Rutledge Forney, M.D., was sworn into office as the president of the Medical Association of Georgia during a ceremony that took place during the organization’s 164th House of Delegates meeting on Jekyll Island on October 20. 

“I am humbled, honored and excited to serve my patients and my fellow physicians in this role,” says Dr. Forney, a board-certified dermatologist who founded Dermatology Affiliates, which has four practice locations in the Atlanta area. 

During her one-year term as MAG’s president, Dr. Forney will focus on "addressing a profit-driven health insurance system that feeds on patients and physicians, expanding the accessibility of care in rural areas, enhancing patient safety – including cancer screening, treatment for substance abuse, and scope of practice – and exploring a waiver option to secure additional federal funds to expand the state’s Medicaid program.”

Dr. Forney believes that today’s physicians are the victims of “institutional abuse.”   

She explains that, “We are worn out with the government and insurance companies and others telling us what to do, how to care for our patients, and how to maintain our skill set. We are also tired of being accused of being moneygrubbers when the reality is that the physicians I know are focused on providing the best and most affordable patient care.”  

Dr. Forney concludes that, “I do not believe that health care is a right, but I do believe it is right to make sure that every Georgian has access to health care.”  

Dr. Forney has served as the chair and vice chair of MAG’s Board of Directors, the president of the Atlanta Dermatological Association and the Medical Association of Atlanta, and as a member of the Medical Association of Atlanta’s Board of Directors. She is certified by the American Board of Dermatology, she is a fellow of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, and she is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, and the Georgia Society of Dermatologists. 

Dr. Forney has degrees from Duke University and the Emory University School of Medicine.  

Dr. Forney is the third woman to serve as MAG’s president.