The American Medical Associate has chosen Dr. Robert M. Wah, a reproductive endocrinologist and ob-gyn in McLean, Va., to be its 169th president. He is the first Chinese-American to head the organization.

His main areas of focus will be advancing health outcomes, accelerating change in medical education and improving physician satisfaction and practice sustainability.

"I believe physicians must work together to shape the unprecedented changes happening in health care and I am dedicated to being a strong voice for America's physicians and the patients we serve," Wah said in a statement.

He is currently a physician and professor at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the National Institute of Health and also chief medical officer for Computer Sciences Corporation.

Prior to those positions, he served more than 23 years on active duty as a captain in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. He was the first deputy national coordinator of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and is now well-known around the country for his expertise in health information technology.

He served as chair of the AMA's Board of Trustees, the AMA Council on Long Range Planning and Development, the Young Physicians Section and the Section Council on Federal and Military Medicine.

He also served on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Executive Board and its Health Care Commission, as well as on the Board of Trustees of the Evelyn McKnight Brain Research Foundation.

He has received various awards — most recently the country's 50 Most Influential Physician Executives by Modern Healthcare.

"I'm inspired by the power and impact of what we as physicians can do together," Wah said in a statement. "My message to physicians is that we need to share our diverse perspectives and experiences and take full advantage of opportunities to innovate and improve care for our patients and the communities we are privileged to serve."

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