Stronger together: Standing with you and your patients in 2025
Your commitment to patients and family medicine fuels every stride the AAFP makes on behalf of our shared mission. Through your advocacy and engagement, you sparked positive advances in health policy, expanded evidence-based tools and strengthened primary care at every level. As patients and the public increasingly turned to you as trusted messengers, your voices shaped the conversation—and the AAFP ensured you were heard.
Ten moments where YOU have helped shape 2025.
These 2025 highlights reflect what YOU accomplished together and set the stage for even greater impact in 2026. You made this work possible, and your leadership drove these wins.
Members in the media
AAFP members continue to be a trusted voice in every corner of health care, showing up in the media—from national consumer news to key policy and industry outlets—to speak up for science, public health and, most importantly, your patients. Take a look at a few standout moments where you made headlines.
Revisit the most read stories and blogs
You trusted the AAFP over the last year to give you news and your fellow members' real-world advice about patient encounters, succeeding in professional exams, career advancement and the future of family medicine. Here are the top three stories and blogs that helped with your priorities:
Your inspiring stories
The stories you shared with us continue to inspire our whole specialty. Take a look at the profiles of your colleagues who are nurturing their passions for the family medicine. Read more inspiring Family Doc Focus stories.
Fern Hauck, MD, MS, FAAFP
Public Health Award winner created ideal setting for refugee care.
Jiayu “Kate” Tian, MD
Resident leader helps ‘FUTURE’ family physicians find their way into specialty.
Podcasts you loved
Thousands of you tuned in to AAFP’s podcast, Inside Family Medicine. You heard powerful stories and advocacy updates, took away tools and resources to use in your practice and earned CME in innovative ways.
Here are the top three episodes that sparked new ideas, built stronger member connections and empowered you to advocate for your patients and your communities.
IFM | From Med School to Residency: What We Wish We Knew
Making the jump from med school to residency is a wild ride. Hear from two family medicine residents and a residency program director as they share what they learned.
Listen
Now
IFM | Chronic Kidney Disease Care: Essential Insights for Family Physicians
Dive into the importance of early CKD screening, the advancements in treatment and how family physicians can collaborate with other healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes.
Listen
Now
FFFM | How H.R. 1 Will Affect Family Medicine
Learn about H.R. 1 and how it will affect family physicians, their patients and their communities in numerous ways.
Listen
Now
The Academy’s advocacy and grassroots programming experienced record levels of engagement this year.
- Forty-four states were represented at the annual Family Medicine Advocacy Summit, where family physicians held more than 253 meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
- 11,000+ of you participated in a Speak Out campaign
- 36,000 emails were sent to lawmakers on key issues affecting your patients, your practices and your communities.
Wrap up 2025 by celebrating some of the major moments that you helped make.
Ambassador program highlights that advocacy is for everyone
Nearly 800 of you joined the AAFP’s newly launched Advocacy Ambassadors program this year. The program was designed to help raise and channel your voice—and equip you with knowledge and resources while connecting you with colleagues.
PSLF advocacy centers student debt relief, community service
The Academy fought this year not only to maintain the PSLF program and similar measures but also to expand federal relief for medical student debt.
'A window for helping my patients': AAFP member and California Assembly member Jasmeet Bains, MD
Jasmeet Bains, MD, talks about how her family medicine practice and advocacy inform her role as an elected member of the California Assembly. She is one of only a handful of Academy members to have held statewide office.
Integrating public health into your practice
You continued to value public health and science as a means to better understand and address patient needs. You were a consistent, calming presence in the lives of your patients and your community. These evidence-based resources empowered you to improve patient outcomes as you responded to community health issues and advocated for community health improvements.
Practice resources
As payment evolved, you stayed current with coding updates and advances to ensure your patients receive high-value care. Whether you were refining your coding expertise or trialing care delivery innovations, these resources supported your success and helped you get paid appropriately for the care you provide.
Coding for advanced primary care management
Like G2211 rules released in 2024, APCM codes represent a recent effort from CMS to boost primary care.
Value-based care library and CME
Five recently expanded CME courses on value-based care and new health information technology tools were made to help you harness the power of data and your whole health–rooted family medicine training.
How to code for telehealth visits
Telehealth remains a critical line to care for many patients, but in October, Medicare policies reverted to pre-pandemic rules that the AAFP continues to lobby Congress to update permanently.
Coding for vaccine administration
The need for accurate vaccine coding information is strong as family physicians remain unwavering in their commitment to the health of communities
across the country.
Hierarchical condition category coding
Accounting for differences in patient complexity, quality and cost performance is a vital part of making sure your care delivery is appropriately measured in
value-based care.
You helped address disparities in health equity
You questioned outdated thinking and promoted health equity as you considered social determinants that impact patient and community health to affect positive change for the populations you serve. Whether you were new to discussions around health equity or wanted to continue learning by filling education gaps that arose from rapidly changing cultural awareness and medical advancements, these evidence-based resources walked you through the process of learning about the drivers of health for each of your patients.
In 2025, the AAFP continued to publish American Family Physician (AFP)—one of family medicine’s most trusted clinical journal. Each month, AFP, along with Family Practice Management (FPM), delivered the delivered concise, evidence- and science-based clinical reviews that helped you stay informed and apply the latest science in your practice. AFP’s commitment to clear, relevant and reliable information helped deliver the tools and resources you needed to provide the highest quality care to your patients.
Strengthening the future of family medicine
Building a strong future for family medicine means supporting learners and physicians at every stage. This year, key resources helped students navigate the Match, guided residents through board preparation, grew interest in family medicine and supported leaders to champion the specialty.
Strolling Through the Match Guidebook
This trusted guidebook was re-released to equip medical students with everything they need to navigate the Match process—from comparing residency programs to preparing for interviews. It strengthened the pipeline by helping students choose and enter family medicine with confidence.
Preparing for the Family Medicine Board Exam
This guide helped residents confidently approach ABFM board certification with clear steps for applying, identifying knowledge gaps, creating a study plan and preparing for test day. Paired with AAFP board-review tools, it supported a smooth transition for many of you into independent practice this year.
Family Medicine Champions
This self-paced program trained anyone guiding students toward a future in medicine to advocate for our specialty. By providing messaging tools, career insights and CME-eligible learning, it empowered leaders who inspire and mentor the next generation of family physicians.
Be Their First and Last Partner in Health
Be Their First is a new initiative designed to spark interest in the next generation of family physicians. It is woven into every part of our student programming, ensuring future family physicians feel supported from their first days of medical school through Match.