Ardis Dee Hoven, M.D., Inaugurated as 168th President of AMA
Lexington infectious disease specialist’s work with HIV/AIDS patients spurred her involvement in organized medicine
CHICAGO - June 18, 2013 - Ardis Dee Hoven, M.D., an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist in Lexington, Ky., has been sworn in as the 168th president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest physician organization. During her presidency Dr. Hoven will focus on the AMA’s three strategic areas: improving health outcomes, accelerating change in medical education and enhancing physician satisfaction and practice sustainability.
“I am extremely honored to have been chosen by my colleagues from every state and medical specialty to lead the AMA during this important time,” said AMA President Ardis D. Hoven, M.D. “I am dedicated to being a strong voice for America’s physicians and the patients we serve.”
Dr. Hoven has spent her career caring for patients with infectious diseases including HIV and AIDS, from the discovery of the diseases in the early 1980s through today's significantly improved prognoses and strong hope for a cure. Her experiences with HIV/AIDS patients motivated her to become involved in organized medicine at the local, state and national level.
“The one constant in the field of medicine is change,” said Dr. Hoven. “Some is positive: My medical school class had only 5 women out of approximately 75 graduates, and now nearly fifty percent of medical school students are women. Other changes present greater challenges. My message to physicians is that by joining together we have the power to not just be witnesses to change but to shape the future of our health care system.”
Dr. Hoven was first elected to the AMA Board of Trustees (BOT) in 2005. She served as secretary from 2008-2009 and as chair from 2010-2011. Dr. Hoven was president of the Kentucky Medical Association (KMA) from 1993-1994 and served as a delegate to the AMA from Kentucky prior to her election to the AMA BOT. She has been a member of the AMA’s Group Practice Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Quality Forum.
Dr. Hoven is the recipient of many awards, including the University of Kentucky College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award and the KMA Distinguished Service Award.
Born in Cincinnati, Dr. Hoven received her undergraduate degree in microbiology and her medical degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington. She completed her internal medicine and infectious disease training at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Hoven is board-certified in internal medicine and infectious disease and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America.
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Media Contact:
Heather Lasher Todd
AMA Media Relations
202-789-7421
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About the American Medical Association (AMA)
The AMA, headquartered in Chicago, is committed to enabling a better health care system for patients and physicians to improve the health of the nation. Through its broad reach and deep relationships, the AMA is initiating partnerships to advance results-focused endeavors that improve public health, improve medical education and improve physician practice sustainability and satisfaction. Visit ama-assn.org to learn more about the AMA.