AMDA House of Delegates Votes to Change Name and Expand Membership

At AMDA – Dedicated to Long Term Care Medicine’s (AMDA) recent annual conference, the  House of Delegates voted to change the organization’s name to AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. The House of Delegates also voted to expand full membership to nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs).

AMDA’s name change reflects the increasing prominence of post-acute care in the long-term care continuum, and the longstanding presence of attending physicians and other practitioners in AMDA’s membership in addition to medical directors. NPs and PAs will now be able to participate fully in the life of the organization, to serve on and chair national committees, to participate in state chapters according to conditions and requirements each chapter chooses to establish, including being Delegates to the AMDA House of Delegates. Six of AMDA’s national officers will remain physicians; however one of the three House of Delegates representatives on the Board, and one of the three State Presidents Council representatives on the Board may be a non-physician at any one time. This is a significant step towards a more inclusive membership and governance structure, echoing how the interprofessional team works together in the field. AMDA looks forward to implementing these new changes over the next few months.

AMDA President Leonard Gelman, MD, CMD, commented, “These changes to AMDA’s bylaws directly relate to what’s happening on the ground in post-acute and long-term care facilities. All medical providers need to be properly trained and supported, including the medical directors, the attending physicians, the nurse practitioners, and the physician’s assistants, in order to provide the highest quality care.  AMDA will serve as the professional home for this team as we work together to improve the quality of care for both our post-acute patients and long-term care residents.”