Thomas File, Jr. MD, MSc, FIDSA, Named IDSA President

Five Members Join Board of Directors to Continue to Promote Field of Infectious Diseases

Washington, DC – Oct. 2, 2019 – The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is pleased to announce Thomas M. File, Jr., MD, MSc, FIDSA, as the Society’s new president. Dr. File will be joined by dedicated, experienced board members as well as newly elected representatives who will advance IDSA’s commitment to improving the health of all people, communities, and society.

“Infectious diseases touch the lives of every individual every day, whether they are aware of it or not. From containing and preventing measles outbreaks to fighting antimicrobial resistance, the role of the infectious diseases professional has never been more important. I look forward to leading the Society of the most astute and committed physicians and scientists in the field,” said Dr. File.

Dr. File will lead the Society through the implementation of its new strategic initiatives that will include leading the fight against antimicrobial resistance and advocating for increasing awareness of the value of the ID physician with the aim of achieving fair compensation and attracting young physicians and scientists to the field. He is particularly interested in expanding the Society’s Antimicrobial Stewardship Centers of Excellence program which recognizes institutions that have met a high standard in fighting antimicrobial resistance through stewardship, and in developing IDSA’s relationship with State and Regional ID Societies across the country.

Dr. File is the Chair of the Infectious Disease Division and Co-Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at Summa Health, Akron, Ohio and is also Professor of Medicine, Master Teacher and Chair of the Infectious Disease Section of the Northeast Ohio Medical University.

His research interests include randomized clinical trials for safety and efficacy of new antimicrobials, community-acquired pneumonia and the impact of new diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship on patient outcomes. He is very involved in antimicrobial stewardship.

Dr. File has been active in IDSA throughout his career having served on several committees such as the IDSA/National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) Joint Research Awards Committee, Clinical Subcommittee of Pulmonary Diseases, and the Practice Guidelines Committee. He was also the Chair of the Practice Guidelines Committee from 2005-2008 and a member of the Board of IDSA from 2008-2011. Dr. File also received the Watanakunakorn Clinician Award from IDSA in 2013.

New IDSA Board Members

Dr. File is pleased to be working with newly elected IDSA Board members including:

Wendy Armstrong, MD, FIDSA, Professor of Medicine and Vice Chair of Education and Integration, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine and Medical Director, Ponce de Leon Center, Grady Health System, Atlanta. Having served on the HIVMA Board of Directors and later serving as Chair, Armstrong learned of the important role that IDSA and HIVMA play in advocacy both for their members and patients. With the End the HIV Epidemic Initiative, the anti-vaccine movement, and antimicrobial resistance, she is keenly aware of the need for ID and HIV advocacy. Dr. Armstrong is also deeply committed to attracting trainees into Infectious Disease and HIV care to expand the ID/HIV workforce. As the chair of IDSA’s Task Force for Recruitment into ID, she spearheaded several initiatives that have improved the number of applicants into ID fellowship but believes that much more needs to be done and looks forward to continuing these efforts as the HIVMA liaison to the IDSA board.
Angela Caliendo, MD, PhD, FIDSA, Professor and Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Caliendo has been deeply involved with IDSA for many years. During her recent term as a board member, she was most proud of the Society’s focus on diversity, inclusion and equity and believes the commitment to these principles has led to a conscious effort to attract members with more diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and interests onto committees and into leadership positions. Dr. Caliendo has a great deal of experience advocating for ID on Capitol Hill with IDSA as a board member and as chair of IDSA’s Diagnostics Committee and has played a pivotal role in transitioning IDSA into the leading voice for policies pertaining to antimicrobial resistance and regulation of diagnostic tests. Caliendo will serve as the board’s Secretary as part of the Executive Committee.
Kim Hanson, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Medicine and Pathology, University of Utah. Dr. Hanson recognizes that the field of ID represents a diverse group of professionals including clinicians, antibiotic stewards, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, microbiologists and public health officials. She seesIDSA as a catalyst for bringing these different segments of the profession together with the common goal of advancing clinical practice through science, education, and public health policy. As a seasoned advocate for ID, she sees that public policy directly affects funding for medical education, reimbursement models, federal support for the NIH and public health measures such as vaccination and antibiotic stewardship and will continue that work as a board representative. She is also committed to promoting transparency, diversity and inclusion of different perspectives within the IDSA leadership.
John B. Lynch, III, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Attending Physician, Harborview Medical Center. Dr. Lynch is an active clinical infectious diseases physician working in a busy county hospital with a focus on program administration and operations, leadership, and telehealth. He is very involved across the Pacific Northwest in the areas of infection prevention, antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship, particularly in community and rural healthcare facilities. As a member of the board, Lynch’s major goal will be to support innovation within the Society to empower women and under-represented minorities as current and future ID physicians and leaders.
Daniel P. McQuillen, MD, FIDSA, Senior Physician, Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine. McQuillen has been an active member of IDSA for over two decades, serving a term on the Board of Directors and as a member and chair of the Society’s Clinical Affairs Committee and its Valuation Workgroup as well as the IDWeek Program Committee, focusing much of his time promoting the value of the ID specialist. He is the co-author of three research papers supporting the value of ID. He is committed to addressing what he believes is one of the greatest challenges facing the specialty today: fair reimbursement for infectious diseases services. Dr. McQuillen will serve as the board’s Vice President as part of the Executive Committee.

In addition to Drs. File, McQuillen, and Caliendo, the IDSA Executive Committee includes: President-Elect Barbara Alexander, MD, FIDSA; Past President Cynthia Sears, MD, FIDSA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; and Treasurer Helen Boucher, MD, FIDSA, Tufts Medical Center, Boston

Members continuing their service on the board include:

Jeffrey Duchin, MD, FIDSA, Public Health Seattle & King County and University of Washington, Seattle, Wa.
Victoria Fraser, MD, FIDSA, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo.
Ann MacIntyre, DO, MHS, FIDSA, Nova Southeastern University, Palmetto General Hospital, and Mercy Hospital, Miami, Fla.
Jeanne Marrazzo MD, MPH, FIDSA, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birminghan, Ala.
Susan J. Rehm, MD, FIDSA, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Oh.
Tina Q. Tan, MD, FIDSA, Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.

About the Infectious Diseases Society of America

The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is an organization of physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals dedicated to promoting health through excellence in infectious diseases research, education, prevention, and patient care. The Society, which has nearly 12,000 members, was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, VA. For more information, see www.idsociety.org.

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