George J. Hruza, MD, MBA, FAAD, has been elected president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Dr. Hruza also will hold this position for the American Academy of Dermatology Association. He will be installed as president-elect in February 2018 and hold the office of president for one year beginning in March 2019.

“This unprecedented era of change in the health care landscape provides us with an incredible opportunity to advocate on behalf of our specialty and work toward positive outcomes that will benefit our practices and our patients,” Dr. Hruza says. “I look forward to leading these efforts and serving as a passionate voice for dermatology during my time as Academy president.”

Dr. Hruza earned his medical degree from New York University, where he completed his dermatology residency. He also completed an internal medicine internship at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, a laser surgery fellowship at Harvard University in Boston and a Mohs surgery Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has a Master of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Hruza is an adjunct professor of dermatology at St. Louis University. He has written four laser dermatology textbooks and published more than 150 articles.

Dr. Hruza is currently an assistant editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and vice chair of SkinPAC, which works to raise the visibility of dermatology as a leader among physician specialties and within the health policy community. He previously served on the Academy’s Board of Directors and as chair of the Investments Committee.

Dr. Hruza is a past president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery and the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society. He currently serves on the boards of the ASLMS and the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.

—Stefanie Tuleya