Where Are They Now: Tina Shah, MD, MPH
In honor of our 75th anniversary, the AMA Foundation is revisiting the stories of leaders who have shaped our history and helped advance the future of medicine. Among them is Tina Shah, MD, MPH, a 2018 Excellence in Medicine Award recipient whose work has continued to grow in scope and national impact. For Dr. Shah, the recognition served not only as a moment of honor but also a catalyst for expanding her advocacy on behalf of physicians and patients.
Tina Shah, MD, MPH
“It was a privilege to receive the Excellence in Medicine Award. The highest honor is receiving recognition from your colleagues. The award propelled me to continue and in fact scale my work on addressing clinician burnout across our country.”
Advancing Physician Well-being on a National Scale
When Dr. Shah received the Excellence in Medicine Award, she had already built a career centered around helping clinicians do their best work. Her early leadership in the AMA House of Delegates Resident and Fellow Section, her service at the Department of Veterans Affairs as the agency’s first director of clinician well-being, and her efforts to reduce administrative strain across health systems reflect a commitment shaped in large part by her daily experience in the ICU. The recognition affirmed the value of the work she leads and encouraged her to continue expanding it.
Her clinical practice remains an essential part of that perspective. In the ICU, she sees the rhythm of teamwork, the decisions that unfold moment by moment, and the subtle challenges that influence how care is delivered. These observations add depth to her understanding of what supports clinicians and help guide her interest in strengthening the environment in which care is delivered.
A New Path: Bringing the Physician Voice to Congress
Today, Dr. Shah is taking her advocacy to the national stage. She is running for Congress to champion the needs of patients and physicians at the federal level.
Her motivation is rooted in firsthand experience. She recalls the patient with diabetes who arrived in her ICU after rationing insulin when his insurance stopped covering it. She remembers when her own mother was denied a cardiac catheterization needed for chest pain. She has seen colleagues struggle to provide care while navigating overwhelming administrative demands. These moments solidified her belief that meaningful change requires physicians to take a more active role in shaping policy.
“As doctors, we try our best to do right by our patients, but we are put in impossible situations. We are asked to put business interests over medicine and treatment.”
Turning Advocacy into Action
Dr. Shah credits the AMA and the broader community of physician advocates with helping her refine her voice and build the tools she now brings to a congressional run. She stated, “AMA colleagues have been a big part of my decision to run. I’ve learned through the AMA how best to advocate for our profession and our patients.”
She has already seen what effective advocacy can accomplish. Her work with the New Jersey State Legislature, where she helped advance a bill that removed certain prior authorizations, showed her how meaningful change can unfold in real time and strengthened her interest in pursuing similar progress at the federal level.
Looking Ahead
As she steps into this next phase of her career, Dr. Shah remains energized by the work that lies ahead and by the many people who help drive progress within health care. She continues to seek out opportunities to improve the experience of those who provide care and those who depend on it during their most challenging moments.