New AAD President Susan C. Taylor, MD, will focus on ‘taking care of dermatologists’
Key takeaways:
- Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, assumed her role as president at the AAD annual meeting.
- She said her mission is to help dermatologists give patients the care they need.
ORLANDO — Outgoing American Academy of Dermatology President Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD, passed the torch to Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, who said she will continue pushing efforts to unify the organization during “a time of great disruption.”
“I take on the role of president at a time of great divide and polarization in our country — political division, socioeconomic division, gender, racial and ethnic division,” she said during her president-elect address. “We’re still feeling the effects and the scars of a once-in-a-century pandemic, experiencing rapid demographic change and seeing growing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence and more.
“It’s putting people and institutions under strain, including health care, and it has the potential to affect the care that we deliver,” she continued. “That’s why, more than ever, as dermatologists and academy members, we must continue to work towards unity.”
Personal experiences
“Raised in an inner-city ghetto by a single mother,” Taylor said she is the first in her family to graduate college, “let alone medical school.”
For nearly 30 years, Taylor practiced at Society Hill Dermatology — which she founded — seeing approximately 60 to 70 patients per day.
“I wore many hats. I was medical director, director of HR, compliance director, operations manager, CFO, patient care supervisor, and the list goes on,” Taylor said. “At the end of many of those days, I experienced complete and utter exhaustion. So, I know firsthand that burnout is a very real issue for all of us, and it needs to be addressed.”
Taylor also founded the Skin of Color Society, the Skin of Color Center in New York City and the Fellowship for Skin of Color Dermatology “to ensure that every individual has a fair opportunity to achieve their optimal health.”
Her clinical focuses include pigmentary disorders and alopecia. Her other professional interests are education and mentorship. She has served on 24 committees and task forces, including as chair of the Women’s Health Task Force. She also served on the AAD board of directors and as vice president of the organization.
Goals as president
Taylor said the theme of her presidency is “taking care of dermatologists so that they can take care of their patients.”
“What does this mean?” she asked. “Well, just as we treat life-altering conditions and life-threatening diseases, we must be supported by our largest, most resourceful, capable and influential organization, the American Academy of Dermatology.”
This theme is supported by five pillars, according to Taylor: advocacy, education, practice support, leadership development and well-being resources.
“This is work that the academy already does, but we aim to refine it, advance it, innovate it and make the work more transparent,” she said.
Specific examples include:
- advocating for annual inflation-based updates to Medicare physician payments;
- expanding digital educational offerings, such as for skin cancer diagnosis, AI and teledermatology;
- providing legal and contract negotiation guidance;
- offering more opportunities to empower women in leadership roles; and
- providing tools for stress management, work-life balance and more.
“As I embark upon this exciting chapter of my career, I know that there are many mountains to climb and many rivers to cross so that you can take care of your practices and your patients, but with a mission-centered approach, shared action, resilience and motivated by our collective desire to heal,” Taylor said. “We will overcome the challenges we face in 2025. As your president, my commitment to you is I will work every day to take care of dermatologists so that they can take care of their practices and their patients.”