Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, Inaugurated as President of the American Medical Association

Milwaukee, June 15, 2023 – Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, was sworn in as the 178th president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s premier physician organization, on June 13, 2023.

At his inauguration, Dr. Ehrenfeld spoke about health inequities and injustices, saying “the AMA has made tremendous strides in recent years to recognize past wrongs, to take a stand against discriminatory practices in medicine, to stand on the side of justice and equity, and to partner with allies who are committed to advancing the rights of all patients to receive equitable care.”

Additionally, throughout his presidential year, Dr. Ehrenfeld will focus on advocating for the AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians.

Dr. Ehrenfeld is the first openly gay person to serve as AMA president.

Active in organized medicine since medical school, Dr. Ehrenfeld was elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2014, serving as chair from 2019-2020. He also served as a member of the governing councils of the AMA Young Physicians Section and the AMA Resident and Fellow Section, as well as the governing boards of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Resident Component and the Illinois State Medical Society.

Dr. Ehrenfeld is a practicing anesthesiologist, senior associate dean, and tenured professor of anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he leads the largest statewide health philanthropy, the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment. He is also an adjunct professor of anesthesiology and health policy at Vanderbilt University and an adjunct professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.

A co-author of 22 clinical textbooks, Dr. Ehrenfeld is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Systems. His research – focused on how digital technology can improve surgical safety, patient outcomes, and health equity – has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense, the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Ehrenfeld’s work in this arena has led to the publication of more than 275 peer-reviewed manuscripts and recognition as an inaugural recipient of the NIH’s Sexual & Gender Minority Research Investigator Award.

Dr. Ehrenfeld is a graduate of Haverford College, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed an internship in internal medicine, a residency in anesthesiology, and a fellowship in research informatics at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Board-certified in anesthesiology and clinical informatics, Dr. Ehrenfeld is a fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Medical Informatics Association.

Outside of his medical career, Dr. Ehrenfeld is an Emmy-nominated photographer and 2015 recipient of a White House News Photographers Association award for his work in capturing and advocating for the lives of LGBTQ+ people. He has also served as a special advisor to the 20th US Surgeon General and provides technical expertise as a consultant to the World Health Organization Digital Health Technical Advisory Group.

Dr. Ehrenfeld is a combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support Mission. A native of Delaware, Dr. Ehrenfeld and his husband, Judd Taback, live in Milwaukee with their two children.

A video of Dr. Ehrenfeld’s inaugural address, along with the full text of his remarks, is available on the AMA’s website.