For Release on July 13, 2026

 Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

For Release on July 13, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

Medical Association of Atlanta Presents Awards at Summer Gala

ATLANTA, July 11, 2026 -- Dr. Carmen Kavali, the current MAA Board Chair, presented two awards at the Medical Association of Atlanta Summer Gala on July 11, 2026. Dr. Kavali presented the Aven Cup Award to Dr. Albert Johary. Dr. Kavali presented the President’s Award to Beverly Dickerson.

Established in 1854, the MAA has over 2500 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. The Aven Cup Award was created in December 1953, when Dr. and Mrs. Carl Aven established an annual award to recognize physicians who play a significant role in civic affairs in an effort to encourage continued community involvement. It is presented annually for outstanding contributions to education, medicine, the arts, and government. The MAA President’s Award is given at the MAA President’s discretion to an individual the President has observed contributing above and beyond their job description to educate the public.

Dr. Kavali presented The Aven Cup Award to Dr. Johary for his teaching, community service and fundraising efforts. Dr. Johary, a physician at Albert Johary Internal Medicine, has 30 years of teaching experience but has also given 30 years of consistent charitable giving to community, state, national, and international individuals and organizations. Dr. Johary is a professor at Medical College of Georgia/UGA, has served as Associate Professor of Medicine for Mercer Medical School, and has served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine for Emory Medical School. Outside of running his own practice and teaching, he has served the Atlanta community as co-chair of the Cedar Club of Atlanta St. Jude Magic Carpet Ride Gala for the past 14 years, raising nearly $3,000,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is President of the Cedar Club of Atlanta Foundation - a 501 C3 nonprofit organization that supports charities and gives out yearly scholarships, and for the past twelve years he has served as President of the National Federation of Syrian and Lebanese Americans.

Dr. Kavali also presented the MAA President’s Award to Beverly Dickerson for her years of instrumental support as former MAA Administrative Assistant. In this capacity she planned events, organized and managed the MAA membership database, and served as a resource for all members.

The Medical Association of Atlanta offers sincere congratulations to this year’s award winners.

About the Medical Association of Atlanta

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organized medicine in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The MAA is the largest county medical society in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

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Listen here.

- Associations between physicians’ personal preferences for end-of-life decisions and their own clinical practice: PROPEL survey study in Europe, North America, and Australia - Sarah Mroz, Frederick Daenen, Sigrid Dierickx, Freddy Mortier, Ludovica De Panfilis, James Downar, Julie Lapenskie, Koby Anderson, Anna Skold, Courtney Campbell, Toby C Campbell, Rachel Feeney, Lindy Willmott, Ben P White, Kenneth Chambaere, Luc Deliens, 2025

For Release on July 21, 2025

Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

Medical Association of Atlanta Presents Awards at Summer Gala

ATLANTA, July 21, 2025 -- Dr. Cody McClatchey, the current MAA Board Chair, presented two awards at the Medical Association of Atlanta Summer Gala on July 19, 2025. Dr. McClatchey presented the Aven Cup Award to Dr. Florence LeCraw, Adjunct Professor at Andrew Young School at Georgia State University. Dr. McClatchey presented the President’s Award to David Waldrep, the former Medical Association of Atlanta Executive Director/CEO.

Established in 1854, the MAA has approximately 2,300 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. The Aven Cup Award was created in December 1953, when Dr. and Mrs. Carl Aven established an annual award to recognize physicians who play a significant role in civic affairs in an effort to encourage continued community involvement. It is presented annually for outstanding contributions to education, medicine, the arts, and government. The MAA President’s Award is given at the MAA President’s discretion to a physician the President has observed contributing above and beyond their job description to educate the public.

Dr. McClatchey presented The Aven Cup Award to Dr. LeCraw for her work focused on civic affairs and the social drivers of health. She organized "The Impact of Housing & Transportation Policy on Atlanta Health Outcomes” panel at Emory Midtown Hospital, and the MAA Board also approved her request to form a working group focused on addressing opportunities to improve social and economic determinants of health in Atlanta.

Dr. Florence LeCraw was a practicing anesthesiologist for over thirty-five years. In 2012, she began her second career as a health policy researcher as an Adjunct Professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Her research focus is patient safety, healthcare worker burnout, and social drivers of health. She has educated policy leaders regarding whether a policy that they are considering implementing is evidence-based.

Dr. McClatchey presented the MAA President’s Award to David Waldrep for his seventeen years of instrumental leadership as former CEO/Executive Director of MAA. As CEO/Executive Director, David lead the revitalization of the association, putting together a volunteer board of directors which has grown to a board of over thirty individuals from different hospital systems and private practices in the Atlanta area today. He facilitated the development of the association vision and mission statements, implemented programming to support the mission of the organization, developed and implemented an investment policy for the MAA endowment, achieving portfolio gains during recession, achieved over 400% growth of membership, grew the MAA corporate sponsor program, and led MAA to become the largest county medical society in Georgia.

David holds a BBA from The University of Georgia Terry College of Business and is a Certified Association Executive. Over the course of his career, he gained extensive experience as a leader and physician advocate. Before MAA, he worked in various industries, including other successful leadership positions in manufacturing operations, developing a diverse skillset that included manufacturing, sales, customer service, organizational team building and continuous improvement.

The Medical Association of Atlanta offers a sincere congratulations to this year’s award winners.

About the Medical Association of Atlanta

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organized medicine in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The MAA is the largest county medical society in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

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Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

Medical Association of Atlanta Names Dr. Carmen Kavali as President

ATLANTA, July 21, 2025 -- Dr. Carmen Kavali, a board-certified plastic surgeon and Founder of Monarch Plastic Surgery & Skin Renewal Center, was installed as President of the Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA)for 2025– 2026 at the MAA Summer Gala at the Fox Theatre on July 19, 2025. Over 200 attendees celebrated the annual event, which is open to all MAA members, sponsors, and guests.

Established in 1854, the MAA has approximately 2,300 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. Dr. Kavali will succeed Dr. Cody McClatchey, co-founder and current internal medicine specialist at Piedmont Internal Medicine.

Dr. Kavali grew up near Savannah, Georgia, then moved to Macon to attend Mercer University for eight years, first earning her Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Biomedical Engineering, then her Doctor of Medicine degree. She completed general surgery residency training at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Following this, she went on to complete her plastic surgery fellowship training at Wayne State University in Michigan. She opened her private practice, Kavali Plastic Surgery & Skin Renewal Center, and after twenty-one years she recently welcomed Dr. Teri Moak and renamed the practice to Monarch Plastic Surgery & Skin Renewal Center. Dr. Kavali is also on staff at Northside Hospital and Perimeter Surgery Center, both fully accredited surgical centers. She is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only plastic surgery board recognized and accredited by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Dr. Kavali has served on the Board of Directors of MAA since 2018, and on its Executive Committee since 2022. In addition to her MAA leadership, Dr. Kavali is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Aesthetic Society, the Board of Directors of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) and the Board of Directors for GAMPAC. She is a Past-President and current board member of the Georgia Society of Plastic Surgeons and a past Trustee of the Southeastern Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. She was recently elected to the Ethics Committee of The Aesthetic Society, a national plastic surgery specialty organization.

As a long-time delegate to the MAG House of Delegates from MAA, she has championed policy to advance the profession and safekeep patients. Recently, she is most proud of her work as the Chair of the MAG Reference Committee that thoughtfully sculpted MAG policy regarding Certificate of Need. Her advocacy work led her to become a founding member and current president of Physicians for Patient Protection (PPP), a 501c3 organization whose mission is to ensure physician-led care for all patients and to promote truth and transparency regarding healthcare credentials. To advocate for that same mission on the state level, she also founded the Georgia Alliance for Patient Protection (GAPP). She is still most proud of GAPP’s work in the passage of the Healthcare Transparency Act of 2023, which protects the use of medical titles, medical specialties, and the use of the title “Doctor” in a clinical setting.

The thing she is most proud of, though, is her family. Dr. Kavali has been married to her husband, Erik, for 23 years. They have two children, one attending Georgia Tech and the other on a Division I volleyball scholarship to The College of William & Mary.

Dr. Kavali will be joined on next year’s Executive Committee by Dr. Shamie Das (Emory), named President-Elect, Dr. Anna Skold (The Southeast Permanente Medical Group), named Treasurer, and Dr. Jin Lee (Northside Hospital), named Secretary. Dr. McClatchey will continue to serve on the Executive Committee in a Board Chair capacity.

In addition to these positions, the MAA has added two new board members for 2025 – 2026. Dr. Delphanie Head (The Southeast Permanente Medical Group) and Dr. Kalindi Parikh (Piedmont) have agreed to serve on the board.

About the Medical Association of Atlanta

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organizedmedicineintheAtlanta,Georgiaarea.TheMAAisthelargestcountymedicalsociety in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

Medical Association of Atlanta Names New Executive Director / CEO

ATLANTA, March 6, 2025 – Dawn Plested, MBA, JD, FACHE was named the Executive Director and CEO of The Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA).

Established in 1854, the MAA has approximately 2,300 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. Dawn will succeed David Waldrep, CAE, following his 17 years of MAA leadership.

Dawn brings extensive healthcare and association management expertise, with over 20 years of leadership experience in operations, value-based purchasing arrangements, innovative payment models, strategic planning, risk and compliance, marketing and communications, employee and physician engagement, and policy development. Dawn’s career has been dedicated to building strong relationships, advocating for physicians, and ensuring the success of physicians and physician practices through her deep understanding of their unique challenges and needs.

Dawn has worked with a wide range of healthcare organizations, including private practices, hospital-based systems, rural health clinics, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Her broad industry knowledge and hands-on experience have equipped her with the ability to guide physicians and healthcare teams through complex operational and strategic initiatives.

John A. Johnson, MD, MBA, FACP – MAA Board Chair noted, “I am excited to have Dawn to lead the MAA and build on the foundation we established over the last 17 years. She brings a diverse background in healthcare and history of building relationships with physicians in all practice settings that will allow for continued growth.  I look forward to working with Dawn during this transition of leadership.”

Dawn holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on healthcare and international leadership from Bethel University and a Juris Doctorate (JD) with an emphasis in health law from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She is also trained in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a mediator and arbitrator. Her unique blend of education and experience spans operations, finance, policy, leadership, marketing, and communications, positioning her as a trusted advocate and advisor for physicians and healthcare organizations.

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Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada, Director of Communications & Partnerships

Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

About the Medical Association of Atlanta:

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organized medicine in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The MAA is the largest county medical society in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

Medical Association of Atlanta Executive Director Retires

ATLANTA, March 6, 2025 – David Waldrep, CAE, has retired as Executive Director / CEO of The Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA), naming his successor as Dawn Plested, MBA, JD, FACHE, ESQ.

Established in 1854, the MAA has approximately 2,300 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. David has been at the helm of MAA leadership since 2008.

As Executive Director / CEO David lead the revitalization of the association, putting together a volunteer board of directors which has grown to a board of over thirty individuals from different hospital systems and private practices in the Atlanta area today. He facilitated the development of the association vision and mission statements, implemented programming to support the mission of the organization, developed and implemented an investment policy for the MAA endowment, achieving portfolio gains during recession, achieved over 400% growth of membership, grew the MAA corporate sponsor program, and led MAA to become the largest county medical society in Georgia.

David Waldrep noted, “I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with physicians and healthcare leaders from the Atlanta and across the state. Developing physician leaders to represent the MAA has been the most rewarding part of my years at the MAA. The practice environment for physicians continues to evolve and the MAA is fortunate to have a group of physician leaders advocating for a healthy environment in which physicians practice and serve.”

David holds a BBA from The University of Georgia Terry College of Business and is a Certified Association Executive. Over the course of his career, he gained extensive experience as a leader and physician advocate. Before MAA, he worked in various industries, including other successful leadership positions in manufacturing operations, developing a diverse skillset that included manufacturing, sales, customer service, organizational team building and continuous improvement.

MAA President Dr. Cody McClatchey noted, “I have worked with David since 2013 as a member of the Board and Executive Committee, and now President. David has consistently guided the board with valuable insight and successful organizational management. David’s vast experience working closely with MAG, lobbyists, and legislators informed many important MAA Board decisions. During David’s long tenure, MAA’s endowment has significantly increased, all board seats have consistently been filled, and membership has significantly increased.  By industry metrics, MAA is one of the most successful county medical societies in the United States.”

The MAA thanks David Waldrep for his 17 years of service, commitment, and leadership.

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Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada, Director of Communications & Partnerships

Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

About the Medical Association of Atlanta:

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organized medicine in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The MAA is the largest county medical society in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

Read it here.

 Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

Medical Association of Atlanta Presents Awards at Summer Gala

ATLANTA, July 15, 2024 -- Dr. John A. Johnson, the current Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA) Board Chair, presented two awards at the MAA Summer Gala on July 13, 2024. Dr. Johnson presented the Aven Cup Award to Dr. Lawrence Sperling, Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine and Founder, Emory Center for Heart Disease Prevention. Dr. Johnson presented the President’s Award to Dr. Jin Lee, the Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine at Northside Hospital.

Established in 1854, the MAA has approximately 2,000 members and is the largest county medical society in Georgia. The Aven Cup Award was created in December 1953, when Dr. and Mrs. Carl Aven established an annual award to recognize physicians who play a significant role in civic affairs in an effort to encourage continued community involvement. It is presented annually for outstanding contributions to education, medicine, the arts, and government. The MAA President’s Award is given at the MAA President’s discretion to a physician the President has observed contributing above and beyond their job description to educate the public.

This year’s recipient of the Aven Cup Award is Dr. Laurence Sperling. Dr. Johnson selected Dr. Sperling for Dr. Sperling’s leadership at The Atlanta Hypertension Initiative (AHI). AHI is an initiative focused on improving equitable hypertension control across metro Atlanta. Dr. Sperling is the current Executive Director of Million Hearts for the Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and his guidance has been crucial to achieving AHI’s mission and goals.

Laurence S. Sperling, M.D., FACC, FAHA, FACP, MASPC is the Founder and was the Director of The Heart Disease Prevention Center at Emory (1997-2019). He is currently the Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, and Professor of Global Health in the Rollins School of Public Health. He served as the President of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology from 2014-2016, served on the writing committee of the 2018 ACC/ AHA/ Multi-society Guideline on the Management on Blood Cholesterol, serves as Associate Editor for the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, and the Chair of the World Heart Federation writing group on the Roadmap for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention among People Living with Diabetes. He served on the Writing Committee of the American Heart Association Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Health (CKMH) Initiative which has brought forth the importance of an integrated approach to prevention and treatment in this high-risk population. Dr. Sperling founded (in 2004) and directs the first and only LDL apheresis program in the state of Georgia, and was the PI for The National FH Registry site at Emory. He has received awards for excellence in both teaching (including 4 Apple Awards and The Dean’s Teaching Award) and mentorship (Emory SOM 2018 Mentorship Award). He has received the Emory School of Medicine Alumni Award of Honor (2017), and the Pioneer in Prevention Award from the American Society of Preventive Cardiology in 2023. He is an elected member of the Association of University Cardiologists. He has been an investigator in a number of important clinical trials and has authored over 400 manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters

This year’s recipient of the MAA President’s Award is Dr. Jin Lee. Dr. Johnson selected Dr. Lee for this award due to Dr. Lee’s efforts recruiting new members, mentoring residents, his leadership and involvement on the MAA Board of Directors, and his attendance and impact at both MAA and Medical Association of Georgia events.

Dr Lee graduated from Mercer University and completed his residency at Northside Gwinnett. He was the chief resident during his PGY3 year. He currently serves as an associate program director for Northside Gwinnett Internal Medicine residency program. He also is the clerkship director for the MS3 and MS4 inpatient clerkship for both PCOM-GA and AU/UGA medical schools at Northside Gwinnett. He has received awards for teaching as a resident and as a faculty (Lesser Award), and he was the Resident of the Year in 2019. Through Society of Hospital Medicine and CHEST, he is POCUS certified and has been selected to precept ultrasound course at a national level. He has been heavily involved with advocacy the past few years. He attended the ACP Leadership Day at the Capital, as well as frequently attending physician’s day at the Atlanta capital. He is on the Medical Association of Atlanta board as well as the GAMPAC board. 

The Medical Association of Atlanta offers a sincere congratulations to this year’s award winners.

About the Medical Association of Atlanta

The Medical Association of Atlanta is a non-profit association dedicated to the advancement of organized medicine in the Atlanta, Georgia area. The MAA is the largest county medical society in Georgia, representing a diverse group that focuses on developing physician leadership and meeting the needs of physician leaders. For more information visit https://www.maa-assn.org.

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For Release on July 15, 2024

Media Contact:

Shannon Andrada for Medical Association of Atlanta

sandrada@maa-assn.org

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 Read it here.

We appreciate the support of MAA Board Member Dr. Ericka Gibson for taking the time to moderate and participate in this webinar.

This contest is sponsored by The Atlanta Medical History Society, a section of The Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA), along with the MAA’s corporate sponsors. 

The contest, established in 2020, has been very successful and produced some outstanding essays. We are excited to continue to provide this opportunity for publication and recognition to medical students in Georgia. Three winning essays will receive a prize of $500 each along with publication in the MAA journal, Atlanta Medicine. Selected students may be asked to present at the Willis Hurst Symposium or have their essay submitted to the American Osler Society for their student awards.  

The essays can cover medical history or social determinants of healthcare including providing healthcare to minority populations, access to healthcare, health promotion and disease prevention. Any student interested in participating will have the opportunity to request a physician mentor to assist with developing a subject and constructing the essay, which should be 1500 to 3000 words and can include photos and graphs. Students can find past winning essays on the MAA website. Essay submissions are requested by May 10, 2024 and can be sent directly via email to Shannon Andrada, Medical Association of Atlanta Director of Communications & Partnerships (sandrada@maa-assn.org). 

The Atlanta Medical History Society was created in 1980 when J. Willis Hurst asked Mark Silverman and John Stone to organize a medical history society and stimulate interest in both the history of medicine and social issues in medicine.