Aletha Maybank is stepping down as AMA’s chief health equity officer

DR. Aletha Maybank, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) first chief health equity officer, will step down at the end of 2024 after more than five years of service.

During her tenure, Maybank spearheaded initiatives that addressed health disparities and promoted equity within the medical community.

Maybank’s departure represents a significant turning point for the AMA, which has not yet announced a successor.

Under her leadership, the AMA launched several important programs focused on increasing diversity in the medical workforce and improving access to health care for marginalized communities. Her work helped shape the AMA’s health equity policy and address the social determinants of health that disproportionately impact underrepresented groups.

In a heartfelt statement on Instagram, Dr. Maybank expressed her gratitude for the support she has received throughout her career.

She thanked the AMA management team, Board of Trustees, House of Representatives, and members past and present for providing the foundation to build upon and for providing coverage in difficult moments.

“Thank you to the AMA management team, Board of Trustees, House of Representatives, and members past and present for providing the foundation on which to build and for providing protection in moments of resistance,” Maybank wrote. “Thanks to them, I built great relationships who also implicitly or explicitly participated in this work; I now consider many of them to be friends.”

She also thanked her family and friends for their unwavering support. “Thank you to my family and friends who stood by me and for me. I am blessed – the foundation is stable and the harbor is safe.”

Looking forward, Maybank announced that its next phase will be to address the intersection of narrative, art and health.

She shared that her immediate focus will be caring for her aging mother and that she will take time to think about how she can care for herself as a caregiver. She also expressed a desire to curate her next chapter in a meaningful and impactful way while providing advice and support to others as they navigate the coming year.

“My next phase will land in the pool of narrative, art and health. However, my immediate “neighbor” is space to care for my aging mother, space to figure out how to care for the caregiver – myself, space to organize my next phase into what is meaningful and is effective, and some space to support and advise me Some of you will support us as we navigate through 2025+.”

The farewell to Dr. Maybank’s impact will be felt across healthcare and public health, but her legacy of championing health equity is expected to endure through the programs and policies she helped implement.

The AMA remains true to its mission of advancing health equity and plans to continue driving meaningful change in the years to come.

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