Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on June 9, 2026.
Officers and five councils are elected by the American Medical Association House of Delegates (HOD) at the Annual Meeting. Elections for contested contests are held 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. Voting is conducted by secret ballot.
Stephen K. Epstein, MD, MPP
Candidate for AMA Board of Trustees
Term: 2026-2030
Active, hands-on leadership
Professional expertise
Dr. Epstein brings deep expertise on the issues shaping the future of medicine.
- Understands the business of medicine: From the corporate practice of medicine to advanced payment models, Dr. Epstein knows how today’s financial structures affect physicians and patients.
- National policy experience: As a past chair of the Council on Medical Service and a member of two CMS Technical Expert Panels on cost measures, he has helped shape national conversations about health care policy and value.
- Advocate against burdensome systems: Dr. Epstein has been a leading voice on the impact of private equity, PBMs and insurers—and the growing administrative burden of prior authorization that drains joy from medical practice.
- Addresses real-world impacts: He understands the consequences when patients can’t afford medications, lose housing or lose insurance—because he witnesses these struggles firsthand and actively works on solutions.
Dr. Epstein doesn’t just study these issues—he lives them in his practice.
Public health, patient care and policy
Dr. Epstein brings decades of leadership, policy expertise and frontline clinical experience. He leveraged MIPS for positive updates for thousands of physicians.
- Frontline physician: Dr. Epstein is a practicing emergency physician known for being creative, data-driven and focused on solutions that benefit both physicians and patients, while caring for some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients.
- Public health leadership: Elected to his local Board of Health for over 15 years, where he has championed a nicotine-free generation, addressed vaccine hesitancy and helped lead his community through the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Driving improvement through data: As lead author of the National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine, he provided states with actionable data that has helped improve emergency care nationwide.
- Securing positive MIPS updates for a decade: Dr. Epstein developed the Clinical Emergency Data Registry (CEDR), a CMS-approved registry used by more than 20% of U.S. emergency departments to improve care and earn positive MIPS updates and put dollars in physicians’ pockets.
- Consensus builder: He is known for tackling complex policy challenges within his town and across the federation, bringing colleagues together to find practical solutions.
Working for our future
Dr. Epstein is committed to protecting physician-led care for our patients and strengthening the future of medicine.
- Standing up for quality care: Dr. Epstein believes that scope-of-practice expansions should never compromise patient safety or access to physician expertise—and has spent years fighting for that principle through the AMA and in direct advocacy with federal legislators.
- Supporting smart telehealth policy: He has developed a national telehealth strategy and will work to preserve the flexibilities that expand access while keeping care within physician-led teams.
- Applying technology and AI thoughtfully: Dr. Epstein has evaluated health technology throughout his career. He will advocate for policies that let physicians harness these tools without surrendering oversight or autonomy.
- Guiding the transition to value-based care: Dr. Epstein has the policy expertise and the relationships across organized medicine to help the AMA forge consensus around payment systems that put physicians—and their patients—first.
Dr. Epstein is ready to keep fighting for the future of our profession—and the patients who depend on it.
Family matters
Rooted in community
Dr. Epstein grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts, in a family closely connected to the local shoe industry. After completing his residency, he returned to the Boston area and settled in Needham, where he has long been active in the community. He serves in Needham Town Meeting and as an elected member of the Needham Board of Health, where the Tobacco21 movement first began.
Dr. Epstein and his wife, Laura, are proud parents of two recent college graduates—one a teacher and the other a spacecraft engineer.
With his children now grown, Dr. Epstein volunteers with Community Action Partners, helping nonprofits tackle complex business challenges. Outside of work he is an expert skier, and despite the occasional injuries, he continues to serve as a physician for the U.S. national ski and snowboard teams. He also enjoys solving the New York Times crossword puzzle and sings bass with the Boston Jazz Voices.
Additional resources
- 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.
