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American Medical Association Membership Grows While Dramatically Meeting New Challenges Diversity in Medicine and Protecting Physicians from Regulatory and Scope of Practice Challenges Are Key BY ALBERT X. RAY, MD AND TED MAZER, MD
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September 2021
ANY HAVE CLAIMED
that the American Medical Association lost its way in the era of “Bowling Alone,” but the numbers tell a different story. According to CEO/EVP James Madera, MD, “Dues-paying membership has increased 35% since 2011 … Last year, amid the worst public health crisis in a century, the AMA continued its remarkable rise, recording its highest year-overyear growth since 1948.” Why this increase in membership? No one is sure, but the AMA has been a strong voice for public health throughout the pandemic and before, advocating for patients and physicians in state houses, regulatory agencies, and the hallways of Washington, DC. While staunchly protecting the viability of medical practices, the AMA’s increasing focus on public safety, access, and cost issues may have stimulated growth of student and young physician membership — a huge positive, as these new generations of physicians are indeed the future of healthcare in the U.S. The importance of their participation in setting AMA policy cannot be overstated. The AMA focuses on these new and future doctors through digital communications and programs like Members Move Medicine. The AMA’s leadership and voice throughout the COVID-19 crisis seems to be assuring many young physicians and students that they can find their voice through the AMA. Over the past decade and more, the AMA has been critical in protecting physicians from even more regulatory overreach and scope creep, in turn protecting patients’ access to high-quality, welltrained professionals. While many of us are unhappy with our current regulatory and economic environment, undeniably things would have been much worse without the ongoing efforts of organized medicine. The AMA, along with state medical associations including the California Medical Association, has been hard at work during the pandemic, collaborating with government, scientists, physicians, and the entire healthcare system to control the outbreak and improve access to vaccinations and other needed services.