CHICAGO — The American Medical Association (AMA) today introduced the 21 members of its Board of Trustees for the coming year following elections held during the Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates.
Willie Underwood III, MD, MSc, MPH, a New York urologic surgeon, was sworn in as the 181st president of the American Medical Association (AMA). He succeeds Bobby Mukkamala, MD, a Michigan otolaryngologist, who now serves as the AMA’s immediate past president after completing his term as president.
Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD, a Georgia internist, was voted president-elect of the AMA. Dr. Fryhofer will become AMA president in June 2027.
Toluwalasé “Lasé” A. Ajayi, MD, a pediatrician and palliative medicine physician from California, is the chair of the AMA Board of Trustees, and Marilyn J. Heine, MD, an emergency medicine and hematology oncology physician from Pennsylvania, is the chair-elect of the AMA Board of Trustees.
The other executive committee members on the AMA Board of Trustees for 2026-2027 are:
- David H. Aizuss, MD, an ophthalmologist from California, is immediate past chair.
- Lisa Bohman Egbert, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Ohio, is speaker of the AMA House of Delegates.
- Pauline P. Huynh, MD, an otolaryngologist from Oregon, is secretary.
The new members of the Board of Trustees are:
- Tripti C. Kataria, MD, MPH, MBA, an anesthesiologist from Illinois.
- Amar H. Kelkar, MD, MPH, a hematologist/oncologist from Massachusetts.
- Kylie K. Ruprecht, a medical student from Wisconsin.
- Heather A. Smith, MD, MPH, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Rhode Island.
Returning members of the Board of Trustees are:
- John H. Armstrong, MD, a trauma surgeon from Florida, is vice speaker of the AMA House of Delegates.
- Geralyn R. Breig is the public member of the AMA Board.
- Melissa J. Garretson, MD, a pediatrician from Texas.
- Lynn Jeffers, MD, MBA, a plastic surgeon from California.
- Ilse R. Levin, DO, MPH. & TM, an internist and epidemiologist from Maryland.
- Sheila Rege, MD, a radiation oncologist from Washington state.
- Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, an orthopedic surgeon from Pennsylvania.
- Marta J. Van Beek, MD, a dermatologist from Iowa.
- David Welsh, MD, MBA, a general surgeon from Indiana.
Members of the AMA Board of Trustees are elected by physicians and medical students representing more than 190 state and specialty medical societies convened during the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates, the AMA’s policy-making body. The mission of the AMA is the promotion of the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.
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The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
