A new Academy e-mail discussion list -- dubbed "Private Sector Advocacy" -- is now up and running. Trevor Stone, AAFP manager of private sector advocacy, said he pushed for the development of the members-only discussion list for multiple reasons.
"I wanted to create a real-time forum for AAFP members to share questions, concerns and best practices on interacting with health plans," he said.
Stone said he'll monitor the list group's e-mail discussions with an eye toward helping the Academy stay abreast of health plan issues that directly affect FPs. "The candid e-mail discussions will raise staff awareness of emerging issues members face, and that knowledge will help shape and align AAFP advocacy efforts in this area," said Stone.
In addition, Academy staff will post information about their interactions with health plans and solicit member feedback to help continually improve that process.
"This is one more tool the Academy can utilize to help serve member needs," said Stone.
The Academy currently has 19 active e-mail discussion groups listed on its Web site. Visit the Academy discussion lists (Members Only) to get involved. Subscribe to the lists that interest you and take advantage of viewing options: individual messages as they are received, a daily digest of e-mails or a bulletin board listing only. Note that the bulletin board option is only available for selected lists. You can unsubscribe or change your options at any time.
