Accolades, Awards, and Achievements

The 2022 Winter Weekend Celebrated Champions of Family Medicine All Weekend Long

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the NCAFP’s 2022 Winter Family Physicians Weekend! After enjoying over 745 attendees, more than 70 vendors and sponsors, 30 mainstage lectures, nine optional workshops and seminars, and countless opportunities for networking and fun, we all agree that our favorite annual weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a resounding success. While important clinical updates and unique learning opportunities are the capstones of the annual four-day conference, several of your colleagues and peers were also celebrated for their accolades, achievements, and dedication to the specialty of Family Medicine over the long weekend.

Saturday evening’s Presidential Gala, complete with guests in sparkling gowns, a gourmet meal, and live music, featured the swearing-in of Dr. Shauna Guthrie as the 2023 NCAFP President. Sworn in by Dr. Sterling Ransone, Board Chair of the AAFP, the night was made extra special when Dr. Guthrie’s grandmother, Ms. Diana Guthrie, joined her on the stage to take the Presidential Oath. During her poignant acceptance speech, Dr. Guthrie underscored the versatility of family physicians, emphasized the importance of asking for help when you need it, described her love for the scope of Family Medicine, and shared the rewarding journey that led her to where she is today. You can read Dr. Guthrie’s full inaugural address right here in this issue, or you can listen to it on our podcast by subscribing to NCFM Today on Spotify, in the Google Store or the Apple Store, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen via our website at www. ncafp.com/podcasts.

Speaking of inspirational leaders and podcasts: you can also listen via NCFM Today to Outgoing President Dr. Dimitrios (Takie) Hondros’s 2022 State of the Academy Address. His thoughtful speech highlighted much of the dedicated work and accomplishments of the NCAFP’s leaders, volunteers, and staff. This summary of their tireless efforts, along with Dr. Hondros’s personal experiences as chapter president, characterizes the strength and importance of the Academy and its members. I encourage you to tune in (or perhaps listen again!) to both heartwarming speeches during your next run, commute, or quiet time. You will certainly feel inspired, motivated, challenged, and, most of all, appreciated. medical education and research. AAFP Fellows help make Family Medicine the premiere specialty through their service to their community and profession, and we were delighted to honor 12 members during this year’s convocation ceremony. Please join us in congratulating these recent Degree of Fellow awardees:

The 2022 Distinguished Family Physician Award, the NCAFP’s highest honor, was presented to Dr. Shannon Dowler, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for NC Medicaid and Deputy CMO for Health Access within the NC Department of Health and Human Services. The NCAFP, along with family members and a few close friends of Dr. Dowler, managed to surprise her with an award presentation that highlighted her ongoing efforts to combat sexually transmitted infections and, more recently, her work at Medicaid to swiftly change many policies, including telehealth policies, during the pandemic. The presentation also highlighted Dr. Dowler’s work to minimize patient disruptions and administrative burden for primary care during the Department’s transition to Medicaid Managed Care. Congratulations, Dr. Dowler! We are so proud of you and the excellent work that you do!

Scott Baker, MD, FAAFP

Amir Homayoun Barzin, DO, FAAFP

Rebecca S. Bassett, MD, FAAFP

Nichole Lynette Johnson, MD, FAAFP

Keli Beck Jones, MD, FAAFP

Richard H. Jones, MD, FAAFP

Michelle K. Keatin, DO, MEd, FAAFP

S. Mark McNeill, MD, FAAFP

Bradley Propst, MD, FAAFP

Neil Sparks, DO, MS, CAQSM. FAAFP

Adam C. Wenzlik, MD, FAAFP

Audy Whitman, MD, FAAFP

The NCAFP is extremely proud of the 645+ members who already carry the AAFP’s distinction of Degree of Fellow. AAFP Fellows are members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities, by their service to Family Medicine, their advancement of healthcare to the American people, and their professional development through

We also celebrated five outstanding family physicians who generously share their time to advance the principles and ideals of Family Medicine by teaching and mentoring the next generation of family physicians. The 2022 Outstanding Community Teaching Award Winners are:

John Bernot, MD

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Vickie Fowler, MD University of North Carolina School of Medicine

James Lester, DO Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Steven Manning, MD Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University

Nathan Sison, MD Duke University School of Medicine

Congratulations to these outstanding community teaching winners, and thank you to the many preceptors and mentors who continue to nurture a strong, diverse, and much-needed Family Medicine workforce. We appreciate you!

Quite possibly the NCAFP Foundation’s largest poster contest to date, the 2022 Research Poster Contest featured entries from over 35 residents and medical students. In the Resident Category, Dr. Connor Brunson of the MAHEC Boone

Family Medicine

Residency Program won for the poster “One in 36 Million: An Exceptional Case of Lyme Carditis.” Dr. Toria Knox, also of the MAHEC Boone Program, finished as first runner-up for the poster “Cutaneous Metastasis of Stage IV Lobular Breast Cancer.” For medical students, Grant O’Brien of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University won for the poster “Improving HPV Vaccine Initiation in 9-10 Year Old Patients in a Residency-Based Pediatrics Clinic.” XiXi Yi, a Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine student, thank the many terrific sponsors of Family Physicians Weekend. annual event would not have been support of these fantastic sponsors Family Medicine. Thank You! was first runner-up for “Potential Cancer Screening Biomarker – Anti-tNASP Antibodies Exploration in Prostate, Pancreatic and Ovarian Cancers.” Please join us in congratulating the winners and thanking everyone who participated by submitting quality and relative family medicine research.

On behalf of the entire NCAFP Team, congratulations again to all 2022 award winners and family medicine champions. It is a privilege each year to host this wonderful weekend filled with CME, camaraderie, and celebrations. We remain incredibly grateful for your continued support and participation year after year. Consider joining us again this year at the Omni Grove Park Inn, Nov. 30 – Dec. 3, 2023, when we commemorate the NCAFP’s 75th Anniversary. We can’t wait to celebrate this milestone anniversary and the many awards and achievements this year will bring to so many of you!

If you missed the Winter Weekend’s fun and celebrations, or if you were there and want to relive the excitement, be sure to check out the many fantastic moments and memories captured by our photographers at www. ncafp.com/wfpwgallery. You can also catch a fun “2022 NCAFP Year in Review” video shared during the conference at www.ncafp.com/yearinreview.

For more information about the NCAFP’s upcoming CME opportunities, visit us at www.ncafp.com/cme or contact me at Katkinson@ncafp.com. Best wishes for a wonderful and happy 2023, and we look forward to seeing you at an NCAFP event soon!