January BOT Meeting Wrap Up

In its first meeting of the year, the PAMED Board of Trustees reviewed several key business items. The board approved the appointment of Joshua Dearing, MD and Margaret Atwell, MD to fill the 7th District Trustee and Senior Physician Trustee vacancies, respectively. Their appointment term is January 28, 2026 – December 31, 2026. Additionally, the Board approved the appointment of PAMED Past President, Peter S. Lund, MD to fill the Judicial Council vacancy. His appointment term is January 28, 2026 – December 31, 2026.

The board observed a moment of silence in honor of Dr. Virginia Hall, former Board Chair of The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society for 9 years and trustee for 24 years. Her thoughtful advocacy and service will be remembered and cherished. To learn more about Dr. Hall’s impact, PAMED’s statement can be found here; for those who are moved to do so, you may also donate to the Foundation in Dr. Hall’s honor.

The Board heard remarks from PAMED 176th President, Dr. Arvind Cavale. Dr. Cavale shared that his Presidential Initiative emphasizes the importance of independent practicing physicians and lifting their voice in the health care field and announced his plans for an Independent Practice Summit: Building Sustainable Models of Physician-led Care in June of 2026. Mark your calendars!

A recommendation to implement an Annual Meeting Advisory Task Force was presented. This recommendation came from the 2025 Board of Trustees expressing interest in moving the House of Delegates to an expanded Annual Meeting model. This group of individuals will report to the Board of Trustees and provide recommendations for educational topics, networking opportunities, and more. 

Vice Speaker of the House, Andrew Lutzkanin, III, MD, FAAFP, shared updates on the first meeting of the PAMED Board Governance Task Force in December 2025, as well as research that the Task Force conducted in preparation for their upcoming meeting in February 2026. Dr. Lutzkanin and PAMED CEO/EVP Martin Raniowski shared insight into how members of the Task Force were chosen and the representation across the task force’s roster.

The Board heard legislative updates surrounding the state government’s recent actions for the start of 2026 as well as insight for the coming 2026 elections. Director of Legislative Affairs, Wayne Crawford, shared insights about recently introduced legislation that PAMED will keep on its radar.