CHICAGO — A pair of Texas physicians won reelection to their American Medical Association (AMA) leadership posts Tuesday, continuing a strong showing by the Texans at the 2018 annual meeting of the AMA House of Delegates here.
Houston facial plastic surgeon Russel Kridel, MD, earned reelection to his second, three-year term on the AMA Board of Trustees. Dr. Kridel was one of nine candidates running for five positions on the board. On Wednesday, his fellow board members elected him secretary of the Board of Trustees, which is frequently a stepping stone to more powerful positions.
Asa Lockhart, MD, an anesthesiologist from Tyler, won his bid for reelection to another three-year term on the AMA Council on Medical Service. Dr. Lockhart’s race was not quite as competitive, as it involved five candidates running for four spots on the council.
Earlier in the meeting, which began Saturday, Sue Bailey, MD, a Fort Worth allergist, was unanimously reelected speaker of the AMA house. Numerous other Texas physicians and medical students won their AMA elections in Chicago this week.
Shortly before the meeting concluded this morning, Dr. Bailey announced she will run for AMA president-elect next year.
Two policy proposals that the Texas Delegation brought to the house also fared well. AMA delegates:
- Approved a Texas resolution asking AMA to support allowing psychiatrists to e-prescribe medications to a patient with whom the physician has established a valid telemedicine relationship.
- Called for further study of a second Texas resolution asking AMA to push Medicare to improve access to complex rehabilitation technology for patients with chronic and disabling conditions.
In other AMA leadership news, Albuquerque oncologist Barbara L. McAneny, MD, was sworn in Tuesday as the AMA's 173rd president; and Patrice A. Harris, MD, a psychiatrist from Atlanta, won the race to become AMA president-elect. When she assumes the post of AMA president in June 2019, Dr. Harris will be the first African-American female to hold that office.
Photo credit: Ted Grudzinski, AMA