The Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) held its annual meeting on Thursday, June 5 and Friday, June 6. The meeting was attended by more than 55 organized medical staff physicians and invited guests.
Attendees heard several educational presentations, conducted policy business and engaged in future section planning. This included presentations from the AMPAC regarding different political and policy activities the AMA is currently engaged in to benefit physicians as well as an update from Todd Askew of advocacy and activities on the hill. The Assembly also heard an update from Board Liaisons Ilse Levin, DO, and Willie Underwood, MD, on key, Board of Trustee initiatives.
OMSS education sessions
On Thursday, June 5, attendees heard a presentation from Elizabeth Snelson, Esq. regarding medical staff bylaws and how they serve as the legal and operational foundation of organized medical staff within health care institutions. As health care delivery models shift-driven by consolidation, increased physician employment, regulatory updates, and expansion of telemedicine, bylaws must adapt to preserve medical staff autonomy, ensure compliance, and support high-quality patient care.
This session provided an overview of emerging challenges and opportunities in the development and implementation of medical staff bylaws. Through discussion of case studies, recent legal precedents, and accreditation expectations, participants explored how to effectively navigate hot topics such as peer review protections, due process, credentialing of remote providers, and maintaining meaningful physician participation in governance structures.
On Friday, June 6, the Assembly hosted two educational sessions. The first highlighted how as economic pressures, staffing shortages and administrative burdens increase, the conversation around unionization in hospitals has gained urgency for physicians and residents. Physicians and medical residents are now actively participating in labor movements that may impact working conditions, patient care standards and professional autonomy.
This session was designed for current medical staff and residents transitioning into the workforce. It examined unionization from the vantage point of physicians—considering not only the legal and organizational frameworks, but also the ethical, professional and pragmatic realities.
In the second session, members learned how private equity acquisition impacts health care costs and utilization. The panel discussed concerns and benefits associated with private equity and corporate investment in medicine. In addition, they covered how private equity acquisition can impact professional satisfaction and patient care. At the conclusion, attendees were able to identify necessary protections for physicians employed by private equity-owned hospitals. Gary Gaddis, MD, APS member at-large and Martin Trichtinger, MD, OMSS member at-large, were the moderators of the event.
OMSS resolutions
The OMSS considered nine original resolutions. The section referred various items back to the OMSS Governing Council:
- Resolution 1 – Increased Oversight of Private Equity’s Involvement in the Healthcare System
- Resolution 3 – Mobile IV Services
The section adopted four items, but held them back to be transmitted instead at Interim 2025:
- Resolution 2 – Standardizing Brain Death Policies
- Resolution 5 – No Prior Authorization for Inexpensive Medications
- Resolution 6 – Addressing Anti-Physician Contractual Provisions
- Resolution 8 – Ensuring Safety and Oversight in Integration of Hospital Inpatient Virtual Nursing
The section adopted three items which were immediately transmitted to the 2025 Annual House of Delegates:
- Resolution 7 – Comprehensive AMA Policy Publication Regarding Employed Physicians
- Late Resolution 1 – Safeguarding Medical Staff Bylaws and Accreditation Standards in VA Facilities
- Emergency Resolution 1 – Addressing Targeting and Workplace Restrictions and Barrier to Healthcare Delivery by International Medical Graduate (IMG) Physicians and Other Physicians Based Upon Migration Status or Country of Origin Within Healthcare Systems
The section additionally transmitted five resolutions to the House of Delegates that had been previously held over from Interim 2024:
- Res. 1-I-24/HOD Res. 712 – Billings and Collections Transparency
- Res. 3-I-24/HOD Res. 713 – Aiding Members of Medical Staffs
- Res. 9-I-24/HOD Res. 516 – Creating a Registry of Potential Side Effects of GIP & GLP-1 Medications
- Res. B-I-24/HOD Res. 010 – Managing Conflicts of Interest Inherent in New Payment Models—Patient Disclosure
- Res. D-I-24/HOD Res. 426 – Addressing Patient Safety and Environmental Stewardship of Single-Use and Reusable Medical Devices
Visit the 2025 OMSS Annual Meeting agenda & resources page for full text copies of all meeting documents and more resources from the meeting. To obtain a “presentation-ready” format of the meeting highlights, please email [email protected].
Visit the OMSS pages to learn more about the OMSS and how to become more engaged.
