Headlining the national scene in June was the 2023 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. The House is a democratic forum and process that invites the views and interests of a diverse group of member physicians and students from more than 170 constituencies, including state medical societies and national specialty societies. The House of Delegates meets twice per year to establish policy on health, medical, professional and governance matters, as well as the principles which guide the AMA’s activities and engagement.
Delegate representation is allocated on a proportionate basis with one delegate seat allowed for every 1,000 AMA members. Presently, the NC Medical Society has 6 delegates to the AMA and 6 alternate delegate slots allotted too. The NC Delegation is chaired by Rebecca Hayes, MD, of Charlotte, NC and includes:
E. Rebecca Hayes, MD / Chair
Delegate / Concord, NC
Mary Ann Contogiannis, MD
Delegate/ Greensboro, NC
John A. Fagg, MD
Delegate / Winston-Salem, NC
Darlyne Menscer, MD
Delegate / Charlotte, NC
Karen Smith, MD
Delegate / Raeford, NC
Royce Syracuse, MD
Delegate / Charlotte, NC
Arthur Apolinario, MD, MPH
Alternate Delegate / Clinton, NC
Eileen Raynor, MD
Alternate Delegate / Durham, NC
Michael Utecht, MD
Alternate Delegate / Durham, NC
John Meier, IV, MD
Alternate Delegate / Raleigh, NC
North Carolina AMA Delegation 2023 AMA Annual Meeting
For 2023, the NC delegation also welcomed Alex Soltany, medical student delegate to the AMA from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
Art Apolinario, MD
NCMS President and NC AMA Delegation Member
The House accepts several hundred Reports and Resolutions for consideration at each meeting, and the deliberative process includes a series of Reference Committee hearings to allow open debate to reach consensus. There were a total of 490 items of business at the recent 2023 Annual Meeting which touched on a variety of topics impacting patient care and the medical profession. Highlighting the items on the agenda were:
The Role of BMI (Body Mass Index) as a Measure in Medicine
Physician Mental Health – Licensing and Credentialing
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Prior Authorization
Qualified Supervision of Emergency Care Services
Definition of “Employed Physician”
Medicare Coverage of Dental, Vision and Hearing Services
Physician Unionization
Medical Use of Psychedelic Agents
Access to Care for Incarcerated Patients
Long-term Care for Dementia Patients
Oversight of Non-physician Practitioners
Telemedicine and Health Equity
CMS Interpretation of the Stark Law
Foster Care Services
Access to Naloxone in Schools
Gender Affirming Care
Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment Stigma
Repeal of the Physician-owned Hospital Ban
Management and Leadership Training in Medical School
GME (Graduate Medical Education) Funding
International Medical Graduates
Unmatched Medical Students
Gun Violence
Abortion
Substance Use / Overdose
Kratom Regulation
Health System Consolidation
The AMA House of Delegates will convene for the 2023 AMA Interim Meeting over the dates of November 11-14 at the Gaylord National in National Harbor, Maryland.