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

I run a busy family medicine practice in a rural community on Lake Ontario in northern New York State. I have three associates and four mid-level providers and have a patient base of approximately 7,000. My small group admits to the 120 bed Oswego Hospital.

• 1988-present: Medical Society of the State of New York.
• 1990-present: Delegate to the Medical Society of the State of New York Annual Meeting.
• 1984-present: Member of the New York State Academy of Family Practice. Served on numerous reference committees at annual meetings.
• 1984-present: Oswego County Medical Society. Served multiple terms as officer and president.
• 1984-present: Oswego Hospital medical staff / Immediate past president.
• 2000-present: Clinical professor of rural medicine at State University of the State of New York Health Science Center

As an active member of the AMA, I have chaired and served on numerous reference committees, including:

• 2017 (Annual): Chair of Reference Committee on Science and Public Health
• 2016 (Annual): Member of Reference Committee on Rules and Credentials
• 2013 (Interim): Member of Reference Committee J on Medical Practice
• 2010 (Interim): Member of Reference Committee K on Medical Education Science and Public Health

Dr. Varnum has been an active member of New York State organized medicine since 1984 and with the American Medical Association (AMA) since 1994.

This long tenure of service to our profession has allowed him to develop a singular and valuable life experience and institutional knowledge which only he can apply. From his seat as a rural family medicine physician in Oswego, New York, he has risen to every occasion of leadership, lifting the voices of his patients, fellow physicians and his community, from the local to the national levels.

From his leadership at his county medical society, to the New York State Academy of Family Practice, to the Medical Society of the State of New York and the AMA, he has always brought his unique perspective as a rural physician to lead organized medicine to best serve his patients. He has a track record of service on numerous reference committees from the state to national levels, including AMA reference committees and chairing the 2017 Committee on Science and Public Health. His tenure as a recent member of the AMA’s Council on Science and Public Health has been a highlight of his career, and he looks forward to the opportunity to renew his commitment to his council.

The Medical Society of the State of New York, New York State Academy of Family Practice and American Academy of Family Practice are proud to endorse his candidacy.

Dr. Varnum is a physician’s physician and a champion of grassroots public health. He has, and if given the opportunity, will continue to bring a unique perspective to the Council on Science and Public Health, which is much needed in our world of for-profit medicine and specialty care. Having spent years as an over-the-road union trucker before going on to college and medical school, his understanding of the hardships faced by his patients in rural New York is unique.

Oswego, New York, is a blue-collar town where Dr. Varnum is a leader. He understands the intricacies of an underserved and rustic community. He applies his insight to many aspects of addressing problems and decision-making in medicine, both locally and nationally. While his lifelong clinical work has been in New York, his leadership efforts broadly address various needs in many communities in the nation where the life, social makeup, and medical issues parallel those of his home in Oswego.

During his years with the council, Dr. Varnum’s contributions along with the other council members have led to multiple reports and action items generated to benefit patients in rural areas and strengthen the public health system in the country. As the council continues to be the forum for discussing current and prospective issues of our society, advising the HOD’s advocacy and legislation, and guiding the AMA Board of Trustees on critical items, Dr. Varnum aims to add a valuable, honest, rare, and experienced voice to the dialogue.

• 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.