Southern Medical Association Installs Dr. Loretta Loftus as President for 2024-2025
The Southern Medical Association (SMA) is pleased to announce the installation of Loretta Loftus, MD, MBA, as President for the term 2024-2025. Dr. Loftus was installed on October 26, 2024, during SMA’s Annual Scientific Assembly held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Loftus is a Professor of Medicine and Oncology and serves as the Vice Chair of the Department of Breast Oncology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. She is also the principal investigator for Moffitt’s National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Outcomes Project. Previously, Dr. Loftus was an Assistant Dean and Professor of Medicine, as well as Section Chief of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and Truman Medical Center.
She earned her BS degree from Tulane University and her MD from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Loftus completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, followed by fellowships in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Additionally, she holds an MBA from the University of South Florida College of Business.
During her presidency, Dr. Loftus plans to focus on wellness and the prevention of comorbid conditions prevalent in SMA's geographic territory. She will also advocate for diversity in membership and leadership, and work to strengthen ties between academia and the community. "It is a privilege to serve as President, and I am committed to developing innovative programs for accessible education that address these initiatives," she said. “Service to others is a core commitment of mine, and I look forward to continuing this work in my new role.”
An active member of SMA for over 40 years, Dr. Loftus was a founding member of SMA’s Southern Association of Oncology and played a key role in its formation. She has also served on SMA’s Education, Steering, and Strategic Planning Committees. In 2017, she was the guest editor for the Southern Medical Journal’s special issue on breast cancer, a role she will reprise in 2025. In addition to her work with SMA, Dr. Loftus is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and aspires to publish her own mystery novel.
