Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP

Sarah Sams, MD, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) and a member of its board of directors. The AAFP represents 124,500 physicians and medical students nationwide. As an AAFP board member, Sams advocates for family physicians and patients to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system.

Educator, clinician and mentor

Sams is a passionate, board-certified family physician, educator and advocate for family medicine. For more than 17 years, she has served as an associate director and full-time faculty member at Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio. In that capacity, she provides full-spectrum family medicine care, including obstetrics and minor office-based procedures. She has trained more than 180 family medicine residents, helping showcase how bonds built through the patient-physician relationship are the true joy in family medicine.

From private practice to policy impact

Before joining the Grant Family Medicine Residency, Sams owned and operated her own independent, private practice for seven years and, as a result, understands the complexity of the business aspects in medicine. When her medical malpractice insurance rates for her independent practice skyrocketed, she became deeply invested in the advocacy efforts of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) and its coalition partners. That advocacy effort turned the tide for malpractice legislation in Ohio and set her trajectory for unparalleled state-level leadership.

Previously, Sams was president of the OAFP, a delegate to AAFP’s Congress of Delegates and the chair of the AAFP Commission on Finance and Insurance. She also served as chair of the AAFP’s Commission on Governmental Advocacy and several state chapter committees that advance OAFP’s strategic initiatives. Sams is adept at moderating thorny discussions, ensuring everyone feels heard and bringing groups to thoughtful consensus.

Sams has mentored family physicians during the AAFP’s National Conference of Constituency Leaders and early-career leaders at AAFP’s National Conference, and advised scholars of the AAFP Foundation’s Emerging Leader Institute.

Recognized leader, grounded in service

Sams’ colleagues named her the recipient of the 2012 OAFP Torchlight Leadership Award, and in 2013, she was selected as the OAFP Foundation Philanthropist of the Year. Both are testaments to her dedicated leadership and outstanding advocacy skills.

In her free time, Sams is involved in her local and national church, serving as a ruling elder and faculty for CREDO, a wellness program for pastors. She enjoys quilting and spending time with her family, including two adult daughters, Crystal and Grace.