Camille Marie Pond of Fort Wayne was installed Tuesday, June 12, as president of the American Medical Association Alliance (Alliance), in a ceremony followed by remarks from U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, in Chicago.

In her new role, Pond – a past president of the Indiana State Medical Association Alliance – will speak to state, regional and national Alliance affiliates in support of policy initiatives that benefit physician families. She was installed during the annual meeting of the Alliance House of Delegates, which coincides with the American Medical Association (AMA) annual meeting. 

In her inaugural address, Pond thank her friends and family and stressed the power of partnerships between the AMA and physician families to address physician burnout. She endorsed remarks by Dr. Adams and AMA President David O. Barbe, MD, MHA, on the importance of partnerships with organizations such as PTAs to promote education, drug take-back programs, safe narcotics disposal, prevention and treatment.  She also saluted the many beneficial Alliance affiliate programs around the country, including Doctor’s Day at Science Central in Fort Wayne, to support physicians, medical students, health care education and legislative advocacy.
 
 “We are not here simply to dream; we are here to make things happen!” Pond said. “To leave a legacy as those before us did: to be exceptional, to make a difference, to take on projects that have real value.  To mentor and inspire others.”

Dr. Adams was introduced by William Pond, MD, Camille Pond’s husband and president of the Executive Board of the Fort Wayne/Allen County Health Department. A former commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health, Dr. Adams encouraged physicians to ask patients about their substance use and to be prepared to provide or refer patients to evidence-based options for addiction treatment.  In Indiana, he created and leveraged partnerships among physicians, law enforcement, legislators and local leaders to address an unprecedented outbreak of AIDS in Scott County. Tuesday, Dr. Adams also emphasized the importance of families in addressing health care issues, especially women, who make a large majority of family health care decisions. 
 
Dr. Barbe, the AMA’s outgoing president, noted continued progress by physicians in combatting opioid addiction. He also stressed the importance of improving electronic health records, to allow physicians to spend more time with patients and less time on the computer.