Bobby Mukkamala, MD, an otolaryngologist from Flint, Mich., has been named president-elect of the American Medical Association.
Dr. Mukkamala is the chair of AMA's Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force and played a central role in the Flint water crisis, serving as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, according to a June 7 news release from the AMA.
"It is a turbulent time to be a physician in this country," Dr. Mukkamala said in the release. "Challenges like an unsustainable Medicare payment system, excessive prior authorization, and physician burnout have put our health system in a precarious place. But the AMA is fighting these battles in Congress, in state capitals, and in our communities to achieve a better future where physicians can spend more time with their patients. I am honored to be chosen by my peers as the AMA's president-elect and I am eager to continue fighting for better health care for all our communities."
He was elected to AMA's Council on Science and Public Health in 2009 and served as its chair from 2016 to 2017. He was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2017 and 2021. He also served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors since 2011, served as board chair for two years and as president.
He takes over the role of president from Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD.