People in the News/Awards -- January

A number of AAFP members received honors and awards this past month.

Four AAFP members were selected as innovation advisers for CMS' new program to improve care for patients. The Innovation Advisors Program, which is funded through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, assists health professionals in improving patient care and reducing costs.

The selected advisers and their organizational affiliations are:

The advisers will be testing new models of care delivery in their respective organizations, for which each organization will receive a stipend of as much as $20,000.

The CMS program selected 73 advisers and plans to reopen applications this spring. The remaining positions are expected to be filled in June.

The AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees has named its new officers and board members for 2012.

Mary Jo Welker, M.D., of Columbus, Ohio, has been elected president of the board. Welker is associate dean for primary care at Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus and executive director of the OSU Primary Care Network. She also is chair of OSU Medical Center's Department of Family Medicine. Welker earned her medical degree from the OSU College of Medicine and completed her residency at Riverside Methodist Family Medicine Residency in Columbus. A board-certified family physician and past president of the Ohio AFP, Welker previously served as treasurer and vice president of the AAFP Foundation's board.

Jane Weida, M.D., of Lititz, Pa., has been elected the board's vice president. After 13 years in private practice in Blue Bell, Pa., she currently is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey and is on the faculty of the Reading Hospital and Medical Center Family Medicine Residency in Reading, Pa. A past president of the Pennsylvania AFP, Weida earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and completed her residency at Chestnut Hill Hospital, also in Philadelphia. Weida, who is board-certified, most recently served as the Foundation board's treasurer.

Jason Marker, M.D., M.P.A., of Wyatt, Ind., has been elected treasurer of the Foundation board. Marker is the current president of the Indiana AFP and served on the AAFP Board of Directors as its New Physician member from 2007-08. He received his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and his master's degree from Indiana University in South Bend. Marker completed his residency at Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency, also in South Bend. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Other new members elected to the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees and their trustee designations are:

Five AAFP student members will be honored during the 2012 AMA Foundation Excellence in Medicine Awards on Feb. 13. The awards are presented each year in association with the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative to recognize recipients' strong leadership skills in advocacy, community service and/or education.

The Academy honorees and their academic institutions are:

Marielle Baldwin -- The University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham;
Whitney Cesari -- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis;
Adam Dougherty -- UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento;
Nii Koney -- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City; and
Sumeet Vaikunth -- University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis.