Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on June 13, 2023.

Officers and seven councils are elected by the American Medical Association House of Delegates (HOD) at the Annual Meeting. The elections are conducted during a special election session under the supervision of the Committee on Rules and Credentials and the chief teller, who are appointed by the speakers. The speaker and vice speaker are responsible for overall administration of the elections. Voting is conducted by secret ballot.

2023-2027

For over 20 years, Dr. Bansal has worked on initiatives important to scientific advancement and improvement of public health. Here are some of the notable examples:

• Co-chair of the Environment Caucus of the World Medical Association: gathering best practices globally regarding health system decarbonization, global advocacy, environmental toxin mitigation, and interfacing with United Nations and World Health Organization (2022-present)
• Delegation member and chair to the United Nations COP annual meetings for World Medical Association (2019-present, chair 2022) 
• Chair of the eHealth & Medical Technology Task Force of the Associate Members Section of the World Medical Association: helped create global policy statements on eHealth technologies and other medical technologies (2020-2023) 
• Co-founder and co-chair of Florida Clinicians for Climate Action: educational and advocacy organization on climate change effects to human health in Florida, currently working on a nationally funded project regarding heat illness on marginalized communities in Miami-Dade County (2018-2023)
• Member & vice-chair of Advocacy and Policy Committee of the American College of Preventive Medicine: author of revised national statements on climate change and on lifestyle medicine, advocacy on preventive medicine and public health funding (2017-present, Vice-Chair 2023) 
• Chair, AMA Reference Committee on Public Health (I-20, A-22)
• Member of the Council on Medical Education, Science, & Public Health for Florida Medical Association (2017-2021)
• Member, Reference Committee on Health, Education, & Public Policy for Florida Medical Association (2014, 2015, 2018, 2021; chair 2017) 
• AMA-MSS, Committee on Scientific Issues: created a report leading to one of the first resolutions to eliminate the American Red Cross ban on blood donation by homosexual men (2001-2002)
• Co-author of Telemedicine Curriculum for American College of Physicians (2020)
• Member, Clinicians for Planetary Health Working Group: Publication in The Lancet–A call for clinicians to act on planetary health (2019)
• Member, Planetary Health Education Brainstorm Group: Publication in Lancet Planetary Health–Cross-cutting principles for planetary health education (2018)
• Co-author in Journal of General Internal Medicine–Right Care in Hospital Medicine (2018)
• Numerous press interviews on climate change and COVID-19 (2017-2023)

Dr. Bansal has shown commitment to organized medicine and public policy since the first day of medical school. The AMA was the first organization he joined. While in medical school, Dr. Bansal advocated on behalf of medicine for resident work-hour limitations before the first national ACGME requirement in 2004. One of the strategies he used was to reference the scientific literature regarding excessive hours on medical trainees and patient safety. He continued his involvement in organized medicine through residency and into practice.

Since completing training, he has advocated, through the AMA and other medical societies, for physician pay, public safety initiatives, responsible telemedicine expansion including testimony in 2015 on the first telemedicine rule by the Florida Board of Medicine, public health funding, preventive medicine support and education, and many other issues. 

Dr. Bansal has also been a leader in organized medicine:

• Representative–General Assembly, World Medical Association (2017-present)
• Co-Chair–Environment Caucus, World Medical Association (2022-present)
• Member– Public Policy Committee, Society of Hospital Medicine (2023-present) 
• Member– Advocacy Committee, American College of Preventive Medicine (2017-present)
• Vice-chair–Advocacy Committee, American College of Preventive Medicine (2023-present)
• Governor–Florida Chapter, American College of Physicians (2022-2026)
• Secretary–Southeast Florida Chapter, Society of Hospital Medicine (2019)
• Member–Board of Directors, Palm Beach County Medical Society (2023-present)
• Chair–Council on Ethical & Judicial Affairs, Palm Beach County Medical Society (2023-present)
• Member–Political Action Committee Board, American College of Physicians Services (2018-2021)
• Member–Political Action Committee Board, Florida Medical Association (2019-2021)

Some of the statements that Dr. Bansal co-authored at the national and international level include:

• American College of Preventive Medicine–Statement on Lifestyle Medicine
• American College of Preventive Medicine–Statement on Climate Change & Health
• World Medical Association–Guiding Principles for the Use of Telehealth for the Provision of Health Care (2022)
• World Medical Association–WMA Declaration on Medical Ethics and Advanced Medical Technology (2023)

Resolutions at the Florida Medical Association: 

• Gun Violence Control and Public Health (2019)
• Public Availability of Pregnancy-Related Care (2022)

Dr. Bansal will work to present evidence-based research on future issues important to U.S. physicians through the Council on Science & Public Health.

During residency, Dr. Bansal came to understand that the future of medicine would hinge significantly on public health, preventive medicine and science-backed public policy. That led him to additional study in lifestyle medicine for prevention of non-communicable, chronic diseases. This also led him to advocate for access to health care, harm reduction and disaster response.

Since 2015, Dr. Bansal has served as the only physician on the board of Disaster Accountability Project, a global disaster accountability organization, and as president for three years ending in 2022 with accomplishments such as nuclear plant disaster response plans referenced by the Department of Homeland Security and the creation of a living database of local, non-profit relief organizations in 60+ countries with the backing of donors, corporate philanthropies and family foundations globally.

Dr. Bansal co-founded and co-chairs Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, an educational and advocacy medical association focused on climate and health equity. The work of this organization, in collaboration with other groups such as Physicians for Social Responsibility, has resulted in exposure of environmental and climate issues in Florida and throughout the U.S., education of patients on the effects of climate change and health, and policy considerations at legislatures and regulatory bodies with evidence and clinical examples of climate change effects and equity. At the global level, Dr. Bansal has led delegations that were able to get commitments from ministers of several countries on three continents to elevate the importance of health effects of climate change in U.N. national determined contributions (NDCs) policy statements.

Additionally, Dr. Bansal has educated physicians on incorporating education and coaching on prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases to hospitalized patients and also in outpatient telemedicine settings. This included evidence-based approaches to sustainable and attainable dietary choices and social connection using western and eastern traditions.

Fourth, Dr. Bansal has been active in educating the public through the press on the COVID pandemic, anti-vaccine sentiment and hesitancy, and the importance of public health. Dr. Bansal has spoken to local, regional and national press agencies during the pandemic (occasionally with repeat appearances) on these issues but particularly regarding the significant drop in vaccination among children and adolescents resulting in multiple outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infectious disease throughout the country. Dr. Bansal also worked on vaccine education through the ACPM’s Vaccine Confident Program, which he continues.

Solutions to the challenges we face in medicine–access, climate change, safety, infectious disease and chronic disease–are what drive me in organized medicine. The Council has done fantastic work on so many important issues such as environmental health, physician safety, public safety, public health, medication availability and accessibility, and infectious disease response and prevention. However, we continue to face these challenges in our practice and in society generally.

I will contribute to the Council’s work on this, use my experience and tap my contacts in the clinical and research spheres to reassess and update guidance in these areas based on new research. There will also be new challenges, some in their infancy and some yet to become part of medicine. This includes medical technology such as artificial intelligence, remote diagnostics, information mining and sharing, and treatment options but also the problems of misinformation and disinformation in medicine. I believe we can prevail and be the leading change agent on all of these. I will use my experience, knowledge and resolve towards actionable recommendations and advocacy to make that happen. I humbly ask for your vote to serve our AMA on the Council on Science & Public Health.

Proudly endorsed by the Florida Medical Association and the American College of Physicians. 

For more information, please visit Bansal4AMA.com or email [email protected]

• Visit the AMA elections page for information on other candidates running for office.
• Find up to date information for the June Annual Meeting of the HOD.