On the heels of yesterday's announcement that American Medical Association CEO and Executive Vice President Michael Maves, MD, will step down in June comes speculation from Becker's Hospital Review that the move was fueled by doctors who were upset by the organization's support of healthcare reform.
A statement made by Ardis Hoven, MD, chair of the AMA board, about ushering in a "new era" in healthcare delivery was cited as a hint into the resignation motives. "[B]oth Dr. Maves and the Board of Trustees share the belief that new top leadership is required to address these challenges and to ensure the rights of patients and physicians are passionately and effectively protected," the statement read.
Donald Cinotti, MD, however, wasn't as vague, despite saying he was sad to hear of Maves' departure. "We had a lot of differences, but he always had the best interests of doctors in mind," Cinotti told Becker's. Still, he added that perhaps it was the right time for him to depart due to "physicians' anger toward the AMA's positions."
Maves took over as CEO of the AMA in 2001 after a contract dispute between the group and then CEO Ratcliffe Anderson, according to MedPage Today.
"Under Dr. Maves' leadership, the American Medical Association restored its financial stability, weathered the recession and implemented a number of critical initiatives to improve the quality of care, increase access to care and establish a fair system of payment for physicians within the Medicare program," Hoven added of Maves' time with the organization.
For more on Maves' departure:
- check out this Becker's Hospital Review article
- here's the AMA press release
- read this MedPage Today piece