September 2001 • Volume 7 • Number 9
Don't lose sight of what matters
BY CINDY McCANSE
"Be connected to high-tech, but don't ever cease to be high-touch." So urged AAFP President-elect Warren Jones, M.D., of Ridgeland, Miss., July 27 at the National Conference. Jones delivered the Stephen A. Jackson, M.D., Memorial Lecture at the conference.
He described one patient encounter during which he had occasion to take his own high-touch advice. The patient had made the rounds, presenting to one physician after another with nonspecific symptoms. Physical exam findings were within normal limits, as were the results of previous diagnostic studies.
Seeing nothing overtly wrong with the patient's physical health, Jones asked him what was going on in his life. That, Jones recalled, opened the floodgates.
"He pretty much collapsed in my arms, and I embraced him," said Jones, citing personal setbacks the patient had suffered. "That's all he needed.
"There's not a CPT code for that, but I would urge you to make it a big part of what you do."
NOT AN EASY ROAD
The road ahead may not be easy for the specialty, Jones acknowledged. But he expressed confidence that family medicine will not only survive, but thrive.
"I am not worried about family docs," he said. "I am not worried about the specialty. I am worried about some of the issues we face."
One of the more obvious issues, Jones said, is the decline in family practice residency match numbers over the past few years. But even that's not necessarily all bad news, he said.
"Let's not bury us just yet," said Jones. "We still have a pulse; we're still vibrant. We've separated the wheat from the chaff. We've focused on quality, not quantity."
MEETING AMERICA'S NEEDS
That quality sets FPs apart from other medical specialists, Jones said. "That's why family physicians best meet America's needs -- because we offer state-of-the-art care and compassion."
And they offer it where it is most needed, Jones added. Unlike many specialists who are tied to large, urban medical facilities, FPs routinely practice in the trenches, going where their patients are, according to Jones.
"Whether they're in urban America, suburban America or rural America," he said, "that's where we are."
The willingness to practice in the communities that need them most enables FPs to provide care over the entire life continuum -- an ability largely unmatched by any other medical specialty. FPs are truly the only specialists who practice prenatal care to end-of-life care, said Jones, and everything in between.
REACH OUT, COMMUNICATE, CONNECT
Just look at family medicine's past triumphs to renew your confidence in the specialty's future, Jones said. He pointed to the women in the audience as an example, rattling off statistics illustrating their growing role in medicine in general and family practice in particular. "I salute you, and I look forward to working with you as we knock down further barriers," he hailed.
Jones closed by sharing a personal tale of an FP he credits with saving his life. The FP diagnosed and initiated treatment for blastomycosis Jones contracted as a young adult.
"He's a family doc who made a difference in my life," said Jones. "If you've had a hard week, go home and ask yourself, 'Have I made a difference?'
"If you know of FPs struggling, reach out, communicate and connect with them. Follow your heart. Don't let the obstacles you face dampen your enthusiasm for our specialty."
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department.
Copyright © 2001 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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