Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Leadership Lessons From My AAFP Journey

Brief Description: Leadership is rarely a straight path. Drawing on lessons from service on the AAFP Board and throughout her AAFP journey, Dr. Kisha Davis will reflect on the experiences, relationships, challenges, and opportunities that have shaped her approach to leadership. Connecting these lessons to the AAFP strategic plan, she will explore what it means to lead with purpose, navigate change, bring others along, and help strengthen the future of family medicine.

By the end of this keynote, participants will be able to: (1) Identify leadership lessons that can help physicians lead effectively through change, uncertainty, and competing priorities. (2) Connect individual leadership and organizational strategy, using the AAFP strategic plan as a framework for turning shared goals into meaningful action. (3) Apply practical strategies for values-based leadership, including building relationships, creating opportunities for others, and using one’s voice and influence to advance family medicine.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Kisha Davis, MD, MPH, FAAFP, is a family physician, public health leader, and President-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). She also serves as Chief Health Officer for Montgomery County, Maryland, where she leads public health strategy and works to improve health outcomes for more than one million residents.

Throughout her career, Dr. Davis has worked at the intersection of clinical medicine, public health, health policy, and community engagement. She previously served as Vice President of Health Equity at Aledade, Vice Chair of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), and as a White House Fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has also held numerous leadership roles within the AAFP and has advocated nationally for stronger primary care, a robust family medicine workforce, and more equitable health systems.

Dr. Davis continues to practice family medicine, providing care through the County’s mobile health services in rural and underserved communities. She is also a clinical instructor, frequent speaker, and author of The Making of a Pearl. She and her husband are raising three aspiring World Cup soccer stars.

Please click the orange button below to read more about Dr. Davis from the AAFP.

In addition to the keynote, Dr. Davis will install the newly elected IAFP Board members and incoming President Santina Wheat, MD, MPH, FAAFP, and preside over the Convocation for Fellows of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP).