James J. James, M.D., Dr.P.H., M.H.A., FACPM

Class 1972-1974

Long Island Univ., Brooklyn, NY, 1963
MD, Cincinnati College Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 1967
MHA, Baylor Univ., Waco, TX, 1974
Dr.PH., UCLA School Public Hlth., Los Angeles, CA, 1976
Industrial College Armed Forces, Nat. Def. Univ., Ft. McNair, Washington, DC, 1987

Fellow, Amer. College Prev. Med.
Fellow, Gen. Prev. Med.

Dir. AMA Ctr. Disaster Med., Chicago, IL, 2003-present
Dir. Miami-Dade County Hlth. Dept., Miami, FL, 2000-2002
Commander, William Beaumont AMC, Ft. Bliss, TX
Commander, 18th Med. Command, 121st Evac. Hosp., Seoul, Korea, 1990-91
Dep. Dir., Prof. Srvc., OTSG, Falls Church, VA, 1989-90
Chief, Med. Corps Br., PERSCOM, Alexandria, VA, 1987-89
Commander, MEDDAC Berlin, Germany, 1983-86
Dep. Commander, Chief Prof. Srvc., MEDDAC Nuernberg, Germany, 1982-83
Commander, Health Care Studies Div., Academy Health Sciences, Ft. Sam Houston, TX, 1979-82
Chief, Epi. Div, 10th Med. Lab., Med. Command Europe, 1976-79
Resident, Health Care Studies Div., Academy of Health Sciences, Ft. Sam Houston, Tx, 1973-74

Biography

The American Medical Association named James J. James, MD, DrPH, MHA, director of the newly established AMA Center for Disaster Medicine and Emergency Response. Dr. James comes to the AMA from the Miami-Dade County Health Department where he served as director from 2000 through 2002. In his role, Dr. James was responsible for overseeing public health programs throughout the county and was instrumental in dealing with the anthrax-related incidents that occurred after the September 11th terrorist attacks. Under Dr. James’ leadership, Florida developed a comprehensive plan to respond to future bioterrorist events. His swift response and expertise led to his appointment on Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Domestic Security Task Force and as Lead Health Agent for Preparedness and Response for Region 7, which encompasses the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Monroe. “The new Center and my post at the AMA offer the opportunity to bring together medicine and other elements of the public health system in support of our nation’s safety,” Dr. James stated. During his tenure, the Miami-Dade Health Department was awarded the Governor’s Sterling Award in 2002, which is conferred on businesses and organizations in Florida to acknowledge performance excellence in management and operations. In his new role at the AMA, Dr. James will be responsible for managing and developing a comprehensive medical and public health program for the AMA to respond to terrorism and other disasters. He will also work with the Department of Health & Human Services and state and local medical societies to share information, implement communications strategies, and coordinate medical and public health agencies’ response in the event of a terrorist attack or other sweeping disaster.

Dr. James is board-certified in preventive medicine and holds a doctorate in medicine from the Cincinnati College of Medicine and a doctorate in public health from UCLA School of Public Health. He also holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Baylor University. Dr. James has been an independent consultant for various not-for-profit agencies and public health care systems, and served 26 years with the U.S. Army Medical Department in a variety of roles, including Commanding General of William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex. Upon retiring from the Army, Dr. James was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the military’s highest peace time honor.

Dr. James is an epidemiologist by profession and has a Masters in Health Care Administration as well as a Ph.D. in Health Care Systems. He has had numerous Army medical commands serving as Surgeon General of the Eighth Army; Surgeon General of United States Forces Korea; and Commanding General, William Beaumont Army Medical Center. He attended the Armed Forces Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Reference