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At a time when membership is declining in many professional associations, the American Medical Association has grown its membership 11 years in a row. What makes the AMA different?
Reflecting on this question as we prepare to celebrate the AMA’s 175th anniversary this month, I believe it is because more physicians are recognizing that a unified voice advocating on issues important to them, their patients and the profession is far more powerful than what any individual can accomplish on his or her own.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made that clear.
In early 2020, when we were all dealing with fear, confusion and disruption, the AMA let physicians know they were not alone in battling the virus. We provided up-to-date, evidence-based information and clear guidance from reliable sources. We supported physicians on the front lines by fighting for personal protective equipment, financial resources, and regulatory flexibility in telehealth and prior authorization to deliver care more efficiently.
Joining forces with other professional associations such as the American Nurses Association and American Hospital Association, we urged the public to take steps to reduce COVID transmission, and asked Congress to prioritize the needs of historically marginalized communities in COVID-19 relief bills.
One of our most important roles has been acting as a counterpoint to a dizzying volume of misinformation and the lamentable politicization of the medical crisis. We called on government leaders and public health agencies to base decisions on scientific evidence, data and equity. We asked policymakers and social media companies to explore appropriate ways to limit the spread of misinformation and disinformation. And we worked in partnership with the Ad Council and other national healthcare organizations to increase the number people choosing to get vaccinated.
Such initiatives are only possible through collaboration. Membership in organized medicine is a force multiplier, meaning we boost individual voices by combining them with thousands of others with similar values and goals.
Membership organizations like the AMA also provide a much-needed sense of belonging amid shared experiences. While many physicians have felt extreme stress and burnout while responding to COVID, AMA surveys have also shown large numbers of physicians and residents have experienced a renewal of a sense of purpose and feel valued by their organizations.
The pandemic is certainly not the first public health challenge the AMA has faced in its history. The association was founded in 1847 with a commitment to stamp out quackery, improve medical education and establish medical ethics for the profession.
After achieving these aims, the AMA went on to lead numerous campaigns to improve public health, such as promoting childhood vaccines, requiring seatbelts in automobiles, reducing smoking and expanding coverage for the uninsured through the Affordable Care Act. These achievements are widely lauded now; however, they faced widespread opposition at the time. The AMA chose to advocate based on science and did not back down under public pressure on the ability of these policies to reduce illness or death and improve the health of our nation.
This remains a consequential time in American history—and in the history of medicine.
We are beginning to see the COVID-19 pandemic recede, but only after taking the lives of 1 million Americans and more than 6 million worldwide. The pandemic created an emotional health crisis, particularly among teens and young adults, and exacerbated the inequities that continue to plague our healthcare system.
The AMA will take on each of these challenges, and many more in coming years: eliminating obstacles that interfere with patient care, driving the future of medicine and confronting chronic disease and other health crises. But we cannot do this alone. We are science- and evidence-based, patient-centered, care team-focused, and actively seeking common ground with others working to improve the delivery of care for all.
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