The American College of Physicians is proud to announce the candidacy of
Suja Mathew, MD, FACP
for election to the Council of Medical Education
June 2022
Endorsed by: AMA Specialty and Service Society (SSS)
Minority Affairs Section (MAS)
The American College of Physicians is proud to sponsor Suja Mathew, MD, FACP for election to the AMA Council on Medical Education (CME). Dr. Mathew has held many positions in education leadership including an internal medicine residency program, directing clinical education and serving as Associate Professor at Rush Medical College. She currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer for Atlantic Health System, where she oversees all medical student programs, 9 residencies, and 6 fellowships.
Dr. Mathew has extensive experience in organized medicine, serving the ACP as Regent, Governor for Northern Illinois and on several committees including the Health and Public Policy Committee (Chair), Performance Measurement Committee, and Governance Committee. For the AMA, Dr. Mathew serves as a senior physician advisor, working with health systems and GME programs around the country to support professional satisfaction, wellness, and practice transformation.
The ACP believes that Dr. Mathew’s experience with these organizations and as a clinician, teacher and leader give her important perspectives on how to achieve the highest quality of education to maintain the excellent clinical care provided by the physicians in this country. She will bring this perspective to the Council on Medical Education.
Undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education must ensure that we are equipped to care for the complex needs of our patients. Simultaneously, training programs must be designed to meet the needs of learners. The future of our profession depends on our ability to self-regulate training and credentialing, and I consider it a great privilege to contribute to our profession in this way. I will bring my extensive experience with medical education, complex patient care, and policy-making to the Council. I hope to help extend the already strong voice of our AMA to improve the lives of our members and patients. I humbly request your vote.
Listen to Dr. Mathew explain why she’s the best candidate for the Council on Medical Education.
Bio
Suja Mathew, MD, FACP is the Chief Clinical Officer for Atlantic Health System, where she oversees all medical student programs, 9 residencies, and 6 fellowships. At Cook County Health System, the public hospital system in Chicago and its suburbs, she served in several clinical, administrative, and educational leadership roles for 22 years. Through a strong affiliation with Rush Medical College, she was named course director for the Pathophysiology course for all second-year medical students in 2001. From that vantage point, she led a transformation of the Rush Medical College curriculum which culminated after her directorship completed. In 2008, she was named program director of the Stroger Hospital of Cook County internal medicine residency program. During her tenure, the program developed an innovative quality improvement curriculum, resident community wellness programs, and a career assistance program that led to superior fellowship and job placements.
In 2014, Dr. Mathew began her leadership of the Department of Medicine at Stroger Hospital and was named Chair of Medicine in 2015. She directed internal medicine service delivery at CCH, including Stroger Hospital, Provident Hospital, and a network of ambulatory centers throughout the county of Cook. She also oversaw the training of hundreds of residents, fellows, and medical students who rotated through Stroger Hospital’s internal medicine services. She held the rank of associate professor at Rush Medical College.
Dr. Mathew has a passion for faculty development and mentoring. She has mentored residents, chief residents, and faculty members, many of whom have subsequently received promotion and national recognition. She initiated a women’s networking program that facilitates orientation and support of women in their clinical, academic, and leadership advancement. She regularly sponsors residents and faculty and provides support to international medical graduates who are seeking careers in the U.S.
Dr. Mathew has extensive experience in organized medicine. She is a Regent of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and Immediate Past Governor of the ACP Illinois Northern Chapter. She sits on a number of national ACP committees including the Health and Public Policy Committee (Chair), Performance Measurement Committee, and Governance Committee. She also serves as an ACP delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates. For the AMA, Dr. Mathew serves as a senior physician advisor, working with health systems and GME programs around the country to support professional satisfaction, wellness, and practice transformation.
Dr. Mathew is a clinician who has extensive experience in medical education leadership, administration and policy at the local, state and national levels. Her experience as a clinician and teacher give her important perspectives on achieving the highest quality of education to maintain the excellent clinical care provided by the physicians in this country. She has a passion for the underserved and particular interest in the areas of social determinants of health and professional satisfaction. She is an awarded teacher and leader and a recognized humanitarian. She has received honors from Alpha Omega Alpha, American Medical Women’s Association, Arthur P. Gold Foundation, Congressman Danny Davis, American College of Physicians, and Women of Impact. Dr. Mathew graduated from the Pritzker School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals.
On a personal note, Dr. Mathew is a longstanding volunteer at several community organizations providing food, clothing, and other essential needs to the underserved population in Chicago. Since 2019 she has chaired Doctors for a Hunger Free America, a nationwide, nonprofit service and advocacy organization that is helping to lead the movement to ensure that all Americans have access to sufficient, nutritious food.
Curriculum Vitae
Media Appearances
AMA STEPS Forward™ series: Leading Through a Crisis: Communication During COVID-19 Times
AMA's daily COVID-19 update, with insights from AMA leaders and experts about the pandemic
