AMA Insights

April 11, 2018 | CHEST Physician

Neeraj R. Desai, MD, MBA, FCCP ; D. Robert McCaffree, MD, MSHA, FCCP

The AMA is both an individual member organization and a federation of geographic, ie, county and state, societies and specialty societies, as well as the uniformed services and the VA. It is this federation that comprises the House of Delegates (HOD or House), which is the principle policy-making body of the AMA. The number of delegates from each member organization (now numbering more than 170 organizations) depends on the number of individual AMA members among that organization’s members. Due to recent bylaws changes, CHEST now has two delegates. The HOD meets twice per year to establish policy on health, medical, professional, and governance matters, as well as the principles within which the AMA’s business activities are conducted.

Most policies originate via resolutions submitted by individuals or societies. These resolutions then go to one of several Reference Committees for open discussion. These committees then report their recommendations back to the House, which then discusses and votes on the recommendations. In some instances, the question is referred for further studies by one of several councils, whose reports go to the Board of Trustees or back to the House.

Most member societies meet in caucuses or Section Councils prior to the voting in the House to discuss the pending business. The Specialty and Service Society (SSS) is the largest caucus in the AMA’s House of Delegates. The SSS meets twice annually in conjunction with the Interim and Annual Meetings of the HOD. There are two categories of groups in the SSS: those societies that have seats in the HOD and those seeking admission to the house.

SSS groups in the HOD include:

119 national medical specialties
2 professional interest medical associations
5 military service groups