LEADERSHIP

Dr. Kelly Thibert is a family medicine physician practicing ambulatory medicine in Bradenton, Florida. She graduated from Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio where she received comprehensive training enabling her to provide primary care to a full spectrum of patients and populations. She attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida where she majored in Molecular and Microbiology and minored in Women’s Studies. She attended Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in South Florida where she earned her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine and Master of Public Health degrees. Before applying to residency, Kelly served as the National President for the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), focusing on physician and trainee wellness, reproductive healthcare including abortion, LGTBQ healthcare and fighting for quality, affordable healthcare for all. She believes that being involved in health policy and advocating for change are vital to ensuring fully comprehensive care for her patients and the communities in which they live. Kelly is passionate about comprehensive reproductive health – including abortion, health policy, medical education and social activism. She is honored for the opportunity to serve as Chair to the AMSA Foundation Board of Directors and looks forward to working with and for the members of AMSA.

Dr. Lauren Hughes is a physician executive and health policy leader working at the nexus of primary care and public and population health to improve the lives and well-being of vulnerable communities. She desires to change policies and systems in innovative, equitable, and sustainable ways so that through better health, marginalized populations can pursue greater educational and economic opportunities.

Dr. Hughes is a practicing family physician, associate professor of family medicine, and the State Policy Director of the Farley Health Policy Center at the University of Colorado, where she leads initiatives to translate data for policymakers to inform the design and implementation of evidence-based health policy. Her research interests include strengthening rural health care delivery systems, the future of primary care and public health post-COVID, and reforming graduate medical education governance, financing, and social accountability. Dr. Hughes previously served as Deputy Secretary for Health Innovation in the Pennsylvania Department of Health, where she launched the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model, a new payment and delivery model that transitions rural hospitals from fee-for-service to multi-payer global budgets. She serves on the Boards of Directors of the American Board of Family Medicine and the Rural Health Redesign Center Organization, is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, formerly led the American Medical Student Association as its national president, and worked on Capitol Hill for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. Dr. Hughes has been a visiting scholar at the Robert Graham Center, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, the Commonwealth Fund, and the ABC News Medical Unit in New York City. In 2016, she received the Early Career Achievement Award from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and the Women Leaders in Medicine Award from the American Medical Student Association. In 2018, Dr. Hughes was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Dr. Britani Javed started her medical training in South Florida. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Premedical Studies in 2010 and completed her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Nova Southeastern University in 2014. It was during her premedical training that Britani first joined the American Medical Student Association. She has served in many AMSA leadership positions during her premedical and medical school training. In 2014, she was elected to serve as the AMSA’s National President. This position allowed her to travel around the world helping to represent the organization’s advocacy initiatives, such as improving medical education. In 2015, she started her Pediatrics Residency with Authority Health in Detroit, Michigan, with the goal of helping underserved populations. During her residency, she completed a Certificate in Population Health through the University of Michigan and continued to hold various leadership positions throughout this time. She graduated from residency in 2018 and currently lives in California with her husband, Danish, (who is a fellow Pediatrician) and infant son Zane. She works as a Pediatric Hospitalist and the Director of Resident Education for her group. In her free time, she loves making memories with her family and traveling to new places. When there isn’t a pandemic, she performs in the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra as an Alto.

My name is Andres F. Diaz, and I am an MD/PhD student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson. I was born in Medellin, Colombia and moved to the United States with my family at the age of 11. I am passionate about oncology and public health work and hope to incorporate both to address health disparities in cancer care. As an underrepresented individual in medicine, I am particularly moved by health advocacy for migrants, refugees, and underrepresented peoples. I am also interested in health literacy and writing. As Student Editor of The New Physician, I work diligently with Pete Thompson and his staff to create a publication that is approachable, enlightening, and useful for readers and contributors alike. I am looking forward to working with AMSA leadership and members to advocate for health equity, education, and medical excellence.

Bio coming soon

Isaiah A. Cochran, M.D. serves as a key organizational spokesperson for AMSA and active promoter of the organization’s educational programming, advocacy pursuits and membership recruitment and engagement efforts.

In addition to serving as an AMSA board member since 2016, Cochran also has held leadership positions with Refugee Student Alliance and Global Health Initiative.

He earned his medical degree from the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio. During that time, he engaged in research at Dayton Children’s Hospital to identify incidental brain tumors in otherwise healthy children undergoing routine evaluations for head trauma.

He also investigated if early cognitive markers exist in infants prior to the diagnostic age of 24 months and if they can be utilized to differentiate between males and females with ASD for a study conducted at the Department of Clinical Cognitive Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.

James M. (Jim) Slayton has served in many AMSA roles during his career, including National President (1989-1990) and Foundation Board of Directors member and President (2002-2012, 2014-2016).  He has been a senior Medical Director with Optum Behavioral Health since 2004 and in serves in a quality improvement oversight position related to potential fraud, waste and abuse in healthcare.  He is a former associate residency training director and has continued in a teaching role with the Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School.  He is a graduate of Brown University, Stanford Medical School and Harvard Business School.  He is an avid choral musician and cellist, and is the proud father of three children with his husband, Phillip Hernandez, in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Jamie Thayer Scates serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the largest, independent student medical association. In this role, Jamie focuses on mapping the vision, strategy, funding and growth plans for the global organization. She heads up partner development with foundations, nonprofits, and social enterprises; builds networks; and coalesces teams.

Spurred by an unwavering belief that change is possible—that healthcare can be reimagined to better serve all people—Jamie brings a special kind of pragmatic idealism to the table. She is quick to see the bigger picture, to push edges and to envision strategies that are both bold and sustainable. Her lead-by-example work ethic is inspiring; AMSA’s governance, staff and partners rise to meet high expectations on timely, relevant and meaningful issues.

During Jamie’s 10 years with AMSA, new partnerships have been crystallized, profits have increased, new revenue streams have been tapped, and the staff is reinvigorated. Her most recent accomplishments include the launch of the Institutional Partnership Program and a significant financial turnaround for the organization.

Outside of AMSA, Jamie serves on the Board of Directors for the Academic Medical Professionals Insurance Risk Retention Group, LLC. For the past three years she has served as a scholarship judge for Phi Theta Kappa’s Spring Scholarship Application competition, which awards nearly $300,000 to more than 250 students. She is a graduate of Seth Kahan’s Visionary Leadership Academy.

When she’s not blazing new paths for AMSA, you can find Jamie advocating for economic, social and environmental justice in other ways—as an involved citizen, curious globe-trotter, training in Brazilian jiu jitsu, supermom to two beautiful children, and wife to an amazing (and, obviously, supportive) husband.

Michael is a 4th year medical student at Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine going into Emergency Medicine. He joined AMSA in 2014 as a freshman at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and began growing his passion for health policy and advocacy. This is his 5th year in a national leadership role, having served as Medical Education and Professionalism coordinator, regional director, VPPD, and Med Ed Scorecard Chair.

Michael has a particular interest in healthcare access, especially among migrant populations, addiction medicine, community medicine, and medical education and plans to integrate all of these into his future practice. With AMSA, he hopes to expand membership, work with chapters on local advocacy, and helping AMSA garner more national attention.

In his free time, Michael enjoys hiking with his dog, beer tasting, rock climbing, and anything Star Wars related.

Rohini is a 4th year medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School going into OBGYN or Internal Medicine (Women’s health track). She joined AMSA in 2017 as a Medical Master Pre-Med student and honed her skills in advocacy. She is passionate about women’s health issues and policy ranging from anti-human trafficking efforts to reproductive justice. She has been one of the Co-Chairs for Just Medicine Campaign and is excited to serve as President elect this upcoming year.

She hopes to use this year to get acclimated with the role of President elect, work closely with all the Board Members, and develop her advocacy skills further. She wants to continue working on medical education reform especially in trauma informed care and interventions, reproductive justice, and public health policies.

In her free time, Rohini loves working on her micro art, hiking, and baking.