Candidate for election at 2024 Annual Meeting: Shannon P. Pryor, MD

Elections will be held at the Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates on June 11, 2024.

Officers and seven councils are elected by the American Medical Association House of Delegates (HOD) at the Annual Meeting. The elections are conducted during a special election session under the supervision of the Committee on Rules and Credentials and the chief teller, who are appointed by the speakers. The speaker and vice speaker are responsible for overall administration of the elections. Voting is conducted by secret ballot.

2024-2028

Every challenge is an opportunity, and we certainly have many opportunities.

From prior authorization to burnout, from payment nightmares to scope creep, from cyberattacks to the criminalization of medicine, we are inundated with challenges that present us with opportunities to improve the way we practice. Our AMA brings the federation of medicine together to assure that all voices and perspectives will be heard as we work together for a single purpose: to allow us to provide the best possible care for our patients. Having spent decades involved at every level of organized medicine, I have a deep understanding of and true passion for the organizational structure and process that allows us to share our perspectives, learn from each other, find consensus, and advocate for our patients and our profession.

As physicians, we should all have control over how we care for our patients and our practices and appropriate compensation for our work. As the leaders of the health care team, physicians must be free to communicate, collaborate, and contribute our expertise. Yet that’s not our reality. Physicians are frustrated, trying to provide quality care in a broken system. We have many challenges, but in every challenge lies an opportunity. Working together, we have the opportunity to implement innovative solutions that impact the practice of medicine and the health of our patients every time we tackle one of our many challenges. With over thirty years of advocacy and leadership experience with our federation, I’ve developed the skills necessary to optimize our work, implement the policies and directives set by our house of medicine, and advocate on behalf of our profession.

I attended my first AMA meeting as a first-year medical student, and grew up through the MSS, RFS, and YPS. I was first elected to our House of Delegates in 1995 and have represented both my specialty society and my state. Through service as a member and past chair of our AMA Council on Long Range Planning and Development. I’ve participated in our BOT strategic planning process, have taken deep dives into the drivers and trends that shape our health care system and how these will affect our profession in the years to come, and have developed skills in identifying and implementing best practices for association governance, structure, outreach, and messaging. Through my three years and past chairmanship of Reference Committee F, I met with the BOT Finance Committee four times a year to review finance, governance, and membership. This work provided an even deeper understanding of the nuts and bolts of our federation, our association, our challenges, and our opportunities.

I served as the first chair of our AMA Women Physicians Section and co-founder of the Women in Otolaryngology Section of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), guiding both teams through the development of structures and visions, with a focus on developing strong leadership development pathways. I’ve served on both the Board of Directors and the Board of Governors for the AAO-HNS, with additional roles in legislative affairs, ethics, workforce planning, and equity/inclusion.

I served as president of MedChi, The Maryland State Medical Society, and its largest component, Montgomery County Medical Society. As MedChi president during COVID, I led the society through a nimble transition as we faced unprecedented threats to the viability of our practices. I also revived our MedChi Young Physicians Section, championed inclusiveness for our medical student members, and convened a round table of our specialty society presidents.

In my years of service with MedChi, I authored resolutions establishing the student seat on our MedChi AMA delegation and our newly established Senior Physicians Section. I’ve also chaired bylaws, finance, and membership and have worked on legislation, public health, diversity/equity/inclusion, ethics, payment reform, leadership development, and scope initiatives.

Since finishing my residency at Johns Hopkins and fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, I have worked in private practice, as a government employee, an HMO employee, and in academia. I’ve experienced the challenges of each practice modality first-hand. For the past ten years I have cared for patients through MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

In my personal life, I’m a native New Orleanian, mother of three, avid world traveler, black belt in taekwondo, certified life coach, small business owner, master knitter, and a beginning but persistent and steadily improving tennis player.

Physicians turn to our AMA to help with the many challenges that face our profession. We want an AMA that hears and understands us, anticipates our needs, responds with innovative and effective solutions, takes decisive action, and leads the conversation. Most of all, we want an AMA that does this effectively and efficiently. Physicians face many challenges.

I respect our AMA House of Delegates and our ability to find the opportunities that lie in the challenges we face. As your trustee, I will bring unique skills and experience to the table. I’m definitely not afraid to take on new challenges and seize new opportunities. I pledge to listen, communicate, collaborate, and advocate on behalf of both current and future generations of physicians. Please vote Shannon Pryor, MD, for our AMA BOT.

• Visit the AMA elections page for information on other candidates running for office.
• Find up to date information for the June Annual Meeting of the HOD.