California physician David H. Aizuss, M.D., was elected Secretary of the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees last week during the AMA House of Delegates in Chicago.

“I am thrilled to be elected as secretary of the AMA Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Aizuss, an ophthalmologist practicing in Los Angeles. “Participating on the AMA Executive Committee will allow me to continue AMA’s important work combating scope creep, advancing health equity and reforming Medicare into sustainable and viable system that preserves patient access to their physicians.”

Dr. Aizuss is a longtime leader in organized medicine. Elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2020, he is also a past president of the California Medical Association (CMA), the Los Angeles County Medical Association and the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Before being elected as CMA president in 2018, he served as the Chair of the CMA Board of Trustees.

During his tenure as CMA president, Dr. Aizuss implemented a new organizational emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Under his leadership, CMA significantly increased diversity in its council and committee leadership. Dr. Aizuss has also been at the forefront on issues such as physician scope of practice, vaccines, mental health and gun violence.

“For the past three decades, Dr. Aizuss has been fighting for his colleagues, his patients, and the future of medicine,” said CMA President Donaldo Hernandez, M.D. “Dr. Aizuss is a trusted expert and an insightful leader, and AMA is lucky to have him in this key position of leadership as organized medicine works together during this time of pivotal change to build a strong, inclusive and equitable health care system.”

AMA’s outgoing president, San Francisco dermatologist Jack Resneck, Jr., M.D. , will remain on the AMA Executive Committee for one year as immediate past president.

“AMA doesn’t win every battle. But we are more resolute in our work because of the challenges and existential threats to our profession and our patients,” Dr. Resneck said to the AMA delegates in his last address as AMA President. “In our country, and in our profession, we don’t agree on everything, but we agree on enough things to pursue the shared things that we care about. Together.”

Also returning to the AMA Board of Trustees for another year are the following CMA members:

• Toluwalase A. Ajayi, M.D., a San Diego pediatrician, pediatric and adult palliative medicine specialist, and clinical researcher
• Alex Ding, M.D., a radiologist who after nearly 20 years of advocacy on behalf of the physicians of California, recently relocated to Louisville, Kentucky

In other AMA election news, Palo Alto neurologist Shannon M. Kilgore, M.D., was relelected to the AMA Council on Medical Education.