Despite challenges to the practice of medicine rarely rivaled in the AMA’s 176-year history, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, said that, as his term as AMA president gets underway, he remains confident in the outlook for physicians—and for health care in general—in the U.S.
“We can get this right. We can work to heal our nation,” said Dr. Ehrenfeld in a recent episode of “AMA Update.”
“But this is only going to happen,” he added, “if we let physicians practice medicine—medicine that's driven by science, by our understanding of the human body, of health and disease, by restoring trust in the health care system and allowing patients to decide with their doctor what's in their best interests.”
Dr. Ehrenfeld is senior associate dean, tenured professor of anesthesiology and director of the “Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment” at the Medical College of Wisconsin. A key part of his efforts as president will focus on the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians.
“I hear every day how exhausting it is to practice medicine in America today,” he said. “But, in spite of that, people roll up their sleeves, they put on their scrubs, they don their white coats every day, because they know that what they do matters.”
“I know firsthand that physicians have just put everything into our nation's response to COVID,” Dr. Ehrenfeld added. “And now it's time for the nation to renew our commitment to physicians and shore up our health care system.”
The AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians is rebuilding critical components of the medical profession by:
- Leading the charge to reform Medicare pay.
- Fixing prior authorization.
- Fighting scope creep.
- Reducing physician burnout.
- Supporting telehealth.
Learn about the Recovery Plan’s progress so far.
“Despite the fact that our health care system is in crisis, and so many of my physician colleagues are just at their breaking point, I'm optimistic,” Dr. Ehrenfeld said. “I'm optimistic about the future, about what lies ahead, about where I know I can help lead America's physicians and the AMA.”
Instilling a “sense of possibility”
Dr. Ehrenfeld is the first president of the AMA to be openly gay and to have school-aged children while in office. He is also one of the youngest to hold the position, and he said he’s aware of the degree to which his service in such a highly visible role may reach those feeling isolated or different.
“I know that somebody out there watching this segment is probably struggling because of their identity, because they've been picked on,” he said. “And I can only hope that the visibility that I bring through my leadership to the AMA—which, as you know, is the nation's oldest, most influential physician group—can give that person who is struggling some hope and some sense of possibility.”
Dr. Ehrenfeld talked about how his perspective can inform the AMA’s role in supporting the primacy of the patient-physician relationship in health care and advancing health equity, particularly for patients from historically marginalized groups.
“Issues of LGBTQ+ health and health equity are close to my heart and have been a focus of my work in medicine and will certainly be an important part of my work in the year ahead,” he said.
Health care AI requires physician input
In his remarks, Dr. Ehrenfeld also discussed the ways in which the AMA can help physicians “harness the power” of augmented intelligence (AI)—often called artificial intelligence—to improve health care quality, work conditions and technology.
“Without the direct input—the guidance from physicians at the earliest stages of conception and design—far too many of these technologies are going to fail to deliver,” he said.
It’s crucial, he added, for physicians to be involved “in the design and the development of these new AI-enabled technologies, providing AI training, resources and support, looking at AI trends and analysis, the regulatory framework and what's happening in the marketplace.”
“AMA Update” covers health care topics affecting the lives of physicians and patients. Hear from physicians and experts on public health, advocacy issues, scope of practice and more—because who’s doing the talking matters. You can catch every episode by subscribing to the AMA’s YouTube channel or the audio-only podcast version, which also features educational presentations and in-depth discussions.
