May 2026 Board of Trustee Meeting Recap

The PAMED Board of Trustees met for its hybrid May 7 meeting and reviewed several key updates, appointments, and ongoing strategic initiatives.

The Board approved the appointment of Tejas Nikumbh, MD as the Resident and Fellows Section Trustee and Halle Ellison, MD, MAS, PSHQ, FACS as the Surgical Specialties Trustee. Both will serve terms from May 7, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

The Board also approved the candidacies of the following members for the Judicial Council elections at the 2026 House of Delegates:

• Bruce Brod, MD
• Peter Lund, MD, FACS
• John Goldman, MD

Cory Young of BBC Interactive presented findings from a survey conducted between December 2025 and January 2026 to assess interest in an annual meeting format. A total of 562 members and non‑members responded. Key takeaways included:

• Interest in attending: 60% were open to attending a focused 1–2 day annual meeting
• CME as the primary draw: 78% indicated that relevant, timely CME content is the main factor influencing attendance
• Cost considerations: Most respondents reported a spending cap of $500–$999 or noted that they would require CME reimbursement

The full presentation is available on the HOD Resources page, and the Annual Meeting Advisory Task Force will continue reviewing this data as they explore future meeting models.

PAMED Past President F. Wilson Jackson, III, MD, Chair of the Unionization Task Force (TF), provided an update on the Task Force’s work. The Task Force also reviewed results from a statewide survey of members and non‑members regarding interest in forming or joining a physicians’ union in Pennsylvania. Of the 3,152 respondents, 73% were non‑members. Key findings included:

• 52% expressed interest in joining a union
• 61% said they would likely participate in union‑related activities if PAMED affiliated with a union
• Respondents identified working conditions as the top priority for union focus

Trustees held a thorough discussion of the survey results and the broader implications for PAMED. The Board agreed to work with the Task Force to prepare an informational report for the House of Delegates later this year.

At the end of the meeting, new business was brought forth and PAMED issued a statement regarding the recent Governor Shapiro lawsuit against Character.AI to protect patients in Pennsylvania from misleading AI medical bots.

Keep your eyes out for updates from the Board regarding the two new task forces, the Communications Task Force and Advocacy Task Force!