Welcome to Our New Leaders!

AMWA congratulates the new president-elect, secretary, and three members-at-large on their election to the 2025 – 2026 Board of Directors

The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) introduces Dr. Eileen Barrett as Incoming President, Dr Paulette Cazares as President-Elect for 2025-2026, and Dr. Vidhya Prakash as Board Secretary.  Having been elected by the AMWA membership, they will begin their one-year leadership roles at the conclusion of the AMWA 109th Annual Meeting, in March 2025.

Dr. Eileen Barrett is an Internal Medicine physician and former Chair of AMWA Advocacy. She is the recipient of the 2019 AMWA Exceptional Mentor Award. She was elected Chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians and is an elected member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society.  She additionally received a 2021 Award of Excellence in Humanitarian Services from the Society of Hospital Medicine, a 2022 Inspiration Award from the American Medical Association, and  a 2023 Inspire Award from AMWA. Her research and scholarly work are in the areas of clinician wellbeing, health equity, and improving the care of people with substance use disorders.  

“I am looking forward to advancing AMWA’s mission and vision, with particular focus on continuing our leadership in protecting reproductive rights and advocacy for advancing women in medicine and the health of women,” says Dr. Eileen Barrett, incoming AMWA President. 

Dr. Barrett received her MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MD at Georgetown University, and completed internal medicine residency at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital. She completed a Rural Faculty Development Fellowship through the University of Arizona in 2009 and a Medical Justice and Advocacy Fellowship through Morehouse School of Medicine and the American Medical Association 

Dr. Cazares served as an Active Duty Navy Psychiatrist in numerous duty stations both in the US and internationally, and retired as a Captain in the Summer of 2024.  During her time on Active Duty, she worked extensively in Women’s Health and Women’s Mental Health, and at executive levels in various military hospitals.   

“Having worked in and for AMWA for many years, I saw this as a unique time in my personal career and in AMWA’s trajectory to volunteer for leadership at the Presidential level. I am thrilled to be able to continue to advance AMWA’s leadership, and am passionate about seeing women physicians achieve their potential,” says Dr. Paulette Cazares, incoming President-Elect. She has served as Board Secretary for two terms, and been a board member for four years, during which she led the formation of the Active Duty and Veterans Chapter of AMWA.

Dr. Cazares is the Principal Investigator and Medical Director for Geriatric Psychiatry at Sharp Neurocognitive Research Center in San Diego, CA.  Until retiring this Fall, Dr. Cazares was commissioned in the US Navy and attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), where she graduated with her medical degree. She completed a Psychiatry Internship at Naval Medical Center San Diego and Psychiatry Residency via the National Capital Consortium.  She completed her Master’s in Public Health at Drexel University.

Dr. Vidhya Prakash Steps Up as Board Secretary

Serving in her second year of a two-year term, Vidhya Prakash, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FAMWA, was elected as Board Secretary, and will join the AMWA Executive Board, beginning in March 2025.  Dr. Prakash is the Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Population Health and Chief Medical Officer and  a Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. 

AMWA also announcing three board members who are returning for a second 2-year term: Dr. Octavia Cannon, DO, FACOOG, Chung Sang (CS) Tse, MD, and Dr. Gloria Wu.

The AMWA community looks forward to the stewardship and vision that these dedicated and accomplished women physician leaders will bring to our organization.  We are fortunate to have access to the energies and commitment of these dynamic, accomplished, inspired and empathetic women physicians, each of whom has firm aspirations for AMWA and for what they want to accomplish for our organization.

[one_half centered_text=”true”]

President-Elect

Paulette T. Cazares, MD, MPH

[/one_half]

[one_half_last centered_text=”true”]

Secretary

Vidhya Prakash, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FAMWA

[/one_half_last]