Massachusetts Physician Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians

BOSTON — Laura C. Knobel, M.D., FAAFP, a family physician in Walpole, Mass., has been elected to the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents more than 94,600 physicians and medical students nationwide. Knobel was elected to a three-year term by the AAFP’s governing body, the Congress of Delegates.

Knobel has been a practicing family physician for more than 19 years. Since 2005, she has owned and operated a solo family medicine practice in Walpole, Mass., where she was raised. Knobel was previously employed by Foxboro Center for Women’s and Family Health and Foxboro Area Health Center in Foxboro, Mass. She also owned and operated Walpole Family Practice, P.C. from 1992 to 2001. As a board member of the AAFP, Knobel will advocate on behalf of family physicians and patients nationwide to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system.

A member of the AAFP since 1990, Knobel has served on numerous committees and commissions, including the Commission on Health Care Services, Commission on Practice Enhancement, Reference Committee on Organization and Finance, and the Reference Committee on Health Care Policy. She most recently served as chair of the Commission on Continuing Professional Development. Knobel also served as an advisor to the AMA Relative Value Update Committee/Practice Expense Advisory Committee.

A member of the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians since 1982, Knobel has held numerous positions on the board of directors, including two years as president. She currently serves as the chapter’s delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and was chair of the MAFP Legislative Committee from 2005 to 2008. A strong supporter of the AAFP’s National Conference of Special Constituencies, Knobel has served as co-convener and women’s delegate to the conference.

Knobel also has been an active member of the Massachusetts Medical Society. She served as the family medicine representative to the Interspecialty Committee and was a member of the Working Group on Bioterrorism.

Knobel has been actively involved in legislative issues on both a state and national level. She is currently participating in the Medicare Managed Care Demonstration Project and the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership Clinical Advisory Committee. She has testified on many health related issues at the Massachusetts State House.

Throughout her career, Knobel has generously donated her time and expertise to the local community. She currently serves as the physician advisor for the Massachusetts Audubon Society at Moose Hill. She has been the physician advisor for the Walpole Community Round Table and is a member of the Walpole Medical Reserves Corps. She also coached youth softball for many years.

Knobel earned her undergraduate degree from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and her medical degree from the Boston University School of Medicine. Knobel then completed her residency at Brown University in Pawtucket, R.I. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has the AAFP Degree of Fellow, an earned degree awarded to family physicians for distinguished service and continuing medical education.