Today, medicine can do more for the health and healing of individual patients than ever before in the history of the world.In today is global environment, however, physicians must also understand how their work with individual patients is connected to population health (¨)Clocally, nationally and internationally.This speech will examine the historic and ongoing role of the American Medical Association (AMA), a private organization of physicians in the United States, in its efforts to safeguard the public health.The speech will consider in particular the AMAis work on sanitation, immunization, accreditation of physicians and hospitals, continuing medical education, disaster preparedness and tobacco control, among other efforts.It will also examine how the Internet and other electronic resources can help improve both individual and public health by facilitating the sharing of medical information across national boundaries.