centimeter brain tumor. He said being a patient has helped him learn about being a physician and the challenges that face the healthcare system.
3. He is the first physician of Indian heritage to lead the AMA.
4. During his tenure, Dr. Mukkamala said the AMA will fight to create a more functional healthcare system: call for Medicare physician payment reform, address the increasingly dire physician shortage, combat physician burnout by restoring time for direct patient care and defend physician-led care.
5. On June 10, the AMA also adopted a new policy to promote public awareness and education around ultraprocessed foods and their impact on health. The policy will encourage the integration of nutrition education at all levels of medical education so physicians can counsel patients on reducing consumption of these foods.
6. The same day, and less than 24 hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that HHS had fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, delegates at the AMA annual meeting passed an emergency resolution urging Mr. Kennedy to reverse the move, Medpage Today reported. Delegates directed AMA leadership to send a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee requesting an investigation into the firings, and asked liaison representatives to “identify and evaluate alternative evidence-based vaccine advisory structures and invest resources in such initiatives, as necessary.”
