Barbara L. McAneny, M.D., inaugurated as 173rd president of the AMA

CHICAGO — Barbara L. McAneny, M.D., an oncologist from Albuquerque, N.M., has been sworn in as the 173rd president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s premier physician organization. She will focus her tenure on the AMA’s three strategic arcs: attacking the dysfunction in health care by removing obstacles and barriers that interfere with patient care; reimagining medical education, training and lifelong learning to help physicians adapt and grow in the digital age; and improving the health of the nation by confronting the increasing chronic disease burden.

“As healers we have everything we need to fix what ails our health care system. We have the most important ingredients in our hands—we have our patients’ trust,” said Dr. McAneny during her inaugural address. “We have the will, the expertise, and the view of our system at its most crucial point—inside the exam room with patients. And thanks to organizations such as the AMA, as well as state and specialty societies, we have a voice. We have a platform from which we can lead on any issue—and work to re-align our health care system so that patients and physicians are back in the center.”