Small Efforts Yield Big Opportunities

RESIDENTS & NEW PHYSICIANS

By Katherine Haga, DO Novant Health, Cornelius, NC

ADVOCACY

If you would have told me that I would have an opportunity to sit with the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and North Carolina Congresswoman Alma Adams to discuss the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its impact on access to health care, I wouldn’t have believed you. Instead, I would have told you that I felt there were many more qualified people than me. Yet on July 7, 2021, I participated in a round table discussion with 10 others, including the Secretary, Congresswoman, and some amazing local access coordinators, legal advocates, and leaders. During that hour and a half, we discussed the ACA and health access, the impact Medicaid expansion would have in North Carolina, Covid-19 vaccination rates, the growing mental health crisis, and the importance of telehealth.

As the only physician in the room, I had an opportunity to clarify issues from a clinical view. It was a humbling task to provide that important perspective in a non-clinical world when the topic involved health care policies and systems. Healthcare is an inherently different sector than any other. A true business, accounting for nearly 20% of our nation’s GDP, its essence deals with human lives, and those who administer care are those who do the work in our clinics and hospitals. Physicians, then, are leaders who are critically needed to unwind the tangled webs our of system and point the focus to where the system should be focused – on our patients. So how did this happen? The short answer might be, right place, right time. Still, I believe it is more than that, and that it’s more a story of how small efforts can make a bigger impact. Recently, I participated in the AAFP Family Medicine Advocacy Summit (FMAS) on May 19, 2021. During this year’s virtual summit, we

Dr. Katherine Haga pictured with United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra.

met with the offices of our Senators and House of Representatives. At the District 12 meeting, we spoke with Representative Adams’ District Director and Legislative Assistant, and I was invited to meet with the Secretary and Congresswoman after that meeting. But my passion for transforming healthcare was sparked long before this event.

I am the only child of a single mom, the hardest worker I know. Due to being self-employed and having pre-existing health conditions, she was unable to obtain health insurance. This was the reality of health insurance prior to the ACA. Because of this, she paid out of pocket for health care, making too much for Medicaid, and often facing the choice between being able to see a doctor or being able to pay for other life essentials. This story is not unique, even today. It is our personal stories and patients’ stories that need to be told to influence policy and create systemic change. Perhaps I was not the most qualified or the most knowledgeable physician that could have been in that room with the Secretary and Congresswoman, but I am passionate and well informed and will gladly sit at tables to share the stories that should be told, while offering the knowledge that I do have.

And that is the how and the why – simply showing up, remaining informed, and being passionate in pursuit of advocating for our patients and our field. I encourage all of you to do the same in your spheres of influence – participate, discuss, respectfully disagree. It’s amazing how little time and effort is needed to help influence change, and you’ll never know what meetings will make an impact. You’re not alone in this process – I relied heavily on the NCAFP to prepare for this meeting – they are an incredible resource for facts and data. Get involved, even if it’s only for a few hours one day once per year. Join us for next year’s AAFP FMAS. Your voice matters for the sake of our patients and the health of our system.

2021

Resident & Student Research Poster Presentation

The NCAFP Foundation’s twenty-seventh annual Research Poster Presentation will be held at the Academy’s Winter Family Physicians Weekend

The Foundation is interested in showcasing practice-based research, but poster presentations may address any topic relevant to Family Medicine. Works-in-progress may also be submitted, but submissions must be of original work not yet published. Projects previously presented at medical schools’ or student “Research Days” are acceptable, as are concurrent submissions to other conferences such as NAPCRG and STFM.

Posters will be judged for awards with winners announced at the Annual Meeting. For complete details and link to submission form, please visit www.ncafp.com

Please direct questions to Perry Price at perry@ncafp.com

Resident and Student members interested in participating must submit their application and all corresponding materials (including final PDF of poster) by October 1st, 2021.

STUDENT INTEREST & INITIATIVES

Two NCAFP Members Selected for AAFP Foundation FML Emerging Leader Institute Project Award

We are pleased to share that Benjamin Kaplan (MS4), UNC School of Medicine, and Karen Scherr, MD, PhD (PGY3), Duke Family Medicine Residency Program, have been awarded one of nine Family Medicine Leads (FML) Emerging Leader Institute Leadership Project Awards from the 2020 cohort. They each received a $1,000 project award to return to the AAFP National Conference of Family Medicine and Students and engage with the 2021 FML Emerging Leader Institute Scholars. Both recipients prepared a poster of their work for display during National Conference. In addition, Mr. Kaplan’s project, “I Know Me: Developing an Interactive Photovoice Gallery to Mitigate Bias against Complex Care Patients,” was selected as the overall best project from his leadership track (Policy & Public Health) and will receive a $3,000 award to attend a special Family Medicine opportunity. Kaplan was also be a presenter showcasing project work at a session during National Conference.

Benjamin Kaplan (MS4)

Karen Scherr, MD, PhD (PGY3)

Dr. Sanjay Batish Awarded AAFP Foundation Family Medicine Discovers Scholar Award

Dr. Sanjay Batish, founder of Batish Family Medicine in Leland, N.C., was recently awarded an AAFP Foundation $40,000 Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Discovery and Innovation (FMD RapSDI) award for his project, “An evaluation of the SaFETy score as a predictor of gun violence in adolescent-young adults patients in a primary care setting.” Scholars are selected from a two-tiered application process and must be AAFP members. Finalists then complete an in-depth research project application with assistance from a mentorship team comprised of AAFP NRN leadership and external content or methods experts.

Dr. Batish’s project began June 15, 2021 and will end June 14, 2022. His project explores the potential for primary care practices to use an established survey tool to predict incidents of gun violence among adolescents and young adults in a non-urban setting. “I have experienced the epidemic of gun violence personally and professionally, and want to have some impact in a positive way,” says Dr. Batish. “In my small practice, I see someone with a direct connection to gun violence once a month and someone with an indirect connection every day, or every few days. If the research reveals helpful data, my hope is that someone can take it to the next level.”

FMD RapSDI, a collaboration between the AAFP Foundation and the AAFP National Research Network, provides the infrastructure and support needed for physicians to explore small projects that can yield results in a 12-month timeframe. “Our goal for this program is to help practicing family physicians thoughtfully try to solve issues they see in their office,” says Dr. Rebecca Jaffe, president of the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees. “FMD RapSDI allows doctors who don’t typically do research to explore and scale great ideas, quickly.”

To learn more about FMD RapSDI, please visit aafpfoundation.org > Our Programs > Scientific Initiative. Congratulations to Dr. Batish on this amazing accomplishment!

jobs.ncafp.com

Employers:

• PLACE your job in front of our highly qualified members

• SEARCH our resume database of qualified candidates

• MANAGE jobs and applicant activity right on our site

• LIMIT applicants only to those who are qualified

• FILL your jobs more quickly with great talent • POST multiple resumes and cover letters or choose an anonymous career profile that leads employers to you

• SEARCH and apply to hundreds of fresh jobs on the spot with robust filters

• SET UP efficient job alerts to deliver the latest jobs right to your inbox

• ASK the experts advice, get resume writing tips, utilize career assessment test services, and more

Family Physicians:

powered by