The AMA was founded in part to establish the first national code of medical ethics. Today the Code is widely recognized as authoritative ethics guidance for physicians through its Principles of Medical Ethics interpreted in Opinions of AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs that address the evolving challenges of contemporary practice.
Physicians within institutions that have or are contemplating a merger of secular and faith-based institutions have a responsibility to protect the community that the institution serves as well as the integrity of the institution, and other physicians and professionals who practice in association with it, while recognizing that physicians’ primary obligation is to their patients.
Health disparities across patient populations reflect deeply embedded, historically rooted socioeconomic and political dynamics. Physicians and health care institutions have a duty to serve as agents of change to address these structural barriers to optimal health for all.
