During a system upgrade from Friday, Dec. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 7, the AAFP website, on-demand courses and CME purchases will be unavailable.
AANHPI Heritage Month
May is AANHPI Heritage Month. The AAFP believes medicine should be reflective of the diverse populations it serves, which will help ensure every patient receives the high-quality care they deserve. So, while we value our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander members throughout the year, this month we’ll highlight and celebrate their achievements and contributions. We’ll also feature tools and resources to help members promote health equity and provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
Members in Action
Program Director Brings Passion for Education to FUTURE
Kamini Geer, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, was severely ill, and multiple trips to different doctors yielded few answers and mounting frustration. A visit with a new family physician made all the difference. The experience changed Geer’s health and her life.
“That sparked my interest in family medicine,” said Geer. “The ability to meet a patient at first point of contact, listen to them and get them the help they need really made a big difference in my life. I wanted to be able to make that kind of difference for other people.”
NCCL Leader Says Advocacy Work ‘Fills My Cup’
Peony Khoo, M.D., IBCLC, FAAFP, is currently serving the AAFP and the California AFP on commissions and committees, and is an officer in the Los Angeles AFP.
“Once I finished training and settled into my job, I felt a need to stay connected with my passion in reproductive health, in advocacy and all these other aspects of family medicine that make family medicine what it is to me,” said Khoo. “This is how I meet those needs for myself in addition to trying to get other people excited about family medicine.”
Resident Leader Hopes to Help Students Find FUTURE in Family Medicine
Jiayu “Kate” Tian, M.D., once thought she was done with the AAFP’s annual FUTURE conference. Turns out, the event isn’t quite finished with her
“You think, ‘Oh my goodness. I want to be like them, writing resolutions and running for positions.’ AAFP Board members and other family medicine leaders were all encouraging me and asking, ‘What are you running for?’ A lot of people were invested in my leadership journey even when I didn’t have the confidence to think I could do it.”
"In caring for our patients, families, and communities, it is so important that we, as a body of family physicians, acknowledge heritage. It's what makes a people unique, it defines and unites these communities, it helps us better understand the needs of these communities – the social injustice and health inequities. A Hawaiian proverb, or ōlelo noʻeau, that reflects this is: ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku, kōkua mai; pela iho lā ka nohona ʻohana.' Basically, family life requires an exchange of mutual help and recognition, what impacts one impacts all, and goals must be achieved by collaboration and cooperation." – Dr. Nicole Mahealani Lum, DO, Hawaii AFP Delegate
"Currently in my residency practice, I see a large percentage of Mandarin speakers, and so ... a large proportion of immigrant health – or Asian American health, which is my specific expertise – to me comes from a knowledge of language, a knowledge of culture, and also a knowledge of different traditional healing practices. And so, it's something that I have gotten the privilege of exploring and developing during my residency. And it's definitely something I want to find a community in my future practice where I can put that into practice and kind of develop that expertise of what immigrant Asian American health looks like. " – Dr. Bright Zhou, Resident Chair, AAFP National Conference
"It is so important to have representation by AANHPI physicians and individuals so we can represent our values, our patients, and our communities. And I encourage you to find opportunities to lead in your profession and your community." – Dr. Ravi Shah, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAFP
A Diverse Workforce Equals a Healthier Population
Studies show that patient satisfaction and health outcomes are improved when health providers and their patients have concordance in their racial, ethnic, and language backgrounds. Studies also show that students from backgrounds currently underrepresented in medicine are more likely to care for underserved populations in their careers, and more likely to choose primary care careers.
Visit the EveryOne Project to check out a report on workforce diversity and more.
