Former CMA president throws hat in ring for AMA vice speaker April 23, 2015 General American Medical Association, Physician Leadership, AMA 0 James T. Hay, M.D., 2012 California Medical Association (CMA) president, last week officially began his campaign for the position of vice speaker of the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates (HOD). The San Diego family physician began his long association with the AMA in 1986 as a delegate to the association’s Hospital Medical Staff Section. For more than a decade, he has been a delegate to the AMA HOD, while also serving as vice speaker, speaker, president-elect and, ultimately, president at CMA. In 2012, Dr. Hay was selected to serve on Governor Jerry Brown’s “Let’s Get Healthy California Task Force,” a governmental body charged with taking actions that would make California the healthiest state in the nation. Additionally, he created and served as the first president of the San Diego County Medical Society Foundation and championed its “Project Access,” which connects uninsured patients to volunteer physicians. To date, this project has resulted in more than $9 million in free health care. In past leadership roles, Dr. Hay was responsible for taking organizations in bold, new directions. In the early 2000s, he chaired CMA’s Reengineering Task Force, an effort that eliminated the organization's redundancies and led to a much more efficient governance structure. And, as CMA president, Dr. Hay initiated actions that have led to major governance reforms, as well as to improvements in communications and membership numbers. A tireless advocate for medical students, residents and young physicians, Dr. Hay has been a mentor and encouraged their involvement in local societies, the CMA and AMA. A dedicated member of CMA’s Political Action Committee and strong advocate for the work that AMA’s Political Action Committee (Gold Member) does, many legislators call him a friend and have followed his guidance on issues important to the profession. Dr. Hay received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Durham, N.C., and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Pennsylvania. He served his residency at the Naval Hospital in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Visit www.facebook.com/DrJimHay or www.DrHayAMA2015.com to learn more about Dr. Hay’s campaign. If you know AMA delegates from other states, please encourage them to support Dr. Hay at the election on Tuesday, June 9, in Chicago. To coordinate your help with CMA, contact Tony Campa at (916) 551-2062 or tcampa@cmanet.org Comments are closed.
