J. James Rohack, President, American Medical Association
Biography provided by participant
J. James Rohack, MD, a senior staff cardiologist at Scott & White Clinic in Temple, Texas,
became the 164th president of the American Medical Association (AMA) in June 2009.
Rohack has been a member of the AMA Board of Trustees since 2001 and served as
chair from 2004 to 2005. He has served as treasurer of the board of commissioners of the Joint
Commission, chaired the National Advisory Council to the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, and is one of the principals of the Hospital Quality Alliance. In 2009 he was voted No. 20
in the 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare by the readers of Modern Healthcare
and Modern Physician magazines.
A board-certified cardiologist, Rohack is actively
involved in patient care at Scott & White Clinic, where he
serves as the director of the Center for Healthcare Policy
and as the medical director for system improvement of the
Scott & White Health Plan—a not-for-profit health plan
that is nationally recognized for quality health care delivery.
A professor in both the Departments of Medicine and
Humanities at the Texas A&M Health Science Center
College of Medicine, Rohack’s past leadership
responsibilities include president of the American Heart
Association’s Texas affiliate, president of the Texas Medical
Association (TMA), chair of the TMA Council on Medical
Education and member of the TMA board of trustees.
Rohack’s lifetime commitment to advancing educational
standards includes serving on the AMA Council on Medical
Education, in addition to serving as the AMA representative
to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the
Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education
and the Liaison Committee on Specialty Boards, as well
as on the steering committee of the Federation of State
Medical Boards-convened Summits on Assessment of
Physician Competency.
Rohack, who is a fellow of the American College of
Cardiology and the American College of Physicians, has also
served on the Bush School of Government & Public Service
Advisory Board, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center Executive Advisory Panel, the Texas A&M
University System Health Science Center School of Rural
Public Health External Advisory Committee, and the
board of directors of the American College of Cardiology,
Texas chapter.
Born in Rochester, N.Y., Rohack received his BS degree
with highest honors from the University of Texas at El Paso
and his MD degree with honors from the University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston in 1980. He has received a
Distinguished Alumnus award from both institutions.
Rohack lives on a small ranch near Bryan, Texas, that
also serves as a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and release
facility directed by his wife, Charli. They have one daughter.
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The current debate highlights the clear need to reform the private insurance market, provide more affordable choice of insurance plans and eliminate pervasive problems that frustrate patients and physicians. A co-op could be a good compromise, and AMA has signaled its openness to the concept. As always the devil is in the details. More than two decades ago, physician delegates to the AMA voted to support co-ops, creating policy that called on the AMA to “encourage unions, trade associations, health insurance purchasing cooperatives, farm bureaus, fraternal organizations, chambers of commerce, churches and religious groups, ethnic coalitions, and similar groups to serve as voluntary choice… Read more
Today, the American Medical Association joins the nation in mourning the death of Senator Edward Kennedy. During his many years in public service, Senator Kennedy was a champion for America’s patients – working until the end to make improvements on their behalf. For example, Senator Kennedy was a leading voice in efforts to expand access to health care for children and to secure fair health coverage for the mentally ill. Earlier this year, the AMA honored Senator Kennedy with its highest award for government service, which is bestowed on those who go above and beyond the call of duty to… Read more
Biography provided by participant
