Waking Up in 2021
As a new year begins, AAFP Board chair Gary LeRoy, M.D., outlines the Academy’s priorities for 2021.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20210112lv-2021.html
U.S. Must Work to Improve Maternal Mortality Rate
Ada Stewart, M.D., writes that a physician’s recent death due to complications from pregnancy is a grim reminder that the United States must do more to address maternal mortality.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20201112lv-maternalmortality.html
Snorkeling or Paralysis: An FP's Strange Experience With COVID-19
Ryan Neuhofel, D.O., M.P.H., explains how the pandemic has forced him to try some unconventional things, including new approaches to personal protective equipment, in the FPs on the Front Lines blog.
AAFP News : FPs on the Front Lines: Meeting the Challenge | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/fpsonfrontlines/entry/20200602fl-newapproaches.html
New Year, Same Issues. Why Does Health Care Cost So Much?
We asked our new physician bloggers what issues concern them for their practices and patients in 2018. The cost of care to patients tops the list.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180102fp-newyear.html
Let's Start by Treating Gun Violence as Public Health Issue
Granted, harm is caused by individuals, not the objects they wield. But even so, treating gun violence as a public health issue could make our society safer.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180221fp-gunviolence.html
Two Approaches to Making Your Point With Patients
Class is back in session as M.P.H. candidate Stewart Decker, M.D., shares his insights from a course on persuasive communication.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180417fp-mph.html
Acknowledging -- and Overcoming -- My Own Racial Bias
Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., is working on her own racial biases. In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, she questions why our medical institutions and training programs aren't doing the same.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180430fp-bias.html
Your Family Medicine Practice Is Whatever You Make It
A new physician survey prompted our bloggers to reflect on their scope of practice and how they've tailored their work to fit the needs of their patients and their own interests.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180116fp-scope.html
What a Load of Goop: Overcoming Misguided Health Advice
Gwyneth Paltrow and other celebrities are telling your patients to do weird things to their bodies. Here's how to ensure they hear you instead.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180130fp-badadvice.html
Outbreak Brings Patients Running for Vaccinations
As a hepatitis A outbreak in her state reaches 150 cases and counting, Kimberly Becher, M.D., wonders in this Fresh Perspectives blog post if media-induced hysteria might actually help overall vaccination rates.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180612fp-hepa.html
The Illogical Cost of Care: Why Do We Stand for It?
Allison Edwards, M.D., and colleagues banded together to erase more than $1 million of patients' medical debt. But for others, cost and lack of transparency lead to financial crisis. Learn more in this Fresh Perspectives blog post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180821fp-carecost.html
Drawings From Detention: Assisting Asylum Seekers
Anita Ravi, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., recently visited the nation's largest family detention center to help asylum seekers. She shares her experience in words and drawings in the Fresh Perspectives blog.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180717fp-asylum.html
Moms Need Support, Not Legislated Medicine
A bill in the California Assembly would mandate postpartum depression screening. Margaux Lazarin, D.O., M.P.H., writes that without proper support systems, the proposed legislation won't improve outcomes.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180508fp-postpartum.html
Protect Transgender and Intersex Patients
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, Natalie Hinchcliffe, D.O., describes the many factors that contribute to gender identity, and she calls for physicians to take a stand in support of their transgender and intersex patients.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20181120fp-transgender.html
Why I Love Working in a Community Health Center
Luis Garcia, M.D., spoke with several colleagues who work in community health centers, as he does, about what makes these practices so rewarding for family physicians.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20181211fp-chc.html
Exercise Is Medicine. Here's How I Get Patients Started
Ninety percent of Americans don't meet recommendations for physical activity. Alex Mroszczyk-McDonald, M.D., has seen the good that exercise can do, and in this Fresh Perspectives blog post he shares ways to get more patients off the couch.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180516fp-exercise.html
Rural Locums Provide Balance for Urban Doc
Mixing rural locum tenens shifts with her urban direct primary care practice keeps Allison Edwards, M.D., balanced and allows her to work at the full breadth of her training.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180806fp-locums.html
Putting My Broad-scope Training to the Test
Tate Hinkle, M.D., and his primary care colleagues tested the limits of their broad-scope training when a wave of subspecialists left their small, rural community.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180827fp-subspecialists.html
I Hired a Community Health Worker and Now We Work Miracles
Patients need doctors, but some need more help to achieve better health. Kimberly Becher, M.D., writes about the dramatic difference a community health worker has made in her practice.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20180917fp-commhealth.html
Let's Get Drug Pricing Under Control
Allison Edwards, M.D., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that it's high time we find a fix for the drug pricing system that we've grown too accustomed to.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20181126fp-drugprices.html
Can Design Thinking Improve Health Care for Patients, Physicians?
Design thinking requires decision-makers to empathize with, and test potential solutions with, users and stakeholders. Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., shares insights from a crash course on the process.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190205fp-designthinking.html
Let's Take a Public Health Approach to Climate Change
Nearly 80 percent of Americans believe climate change is happening. M.P.H. candidate Stewart Decker, M.D., offers a public health approach to convincing the rest and addressing the problem.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190218fp-climate.html
Medicaid Expansion Could Be Key to Saving Rural Hospitals
Nearly 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2010, and almost 700 more are considered vulnerable. Tate Hinkle, M.D., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that Medicaid expansion could be the key to stopping the trend.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190109fp-ruralhospitals.html
Beat the Clock: Why I Chose Direct Primary Care
Allison Edwards, M.D., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that the limitations of the 12-minute patient visits she experienced as a resident inspired her to start her own direct primary care practice.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190115fp-whydpc.html
Our Maternal Mortality Rate Is Shameful
The United States is the only developed nation with a rapidly increasing maternal mortality rate. Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., examines what should be done about it.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190305fp-maternalmortality.html
Health Startups: Revolutionary or Threat to Primary Care?
Startups based on health care algorithms are rapidly spreading. In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., describes a model that allows family physicians to offer the convenience these companies tout while preserving the doctor-patient relationship.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190514fp-appbasedcare.html
You Hate Your EHR? Help Develop Something Better
Instead of hoping someone will ask physicians about their technology needs, Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that doctors should seek out developers looking for new ideas.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20181218fp-ehrs.html
Rural FPs Need More Support in Treating Mental Illness
Rural physicians and their patients face significant barriers when it comes to providing mental health care. In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, Tate Hinkle, M.D., suggests strategies to help overcome these problems.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190603fp-mentalhealth.html
Don't Blame Mental Illness for Mass Shootings
Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that taking the wholesale approach of blaming mass shootings on mental illness stigmatizes patients who have mental health issues and deflects attention from real predictors of such incidents.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190918fp-massshootings.html
Should Appearance Matter in Medicine?
When we asked our new physician bloggers for their opinions on a recent survey regarding physician footwear, the conversation quickly broadened to take in attire, appearance and professionalism. Read more in this Fresh Perspectives post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20191106fp-attire.html
Patients Facing Homelessness Need More Than Referrals
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, Anita Ravi, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.H.P., explains why Refer to social work is not the natural conclusion of a physician's role in addressing social determinants of health among patients experiencing homelessness.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190723fp-homeless.html
Direct Primary Care: A Snapshot
Direct primary care family physician Allison Edwards, M.D., reflects in this Fresh Perspectives blog post on insights from the AAFP's DPC Data Brief and offers a path for the movement to grow thoughtfully.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190820fp-dpcsnapshot.html
Social Media Influencers or FPs: Who Do Patients Trust?
Michael Richardson, M.D., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that physicians can overcome the spate of false and misleading health reports that consumers find on social media by emphasizing the doctor-patient relationship.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20190903fp-socialmedia.html
Patients Need to Know the True Cost of 'Free' Screenings
Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that free health screenings often come at a high cost and overshadow what patients actually need: prevention.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20191203fp-screening.html
COVID-19 and the Burden of Secondary Grief
After months of caring for people affected by COVID-19, Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog about the burden of secondary grief.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/202001001fp-grief.html
Should Physician Leaders Stay Active in Patient Care?
As a new physician in a leadership role, Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., ponders the need for physician leaders to stay active in patient care in this Fresh Perspectives blog post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20191001fp-leaders.html
Don't Take It Personally? With Angry Patients, That's Hard
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., ponders how physicians should react when they are the focus of a disgruntled patient's ire.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20191022fp-angrypatient.html
Pandemic Highlights the Need for Full-scope FPs
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, family physician MaryAnn Dakkak, M.D., M.S.P.H., describes a day on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in a safety-net hospital.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200406fp-covidhospital.html
Telemedicine: The Good, the Bad, the Pleasantly Surprising
With family physicians transitioning more patient visits to telemedicine during the pandemic, we asked our new physician bloggers to share how they are handling the adjustment in this Fresh Perspectives blog post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200414fp-covidtelemedicine.html
Death of Patient With COVID-19 Was Unlike Any Other
Alex Mroszczyk-McDonald, M.D., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that when a patient of his died of COVID-19, the uncertainty and anxiety shrouding her death made it unlike any other he had ever experienced.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200427fp-coviddeath.html
COVID-19: FP Searches for Supplies, Information and Lessons
As COVID-19 spreads across the country, Allison Edwards, M.D., describes the difficulty and frustration of preparing for the pandemic in this Fresh Perspectives blog post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200320fp-ppesearch.html
Taking Care of Each Other in This Time of Crisis
Kimberly Becher, M.D., reports in this Fresh Perspectives blog post how she is caring for her rural community amid the COVID-19 pandemic and how that community is supporting her clinic with needed supplies.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200331fp-covidcare.html
Yes, You Can Practice Full-scope Family Medicine
MaryAnn Dakkak, M.D., M.S.P.H.; writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that finding a job that allows her to use the full scope of her family medicine training was worth the second effort.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200729fp-scope.html
Holding People Sacred in Time of Loss
MaryAnn Dakkak, M.D., M.S.P.H., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that she is praying for dying patients and crying with her nurses in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200504fp-covidsacred.html
When My City Cheers, It Lifts Up the Front Lines
It's a simple gesture, but Lalita Abhyankar, M.D., M.H.S., writes in this Fresh Perspectives blog post that hearing the people of New York City cheer the doctors and others on the front lines has helped her cope with the pandemic.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200513fp-clapping.html
COVID-19: Two Sides of the Looking Glass
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, MaryAnn Dakkak, M.D., M.S.P.H., relates the complex experience of being both a physician treating patients who are COVID-19-positive and a relative of a patient with COVID-19.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200527fp-lookingglass.html
Closure, COVID, Chaos: A Resident's Tale of Resilience
Merlyn Sunny Abraham, M.D., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that her family medicine class of seven women persisted through the closure of their hospital, the transfer of their program and a pandemic.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200618fp-drexel.html
Unemployment During Pandemic Amounts to a One-Two Punch
Kyle Leggott, M.D., writes in the Fresh Perspectives blog that the pandemic -- and the higher unemployment rates it has caused -- has exposed the precarious nature of employer-sponsored health insurance.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200708fp-esi.html
Why We Fight for Patients of Color
In this Fresh Perspectives blog post, MaryAnn Dakkak, M.D., M.S.P.H., ponders how physicians can help people of color, who bear a disproportionate share of the effects of racism, violence and COVID-19.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200903fp-breathe.html
Preparing for Flu Season During Pandemic
Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., examines the coming challenges of a flu season overlapping a pandemic in this Fresh Perspectives blog post.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/20200910fp-flu.html
Patients Trust Social Media, so Be Their Trusted Source
With more than 3 million followers and counting, Mikhail Varshavski, D.O., makes the case for using social media to reach patients with health messages.
AAFP News : Fresh Perspectives: New Docs in Practice | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/freshperspectives/entry/patients_trust_social_media_so.html
EHR Market Needs Competition, Innovation
Back in 2004, the Bush administration predicted that electronic health records would help clinicians avoid medical mistakes, reduce costs and improve care within 10 years. In the latest In the Trenches post, Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn ...
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180501ITT_ehrs.html
AAFP Payment Model Clears Another Hurdle
In the latest In the Trenches post, Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin offers an update on the progress of the Academy's Advanced Primary Care Alternative Payment Model, as well as a summary of how provisions of the recently passed federal ...
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180403ITT_PTAC2.html
Protecting the Environment, Our Health
April 22 is Earth Day. In the latest In the Trenches post, Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin highlights the AAFP's nearly 50-year-old policy on climate change and pollution and outlines what the Academy is doing now to protect public health...
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180417ITT_earthday.html
Part I: Sharing Our Legislative, Regulatory Priorities for 2018
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin outlines the AAFP's priorities for 2018 regarding payment reform and practice transformation.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180206ITT_Priorities.html
Key Issues Face Congress Before Summer Recess
Congress has a lot of work to do before its summer recess and the mid-term election. In the latest In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin looks at some key health care issues legislators must address this summer.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180605ITT_recess.html
Robert Graham Center Is Vital Tool for Family Medicine
The Robert Graham Center recently published a report that offers a treasure trove of facts about family medicine. As the center marks its 19th year, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin looks at how it works to advance primary care.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180703itt-rgc.html
It's Still the Prices, Stupid
High drug prices are driving dramatic increases in health care costs. In the latest In the Trenches blog post, Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin looks at how HHS and the AAFP are responding.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180717itt_drugs.html
Early Thoughts on the 2019 Fee Schedule
AAFP staff members are reviewing the 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule. In the latest In the Trenches post, Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin shares some initial reactions based on the Academy's early evaluation of the proposal.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180731itt_feeschedule.html
Proposed Changes to QPP: What You Need to Know
In the second post of a two-part analysis, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin outlines proposed changes to the MACRA Quality Payment Program.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180814itt_feeschedule2.html
AAFP Offers CMS Five Major Changes to Fee Schedule
The AAFP submitted 92 pages of comments to help CMS create a Medicare physician fee schedule that works for family physicians and their patients. AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin offers a summary in his latest In the Trenches blog post.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180911itt-mpfs.html
It's Time to Rethink Who Should Be Eligible to Lead ACOs
CMS recently published a proposed rule for accountable care organizations (ACOs). In his latest In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin has a recommendation for CMS: Require that all ACOs be led by physicians.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20180925itt-acos.html
State Legislative Conference Offers Insight Into 2019's Top Issues
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin offers highlights from the Academy's annual State Legislative Conference.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20181106itt-elections.html
Reclaiming Family Medicine's Broad Scope Benefits Everyone
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes that the debate about family medicine scope of practice shouldn't focus just on midlevel providers, but also on subspecialists.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20181009itt-scope.html
The Votes Were Cast. What Does It Mean for Family Medicine?
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin sets the stage for an analysis of the 2018 midterm elections and looks at Wall Street's growing interest in health care.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20181120itt-postelection.html
Teaching Health Centers Funding a Top Priority for 2019
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes that securing funding for the teaching health center program will be a top priority for the Academy when the new Congress convenes.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20181204itt-thcgme.html
CMS Heeds AAFP Advice on New Payment Models
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin examines the Primary Cares Initiative that CMS launched last week.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190430itt-primarycares.html
High-deductible Plans Shouldn't Endanger Continuity of Care
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin addresses the need for continuity of care among patients with high-deductible health plans.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20181218itt-hdhp.html
We're Working to Make Sure Telemedicine Is Real Medicine
AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes that the Academy has new resources to support telemedicine within family medicine practices.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190122itt-telemedicine.html
Window of Opportunity Opening to Revalue E/M Codes
Codes for evaluation and management services have not had a comprehensive review by CMS in more than a decade. AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes that it's time to correct that oversight.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190205itt-emcodes.html
Under Pressure: Health Care Needs Reform, Stable Markets
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin offers an update after legislators from both sides of the aisle introduced bills regarding health insurance.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190305itt-insurancereform.html
Does Single Payer Have Friends in CBO Places?
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin finds no bogeyman in the Congressional Budget Office's report on single-payer health care.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190514itt-singlepayer.html
Taking Aim at the High Deductibles That Drive Off Patients
A new coalition co-founded by the Academy aims to realign the incentives and design of health care, writes AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190528itt-consumersfirst.html
Now's the Time: Speak Out to Support Primary Care
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin highlights two primary care issues being debated by Congress and explains how you can help them advance.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190625itt-hcbills.html
Not All Clinicians Are Trained Equally
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin explains why family physicians and nurse practitioners are not interchangeable.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190903itt-differences.html
Invest in FPs and Maybe Insurance Won't Cost as Much as a Car
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin makes the case that the most prudent place to invest any single health care dollar is in family medicine.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190917itt-investfm.html
Reflections on a Decade of Change
Positive and sometimes negative, the 2010s saw massive shifts in health policy. In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin looks back at the issues he thinks made the biggest impact.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20191210itt-lookback.html
The Economics of Our Health Care System Are Horrifying
Millions of Americans are forgoing health care because of cost while others are accruing staggering debt to pay for care. AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Management and Policy Shawn Martin examines a growing crisis in this In the Trenches blog post.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200107itt-economics.html
Closing Down Tobacco Road
In his latest In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin highlights the Academy's advocacy efforts related to tobacco and nicotine regulation and tells family physicians how to learn more about a new payment model.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20191029itt-tobacco.html
You Earned That Raise; Here's How to Keep It
Subspecialists are fighting a CMS final rule that would boost Medicare primary care payment by 12%. In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin asks family physicians to join the Academy in protecting the win.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20191126itt-payincrease.html
Academy Takes Aim at Rural Health Challenges
Rural Americans tend to be older, poorer and sicker than their urban counterparts. In his latest In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin looks at the issues the Academy's new rural health initiative aims to address.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190723itt-rural.html
2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: What You Need to Know
The proposed 2020 Medicare physician fee schedule is 1,704 pages long. In a much shorter In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin highlights the key points family physicians should know.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20190820itt-2020mpfs.html
Burnout by Numbers
Recent surveys and studies paint a bleak landscape regarding physician burnout. AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes in this In The Trenches blog post that the continued shortcomings of electronic health records are the prime driver.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200121itt-ehr.html
The 30 Year Lie: How Physician Payment Inequities Began
The discrepancies between payment levels and cost values for primary care compared to surgical procedures have been recognized for decades. AAFP Senior VP Shawn Martin examines the missteps that led us to this point in this In the Trenches post.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200218itt-paymenthistory.html
Let's Amplify the Real Front-line Physicians
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Stephanie Quinn pushes back against misinformation about the pandemic -- and spotlights members who are doing the same on the ground.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200805itt-facts.html
COVID-19: The AAFP Is Working to Keep You Informed, Prepared
As COVID-19 spreads, AAFP Senior Vice President for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin offers an update on the resources the Academy is making available and the steps it is taking to help family physicians prepare for the pandemic.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200317itt-covidefforts.html
Telehealth Deserves Payment; the AAFP Is Helping Secure It
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President Shawn Martin offers an update on the Academy's efforts to help family physicians during the pandemic, including securing payment for telephone-based services.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200331itt-telehealth.html
Carpe Diem: It's Time to Fix Our Broken Health Care System
AAFP Senior VP for Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Shawn Martin writes in this In the Trenches blog post that the current health crisis presents an opportunity to drastically improve the U.S. health care system.
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200414itt-fixsystem.html
ACA's Vital Progress Again in Jeopardy
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear another challenge to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Stephanie Quinn writes in the In the Trenches blog that the focus should be on building on aspects of the ...
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200707itt-aca.html
How to Improve Pandemic Response? Fortify Family Medicine
In this In the Trenches blog post, AAFP Senior Vice President of Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy Stephanie Quinn offers an overview of recent AAFP guidance on improving the nation's response to public health emergencies. It starts with making sure primary care is geared up and...
AAFP News : In the Trenches : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/inthetrenches/entry/20200721itt-fmpandemic.html
Primary Care Needs Congress' Attention Right Now
Representatives from the AAFP and five other organizations recently met with legislators about vital primary care programs jeopardized by lack of stable funding.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180112lv-hillvisits.html
Burnout Part 2: Adopting a Systems Approach to Prevention
Carl Olden, M.D., examines methods to approach physician burnout and resilience from the perspectives of the small practice, the multispecialty group and hospital medical staff.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180219lv-burnout.html
Congress' Inaction Threatens Family Medicine Training
The future of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program -- and more than 700 residency slots -- is unclear because Congress has failed to address long-term funding.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180129lv-thcgme.html
A Right Way to Treat Opioid Addiction
Some physicians remain reluctant to prescribe buprenorphine for medication-assisted therapy. Alan Schwartzstein, M.D., refutes two common arguments against the practice.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180209lv-opioidsmat.html
Real Action on Administrative Burden Is Long Overdue
The AAFP has been communicating with CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT about reducing administrative burden, and this week, leaders will address that critical issue on Capitol Hill.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180227lv-adminburden.html
Congress Needs to Hear From FPs -- Here's Your Chance
AAFP President-elect John Cullen, M.D., reports from Capitol Hill, where the Academy's Board of Directors recently had dozens of meetings with legislators and congressional staff.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180302lv-hillvisits.html
Make Our Voices Heard on Continuing Board Certification
AAFP President Michael Munger, M.D., provided comments at a recent hearing about continuing board certification. He urges family physicians to do the same in a survey from the American Board of Medical Specialties.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180417lv-abms.html
Advocacy, Like Sailing, Means Navigating Turbulent Seas
John Cullen, M.D., knows the ropes of sailing and advocacy. In this Leader Voices blog post, he says both require teamwork and persistence.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180420lv-sailing.html
AAFP Board Accepts Recommendations on Continuing Certification
The AAFP Board recently approved recommendations by the Academy's task force on continuing board certification. John Cullen, M.D., writes in the Leader Voices Blog that the recommendations include providing guidance on how to evaluate alternative certifying organizations.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180508lv-boardcert.html
For Your Patients' Sake, Prepare Yourself for PrEP
Pre-exposure prophylaxis significantly lowers the odds of getting HIV from sex and injectable drug use, but Ada Stewart, M.D., writes in the Leader Voices Blog that too few physicians are prescribing it. A session at the Family Medicine Experience can help.
AAFP News : AAFP Leader Voices | AAFP News Blog : Blogs
https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20180510lv-prep.html