John Whyte, MD, MPH serves as the CEO and Executive Vice President of the American
Medical Association, the nation’s largest physician organization.
Prior to the AMA, Dr. Whyte served as the Chief Medical Officer at WebMD, leading initiatives
that expanded strategic partnerships, created new business opportunities, and positioned WebMD
at the forefront of digital health innovation. He was a pivotal force in evolving WebMD’s digital
platforms from content delivery engines to powerful tools connecting consumers directly to care,
establishing critical new revenue models. He is a recognized leader in healthcare delivery and
regulation and is consistently named as one of the Top 20 Health Influencers.
Before joining WebMD, Dr. Whyte served as Director of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder
Engagement at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and
Research. There, he spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives to modernize clinical trial design,
expand diversity in research, and advance the regulatory use of real-world evidence — efforts
that continue to impact patient-centered drug development today.
Earlier, as Chief Medical Expert and Vice President of Health and Medical Education at
Discovery Channel, Dr. Whyte launched educational programming that captured both medical
and mainstream audiences, successfully aligning mission-driven health education with corporate
funding strategies and building new multimedia brand identities.
At the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Whyte played a pivotal role in
formalizing Medicare’s national coverage decision process, directly shaping payment policies
and advancing innovative models to improve healthcare outcomes. His experience at CMS
demonstrates a deep understanding of health policy, reimbursement strategies, and the critical
intersection of clinical innovation and payment models.
A board-certified internist, Dr. Whyte completed his MD at Hahnemann University School of
Medicine, his residency at Duke University Medical Center and earned his MPH in Health
Policy and Management at Harvard University. He previously served as a health services
research fellow at Stanford University. An accomplished author, Dr. Whyte has written
extensively for both professional and consumer audiences, including five best-selling books.