American Medical Association in the News

AMA in the News covers media coverage and mentions about the American Medical Association. Find articles recognizing our efforts in health care, advocacy, medical education and improvements in public health. Read coverage on the achievements of our leadership and the members of the AMA community.

Our squad stands with Black women to improve heart health
1. ESSENCE, July 30, 2020
2. Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA, immediate past president of the American Medical Association, has been doing the acclaimed work of addressing each layer to lessen the number of Black women dying of cardiovascular diseases and increase the number of Black women who are well-versed in their own heart health. How? Well, sharing her own story has been a key first step.
Wide support for House bill to boost CMS alternative pay models
1. Medscape, July 29, 2020
2. In a news release, AMA president Susan R. Bailey, MD, commented, "Medicare alternative payment models are critical to supporting physician efforts to redesign care delivery, improve outcomes and reduce costs.... This legislation would help ensure that these models continue to facilitate high-quality care for patients and savings for the Medicare program." (Free registration is required to view content.)
Coronavirus vaccine enters final stage of testing with one of the trial sites in Savannah
1. 11Alive, July 27, 2020
2. Patrice Harris, MD, MA, past president for the American Medical Association, said trust is an important factor in participation.
3. “Historically, our Black and Brown communities have not participated in clinical trials. I absolutely understand it, but I want members of those communities to know that it is absolutely critical that they participate," Harris said.
The special report: COVID-19 & the Black community
1. Areva Martin, July 27, 2020
2. Interview with AMA immediate past president Patrice Harris, MD, MA, beginning at 40:39 and ending at 1:06:36 on Facebook Live.
Everyone can stop the spread of COVID-19, here’s how
1. StatePoint, July 23, 2020
2. “In states across the country, the spread of COVID-19 is staggering and concerning. We all have a role to play in stopping the spread and protecting ourselves, our family and our neighbors,” says Susan R. Bailey, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA). “The science is clear. We know what stops the spread of the virus – wearing cloth face masks, physical distancing and regularly washing hands -- and it is on all of us to practice these steps. Without a vaccine for this novel virus, the only way to turn the tide and recapture a sense of normal is by working together.”
Coronavirus tests offer competing benefits: Speed vs. accuracy
1. NBC DFW, July 23, 2020
2. “My dream test would be one that is non-invasive, accurate, fast, and convenient,” said Susan Bailey, MD, a Fort Worth allergist who is President of the American Medical Association. “But the accuracy of any test is the most important factor.” (Interview begins at 1:31.)
Evidence, science must guide COVID-19 vaccine development
1. Healthline, July 22, 2020
2. Op-ed by AMA president Susan Bailey, MD, on the need for safety and efficacy to remain a priority during COVID-19 vaccine development.
China vowing retaliation after consulate closure (Podcast)
1. Bloomberg Businessweek, July 22, 2020
2. Susan Bailey, MD, president of the American Medical Association, provides a coronavirus and vaccine update.
Antibody testing in returning to work
1. Scripps National News, July 21, 2020
2. Interview with AMA president Susan Bailey, MD, on antibody testing begins at 0:12 on YouTube.
AMA report finds nearly 40% decline in opioid prescriptions, but overdose deaths continue to climb
1. Fierce Healthcare, July 21, 2020
2. “It is past time for policymakers, health insurers, pharmacy chains and pharmacy benefit managers to remove barriers to evidence-based care for patients with pain and those with a substance use disorder,” said Patrice Harris, MD, MA, the immediate past president of the AMA and the chairwoman of the association’s Opioid Task Force.
Opioid prescriptions fell in 2019 for 6th consecutive year, AMA finds
1. Becker’s Hospital Review, July 21, 2020
2. Even though opioid overdoses reached their all-time peak in 2019, opioid prescriptions decreased by 37.1 percent from 2014-19, according to the most recent report from the American Medical Association's Opioid Task Force.
Is it safe to go to the doctor? Here's what health experts say
1. CNN, July 21, 2020
2. We asked health experts to help guide how and when to handle your family’s health care needs and appointments. (AMA president Susan Bailey, MD, is featured in all 12 questions.)
‘I feel like I am not welcome’: Medical, doctoral students from abroad grapple with uncertainty from new ICE rules
1. STAT, July 10, 2020
2. The American Medical Association sent a letter to ICE and Department of Homeland Security officials Thursday, saying that given the current pandemic and the ongoing shortage of physicians in the U.S., “it is unwise to deter medical professionals from coming to the U.S. now and potentially in the future.”
Grave shortages of protective gear flare again as Covid cases surge
1. The New York Times, July 8, 2020
2. The inability to find personal protective equipment, known as PPE, is starting to impede other critical areas of medicine too. Neurologists, cardiologists and cancer specialists around the country have been unable to reopen their offices in recent weeks, leaving many patients without care, according to the American Medical Association and other doctor groups. (Free registration is required to view content.)
America is running short on masks, gowns and gloves. Again.
1. The Washington Post, July 8, 2020
2. In a letter last week, the American Medical Association told the Federal Emergency Management Agency that doctor’s offices outside big systems—including those providing primary care, chemotherapy and minor surgeries—have struggled to reopen because they are unable to secure PPE. The association, which pleaded for transparency and a coordinated national strategy, said it is unclear “whether the central problem is in the availability of raw material, production backlogs, gaps in the distribution systems or some combination of all three.”
Trump sets date to end WHO membership over its handling of virus
1. National Public Radio, July 7, 2020
2. In a statement, the American Medical Association said, "The Trump administration's official withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) puts the health of our country at grave risk.
Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again
1. Associated Press, July 7, 2020
2. The American Medical Association wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress calling for a coordinated national strategy to buy and allocate gear.
AMA, nurses and hospitals plead with Americans to wear masks as coronavirus cases surge again
1. Forbes, July 6, 2020
2. The American Medical Association, American Hospital Association and American Nurses Association pleaded Monday with Americans to wear a mask and practice social distancing to stop the surge of cases of the coronavirus strain COVID-19.
AMA, AHA, ANA urge Americans to wear masks
1. HealthLeaders Media, July 6, 2020
2. The American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and the American Nurses Association released an open letter Monday morning urging Americans to continue to take precautions during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as states reopen.
Effectiveness, executive orders and myths: 4 questions about face masks
1. Fort Worth Magazine, July 6, 2020
2. With Texans now required to wear face masks in any public space, we spoke with Tarrant County Judge B. Glen Whitley and Susan Bailey, MD, a Fort Worth-based physician and president of the American Medical Association, about why wearing a mask is such a big deal.