Today the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) named Jonathan Jaffery, MD, MS, MMM, FACP, as its next chief health care officer. Jaffery is currently chief population health officer at UW Health, the integrated health system of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW), and is president of the UW Health Accountable Care Organization. He also serves on the faculty of the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He will join the AAMC on Dec. 31.
Jaffery succeeds Janis Orlowski, MD, who retired earlier this year after an esteemed career serving patients, health systems, and the broader academic medicine community. In his new role, he will lead the AAMC’s work at the intersection of academic medical centers and health care delivery systems with a focus on innovations to improve care. The chief health care officer works closely with constituents from AAMC member institutions, federal agencies, and partnering organizations with a mission to enable teaching hospitals to provide access to high-value, high-quality patient care, sustain their academic missions, and remain financially stable.
“Jonathan is a leader with decades of experience leading and improving population health initiatives, paired with his background in providing high quality, affordable, equitable care and contributing to the health of the community by improving the lives of at-risk populations,” said David J. Skorton, MD, AAMC president and CEO. “He will make an exceptional addition to the AAMC’s leadership team, leading our efforts to improve health care access, quality, and equity and to advance clinical leadership and effectiveness.”
Jaffery previously served as the chief medical officer for the state of Wisconsin’s Medicaid program and as a 2010–11 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow, he worked for the Senate Committee on Finance on a variety of issues related to delivery system and payment reform. He is a board-certified nephrologist and a member of several professional organizations, including the American Association for Physician Leadership and the American Society of Nephrology, and he is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Since 2018, Jonathan has served as a commissioner on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).
“Throughout my career, I have cared for complex individuals and populations, working to reduce health disparities and implement innovative care models,” said Jaffery. “Having spent the last decade leading the transformational efforts of an academic medical center that excels at the three traditional missions of education, research, and clinical care to a health system that provides access to high quality, affordable, and equitable care to all communities, I am excited to take on this role to advance the AAMC’s missions of patient care and health equity.”
Jaffery received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his residency and fellowship at The University of Vermont Medical Center. He earned graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.