ACPE member Willarda Edwards, MD, MBA, didn’t waste any time before setting her priorities as the 110th president of the National Medical Association, the nation’s premier organization for African American physicians.
Dr. Edwards, who was installed as president during NMA’s convention in July, said she plans to focus on health care reform and health disparities during her one-year term.
“I pledge my total commitment to fervently represent the concerns of our organization, as we embark on this next phase of the journey toward attaining a high quality healthcare system for our nation that is efficient, accessible and affordable for all,” Edwards said.
The managing partner and an internist in a partnership in Baltimore, MD., Dr. Edwards joined ACPE in January 2009. She has been in private practice since 1984. Dr. Edwards received her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola College in Baltimore.
Her medical experience began with a four-year tour with the U.S. Navy at Annapolis and the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. She was promoted to chief of the Internal Medical Department while in Annapolis. Dr. Edwards has also served as assistant dean of student and faculty development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Edwards pledged to build on the momentum created by past presidents of NMA by continuing to eliminate health care disparities, increasing the pipeline for minority physicians and promoting cultural competence.
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