Heather Rifkin, PharmD, of Hattiesburg was recently installed as national president of the American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance.
The AMA is a nationwide network of physician families, while the AMA Alliance represents these families. The Alliance’s nationwide network encompasses all stages of life in a physician family – from the training years to retirement.
Rifkin’s husband, Brian Rifkin, MD, an interventional nephrologist with Hattiesburg Clinic, currently serves as medical staff president at Forrest General Hospital.
Both Heather and Brian are serving in roles which help lead the way for healthcare workers and their loved ones. Heather’s goals are to uphold the mission and vision of the AMA Alliance while guiding and leading her team of volunteers.
“Our core values: Connect, Educate & Advocate are at the heart of everything we do,” she said. “Physician Family Health & Wellness will be a large part of our programming this year.
“Our organization recognizes the stress of being a medical family, but COVID has significantly affected family units, and the medical family is certainly no exception. My goal is to provide programming and resources that will help physician families stay well, connected, strong and encouraged for the future.”
Dr. Rifkin is excited about this new role his wife has taken on.
“I am extremely proud of Heather and her national role supporting physician families,” Brian said.
Heather will be honored with a reception on August 13 at The Westin-Jackson between the close of the MSMA’s Annual Meeting Reference Committee hearings and the beginning of the MSMA Presidential Inaugural Gala.
Rifkin is a 2000 cum laude graduate of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, where she earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy.
She served as MSMA Alliance president in 2017-2018. During this time, she was able to join her passion for the Alliance with her own passions of spearheading the installation of drug disposal boxes in the state. She also distributed free drug disposal pouches for home use and medication lock bottles to help prevent medications (like opiates) getting into the wrong hands. The couple even co-authored a paper for the Journal of the MSMA on the use of Narcan for opiate overdoses.
“My husband and my boys have always been very supportive of any endeavor I pursue,” said Heather.
Her husband echoes her sentiments.
“Medicine is a ‘family sport’; and we have supported and advocated for each other during the 15 years we have lived in Mississippi,” he said. “We have two boys ages 12 and 15, and I have a busy medical practice, but we make it work!”
