Health is Primary and Family Medicine for America’s Health Engage Students and Residents at AAFP National Conference. The Health is Primary campaign was the featured presentation at the July 30 opening main stage session at the AAFP’s National Conference for Residents and Students. The all-star panel was moderated by FMAHealth board member, Dr. Lauren Hughes, and included Dr. Tom Cornwell, founder of the Home Centered Care Institute, Dr. Manisha Sharma, clinical innovator with Iora Health and Dr. Karen Smith, who runs a solo practice in Raeford, North Carolina. The panel inspired the audience of students and residents with stories of how family medicine and primary care can transform health care in America. Learn more about the session here.
In addition to the main stage event, FMAHealth and Health is Primary hosted a booth at the conference. There was significant interest in the campaign and in the six Tactic Teams that are implementing the FMAHealth strategic plan. Hundreds of attendees signed up at FMAHealth.org and healthisprimary.org to receive regular updates on both the campaign and the implementation of the strategic plan.
Family Medicine Organizations Request Engagement in Strategy Implementation. The eight sponsoring organizations of FMAHealth have broadcast the invitation to get involved in the strategic effort through various communication channels and there is significant interest in engagement across all aspects of family medicine. For example, one physician from Illinois wants to serve as a project member for the Workforce team because, “I’m interested in promoting better graduate medical education and a better profile of primary care through actual improvements in primary care – less burnout, happier physicians.” Another physician from Mississippi seeks to play a role in the Payment team because, “the fee for service model is not practical for the future of medicine. However, it is an engrained part of the fabric of medical practice. My experience as the leader of a payer brings the perspective of the problems of the
current system as well as the challenges of changing to a new model for payment.”
To get involved in the areas of Practice, Payment, Workforce Education and Development, Technology, Research, or Engagement, please visit the engagement portal through the link below to learn more and sign up:
http://cfarsurveys.polldaddy.com/s/fmahealth-engagement
FMAHealth will be hosting a series of talks at STFM’s Conference on Practice Improvement in Dallas in December. Each Tactic Team will hold a one-hour session, discussing the following aspects of FMAHealth:
Practice – FMAHealth Practice core team update: considering the past, assessing the present, preparing for tomorrow.
Payment – Getting to comprehensive payment for family medicine services.
Workforce – Partnering to develop the family medicine workforce we need.
Technology – Primary care technology in a value-based world: FMAHealth needs your help to look ahead.
Research – Advancing family medicine research to accomplish the Triple Aim.
Engagement – Engaging patients outside the exam room: clinical, education, advocacy, research, policy.
Reminder: August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Health is Primary is focusing on immunization education in August. The campaign has released patient education materials on how primary care can help increase immunization rates across the lifespan. If you have stories to share about family medicine and immunizations, please send them to [email protected].
For updates on the campaign and the strategy implementation, sign up at FMAHealth.org and HealthisPrimary.org.
