AAFP VP Named EVP, CEO of Council of Medical Specialty Societies

The board of directors of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, or CMSS, has named AAFP VP Norman Kahn Jr., M.D., as EVP and CEO of the organization. The appointment takes effect Jan. 1, 2008.

Kahn has been vice president for science and education at the AAFP for eight years. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kahn completed his residency at the University of California-San Francisco General Hospital Family and Community Medicine Residency Program. He has held a variety of positions in addition to his experience with the AAFP, including establishing a rural family medicine practice in Hughson, Calif., and serving as director of both a community-based and a university-based family medicine residency program. He also served as special assistant to the dean for the California Area Health Education Center. In addition, Kahn has served as the AAFP's representative on the CMSS Council for six years.

"We are thrilled to have found a candidate with proven multi-organizational experience who is already well-known to the CMSS family," said CMSS President Carol Berkowitz M.D., in an Oct. 16 press release.

"I am looking forward to working with our nation’s medical specialty societies to foster and encourage improved quality of medical care, improved delivery systems of care, and more effective programs for continuing and graduate medical education -- all designed for the benefit of our patients," said Kahn in the release.

CMSS, which was founded in 1965 as the Tri-College Council, represents the views of specialist physicians in influencing policy, medical education and accreditation from a broad, cross-specialty perspective. CMSS membership is limited to U.S. medical specialty societies that represent diplomates certified by a board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Thirty medical specialty societies with an aggregate membership of more than 500,000 physicians currently are members of CMSS.

Regarding leaving the Academy, Kahn said, "The AAFP has been wonderful to me. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve family medicine for the past 16 years." He also noted, however, that this appointment is a "great opportunity for family medicine" because the head of the umbrella organization for physician specialties will be an FP.

AAFP EVP Douglas Henley, M.D., said, "Dr. Kahn is exceptionally well-qualified to serve in this very important position as EVP of the CMSS. In this role, he will bring the perspective of family medicine to the umbrella organization representing the nation's medical specialty societies. As such, he will be the 'voice' of specialty medicine to many important audiences and groups and no doubt will do so with tremendous expertise, energy and the passion of a family physician. Norm has been a most valuable member of our senior management team for 16 years, and we will miss him very much. But I also wish him well as he assumes this new important role in his career path."

Henley further noted that as part of the Academy's current restructuring efforts, Kahn's responsibilities will be consolidated under the leadership of Daniel Ostergaard, M.D., now the AAFP's vice president for international and interprofessional activities. Ostergaard had previously supervised AAFP education and science activities, and he now will assume senior management responsibility for the Continuing Medical Education, Medical Education and Scientific Activities divisions. He also will retain oversight of the Academy's international and interprofessional activities.