Reported by Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, Dr. Roberta Gebhard, and Dr. Tiffani Bell-Washington

The American Medical Association House of Delegates is tasked with proposing policy-making changes offered by recognized constituent associations and specialty societies, including the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA).  

AMWA is represented by AMA delegate: Neelum Aggarwal, MD, and Alternate, Roberta Gebhard, DO and Tiffani Bell-Washington, MD who is our delegate to the Governing Council of the AMA Women Physicians Section. AMWA board member Dr. Gloria Wu also serves on the AMA WPC Governing Council. Our delegates participated in the 2024 AMA House of Delegates Meeting, Nov 8 – 12, 2024, in Florida; they attended the following meetings and gave testimony (as appropriate) :

  • OMSS Assembly Meeting; the Organized Medical Staff Section is the only physician-led, national group that advocates for medical staff   
  • Academic Physician Section Business meeting  
  • Senior Physician Section Assembly Meeting and Education Session  
  • Specialty and Service Society Meeting  
  • Women Physicians Section Business meeting  

AMWA gave testimony and/or supported the following Resolutions: 

  • Expanding Protections of End-of-Life Care  
  • Expanding Access to Palliative Care  
  • Addressing Gender-Based Pricing Disparities   
  • Supporting Diversity in Research  
  • Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls 
  • Augmented Intelligence Development, Deployment, and Use in Health Care  
  •  Health Technology Accessibility for Aging  
  •  Boarding Patients in the Emergency Room 
  •  Protect Infant and Young Child Feeding 
  •  Advocating for Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve Rural Obstetric Health Care and Access 
  • Advocating for Federal and State Incentives for Recruitment and Retention of Physicians to Practice in Rural Areas 
  • Advocate to Continue Reimbursement for Telehealth / Telemedicine Visits Permanently 
  • To Establish Pregnancy as a Federal Qualifying Life Event Triggering a Special Enrollment Period **
  • Alternative Pathways for International Graduates 
  • Coverage for Care for Sexual Assault Survivors 
  • Advancing Menopause Research and Care 
  • Improving the Identification of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in People with Disabilities 
  • Assuring Representation of Older Age Adults in Clinical Trials *
  • Improving Rural Access to Comprehensive Cancer Care 

These resolutions have been submitted for a final vote; updates can be viewed here: 

The AMA Women Physicians Section (WPS) Governing Council (GC) successfully championed key initiatives to address critical issues affecting women physicians, patients, and the broader healthcare system. Through active engagement in networking events, collaborative sessions, and business meetings, the WPS reaffirmed its commitment to advancing gender equity, improving patient care, and fostering inclusion within the AMA.

The WPS introduced and supported nine resolutions that reflect its mission to address pressing health and policy concerns. These resolutions included efforts to tackle gender-based pricing disparities (001), enhance anti-doxxing privacy protections (002), and safeguard infant and young child feeding (206). Other resolutions aimed to improve accountability in preserving the patient-physician relationship (207), advocate for coverage for care for assault survivors (805), and advance menopause research and care (902). Additionally, the WPS addressed the identification of intimate partner violence in people with disabilities (903), regulation of ionized radiation exposure for healthcare workers (904), and transparency regarding contaminants in menstrual hygiene products (905). Collectively, these resolutions highlight the WPS’s dedication to advocating for policies that promote equity, safety, and well-being for both physicians and patients.

The following resolutions were submitted by the Women Physicians Section:

  • Resolution 001: Addressing Gender-Based Pricing Disparities
  • Resolution 002: Anti-Doxxing Privacy Protection
  • Resolution 206: Protecting Infant and Young Child Feeding
  • Resolution 207: Accountability for G-605.009: Requesting a Task Force to Preserve the Patient-Physician Relationship Task Force Update and Guidance
  • Resolution 805: Coverage for Care for Sexual Assault Survivors
  • Resolution 902: Advancing Menopause Research and Care
  • Resolution 903: Improving the Identification of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in People with Disabilities
  • Resolution 904: Regulation of Ionized Radiation Exposure for Healthcare Workers
  • Resolution 905: Regulation and Transparency of Contaminants in Menstrual Hygiene Products 

 

L-R: Dr. Roberta Gebhard, Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, Dr. Nancy Church

AMA Women Physicians Section Governing Council