The delegate role
Members of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) serve as an important communications, policy and membership link between the AMA and grassroots physicians. The delegates and alternate delegates are a key source of information on activities, programs and policies of the AMA.
The delegates and alternate delegates are also a direct contact for the individual member to communicate with and contribute to the formulation of AMA policy positions, the identification of situations that might be addressed through policy implementation efforts and the implementation of AMA policies.
Delegates and alternate delegates to the AMA are expected to foster a positive and useful 2-way relationship between grassroots physicians and the AMA leadership.
To fulfill these roles, AMA delegates and alternate delegates are expected to make themselves readily accessible to individual members by providing the AMA with their addresses, telephone numbers and email so that the AMA can make the information accessible to individual members through the AMA website and through other communication mechanisms.
Qualifications to be a delegate
- Be an AMA member
- Elected or selected by the principal governing body or the membership of the sponsoring organization
- At least 1 member of each delegation is encouraged to be involved in the governance of their sponsoring organization
Delegate responsibilities
- Regularly communicate AMA policy, information, activities and programs to constituents so the delegate will be recognized as the representative of the AMA.
- Relate constituent views and suggestions, particularly those related to implementation of AMA policy positions, to the appropriate AMA leadership, governing body or executive staff.
- Advocate constituent views within the HOD or other governance unit, including the executive staff.
- Attend and report highlights of HOD meetings to constituents, for example, at hospital medical staff, county, state and specialty society meetings.
- Serve as an advocate for patients to improve the health of the public and the health care system.
- Cultivate promising leaders for all levels of organized medicine and help them gain leadership positions.
- Actively recruit new AMA members and help retain current members.
- Participate in the AMA Membership Outreach Program.
