(Tallahassee, Fla.) — Florida Medical Association (FMA) President Douglas R. Murphy Jr., MD, of Ocala, Fla., was installed as 145th President of the Florida Medical Association on Saturday, July 31, 2021. He is a Board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist who has served the Ocala community in private practice for almost 40 years.

“Congratulations to Dr. Murphy as he leads our more than 25,000 members of the Florida Medical Association through these unprecedented times. As a longtime member of the FMA and a practicing physician, he is well prepared to represent our public policy and political efforts as we continue to serve as Florida’s strong and unwavering voice of medicine,” said FMA CEO Tim Stapleton.

The son of a physician and a chemist, Dr. Murphy earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine, then completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina in 1984. That same year, Dr. Murphy joined Richard Mann Jr., MD – his former USF medical school roommate – and Cheryl Mann, MD, in opening their practice, Ocala Gynecology. He and Dr. Richard Mann have been practice partners ever since.

Dr. Murphy has been a member of the FMA’s delegation to the AMA House of Delegates since 1988, is a Past President of the FMA PAC, and serves on the FMA PAC Board. He is also a Past President of the Marion County Medical Society, a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a longtime member of several other physician organizations, including the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists, the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society, and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

FMA officers for 2021-22 also include:

  • President-Elect Joshua Lenchus, DO – Internal Medicine, Fort Lauderdale
  • Vice President Jason Goldman, MD – Internal Medicine, Pompano Beach
  • Secretary Lisa Cosgrove, MD – Pediatrics, Merritt Island
  • Treasurer Charles Chase, DO – Anesthesiology, Winter Park
  • Speaker Ashley Norse, MD – Emergency Medicine, Jacksonville
  • Vice Speaker Mark Rubenstein, MD – Physiatry, Jupiter
  • Immediate Past President Michael Patete, MD – Otolaryngology, Venice

The FMA also passed a resolution related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its variant, and the need for practitioners and medical support staff to get vaccinated.

“The Florida Medical Association further renewed its commitment in combatting COVID-19 – and its variant – as we work tirelessly to educate Florida patients on the lifesaving benefit of getting vaccinated. Physicians continue to see daily upticks in coronavirus cases in younger, unvaccinated patients, which is why it is even more important for all healthcare practitioners and medical support staff to receive the vaccine. FMA members have been at the frontlines of this pandemic, and we must not allow COVID cases to reach 2020 levels,” said FMA President Doug Murphy, MD.

Healthcare Professional Readiness for COVID-19 Resolution
RESOLVED, that the FMA publish a statement upon the conclusion of the 2021 Annual Meeting recommending that all health care practitioners and medical support staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine and utilize harm reduction techniques, such as the wearing of masks, for the safety, protection, and well-being of our communities.

About Florida Medical Association (FMA)
Founded in 1874, the FMA is a professional association dedicated to the service and assistance of Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine in Florida. The FMA represents more than 25,000 members on issues of legislation and regulatory affairs, medical economics and education, public health, and ethical and legal issues.  The association advocates for physicians and their patients to promote the public health, ensure the highest standards of medical practice, and to enhance the quality and availability of health care in the Sunshine State. For more information on the FMA, please visit www.flmedical.org, follow @FloridaMedical and like FB.com/FloridaMedical.

Contact:
Christina Johnson, christina@on3pr.com, 850.391.5040