The Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) held its interim meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13, and Friday, Nov. 14, in conjunction with the AMA Interim Meeting. The meeting brought together more than 50 organized medical staff physicians and speakers for section programming, leadership discussions and business activities held as part of the broader meeting.
In addition, the Employed Physician Caucus, which changed leadership at its annual meeting in June, met on Saturday morning. The group was well attended, with approximately 15 members who discussed their strategy for the next few days. If you are interested in real-time updates or joining, please email [email protected].
All attendees heard several educational presentations, conducted policy business, and engaged in future section planning. This included presentations from the AMAPAC 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 Sandra Fryhofer, MD; Ilse Levin, DO; and Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, on key Board of Trustees initiatives.
OMSS education sessions
On Thursday, Nov. 13, OMSS welcomed everyone to Professionalism in Bylaws to Protect Employed and Independent Physicians. The session featured Libby Snelson, one of our best legal subject matter experts on Medical Staff Bylaws. She explored milestones in protecting medical staff leadership, including the creation of the Joint Commission for hospital accreditation and key legal advances supporting medical staff self-governance. This session examined new challenges and provided practical advice for strengthening physician autonomy in clinical and administrative decision-making.
On Friday, Nov. 14, the assembly hosted three educational sessions. Beginning with The Trillion-Dollar Cut: Impact of Medicaid Cuts on Health Care, a joint session with IPPS and PPPS examining the projected effects of recent Medicaid reductions on care delivery, reimbursement, and practice operations. Panelists examined the scale and downstream implications of the cuts, highlighting expected pressures on access, workforce capacity and financial stability for both independent practices and large systems. Drawing on real-time policy developments and organizational experience, speakers outlined practical steps to prepare for revenue shifts, maintain continuity of care for Medicaid patients, and engage in targeted advocacy. Attendees gained a grounded understanding of the operational, clinical and strategic effects of the “trillion-dollar cut” and key considerations for adapting in the months ahead.
In the second session, members were involved in an in-depth discussion on Cyberattacks-they are no longer a distant IT problem—they are disrupting hospitals, delaying care, and putting patients’ lives at risk. The session provided physician leaders with essential insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape and its impact on health care operations. The assembly broke out into working groups around cybersecurity threats to patient safety, to explore real-world examples, and to create actionable steps to strengthen organizational resilience and response in ways that safeguard clinical care.
The final education session of the meeting, Sandra Fryhofer, MD, AMA Trustee, presented Combating Misinformation and Safeguarding Vaccine Infrastructure. In front of a group of nearly 100 attendees, she explored the origins of organized medicine and provided an in-depth review of the vaccine development process, including the critical roles of the FDA, CBER, VRBPAC and ACIP in shaping access, insurance coverage, and inclusion in the Vaccines for Children program. The session examined historical and recent threats to vaccine infrastructure, current state of influenza, measles and COVID-19, and the impact of misinformation on public trust and vaccine uptake. The combined audience of OMSS/UMAS members gained strategies to effectively communicate with patients about vaccination in today’s challenging environment, and in order to drive safeguarding public health.
OMSS resolutions
The OMSS considered five original resolutions.. One resolution was immediately forwarded to the House of Delegates:
- Resolution 2 – Partnership with the Administration to Reduce Harmful Chemicals in Food and Align with European Safety Standards
One resolution was referred to the Governing Council for report back:
- Resolution 4 – Integrating Inpatient and Outpatient Care
One resolution was adopted by the section, but held back for Annual 2026:
- Resolution 5 – Publicizing, Supporting, and Promoting (Appropriate) AMA Member Physicians and Physician Spouses as Candidates for Local and State Offices
Two resolutions were considered, but not adopted:
- Resolution 1 – Supporting Efforts to Strengthen Medical Staffs Through Collective Bargaining an/or Unionization
- Resolution 6 – “Ethical IVF” and “Restorative Reproductive Medicine”
Additionally, the section advanced four items previously heard at Annual 2025 for consideration:
- Resolution 204 - Addressing Anti-Physician Contractual Provisions
- Resolution 808 – No Prior Authorization for Inexpensive Medications
- Resolution 809 - Ensuring Patient Safety and Physician Oversight in the Integration of Hospital Inpatient Virtual Nursing
- Resolution 905 – Standardizing Brain Death Policies
Visit the 2025 OMSS Interim 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.
