Monday, June 16, 2014

First Openly Gay Trustee of the AMA Elected

Hector Vargas, GLMA Executive Director, issued the following statement on Jesse Ehrenfeld’s election to the AMA Board of Trustees:

GLMA is proud to announce one of our members, Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, has become the first openly gay Trustee of the American Medical Association (AMA). On June 10, 2014, the AMA House of Delegates elected Jesse to serve on the Board of Trustees, joining a handful of other health professional associations to include out LGBT individuals in positions of leadership.

Last June, GLMA became the first and only LGBT organization to have a voting seat in the AMA House of Delegates, signaling a major shift to advance understanding of LGBT healthcare needs and promote equality.

As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month, I am moved by the fact that Jesse’s inclusion in the leadership of the largest physician group in the US will continue to advance LGBT health equality. AMA policies have significant influence on public policy efforts in the US and the inclusion of an openly gay health professional voice among AMA leadership will have far reaching implications for LGBT patients and health professionals across the country.

Additionally, Jesse’s service on the AMA Board of Trustees provides a much-needed role model to LGBT health professionals, students and trainees. As GLMA members—from all professions—are well aware, being an out LGBT health professional is not always easy. Like those who have served before him in positions of leadership with other health professional associations, Jesse will not only provide an LGBT voice on the AMA Board of Trustees, but also serve as a role model to LGBT health professionals and students across the nation.

GLMA looks forward to continuing our work with Jesse and others within the AMA and across all health professional associations to address the health needs facing the LGBT community.

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