Nashville – October 21, 2026 -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) installed Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, as president, placing a county health chief and former Medicaid adviser at the head of an organization representing 124,500 family physicians, residents and medical students.
Davis brings Medicaid policy and county public health experience to the AAFP presidency
Davis is chief health officer for Montgomery County, Maryland. She previously served as vice chair of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), advising Congress, the secretary of Health and Human Services and states on Medicaid policy.
She was also vice president of health equity at Aledade, where she worked to reduce disparities in primary care, and medical director at CHI Health Care in Maryland. As a White House Fellow, she worked to better align the nation's food and health safety nets.
Davis held AAFP policy, board and convening roles before taking the top post
Within the AAFP, Davis served on the Commission on Federal and State Policy and the Membership Task Force. She was the new physician member of the AAFP Board of Directors and convener of the 2019 National Conference of Constituency Leaders.
At state level, she was president, board chair and foundation treasurer of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians.
Davis plans to put clinical experience at the policy table
Davis said she values having "a foot in both the policy and clinical worlds." She argued that family physicians see firsthand what works, where barriers remain and what communities need, and can bring that perspective to policymaking.
She said she is committed to ensuring family physicians at every career stage feel empowered to use their voice to help the specialty grow.
Davis's credentials span Duke, UConn, Maryland and Johns Hopkins
Davis earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University and a medical degree from the University of Connecticut. She completed her residency at the University of Maryland, where she was chief resident, and later earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and holds the AAFP Degree of Fellow.