NC Family Physician - Winter 2024

The Next Chapters of NC Family Medicine

Our CME Promise:

Family Medicine Academic Summit

Friday, Feb. 16 - Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024

Sheraton Imperial Hotel RDU

Program Co-Chair: Regina Bray Brown, MD

Program Co-Chair: Aaron Lambert, MD

www ncafp com/summit

Approx 7 CME Credits Available

Virtual DOT Certification Training

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Instructor: Thomas R White, MD

www ncafp com/dot

Approx 6 CME Credits Available

Virtual Complex Pain Project 2.0

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 (evening)

or Saturday, May 18, 2024 (morning)

Instructor: Stephen Prakken, MD

www.ncafp.com/complexpain

Approx. 2 CME Credits Available

Virtual Summer Symposium & Pre-Conf. KSA Workshop

Pre-Conf. KSA - Friday, June 21, 2024

Instructor: Jonathon Firnhaber, MD

Approx 8 CME Credits Available

Summer Symposium - Saturday, June 22, 2024

Program Chair: Lisa Cassidy-Vu, MD

Program Vice Chair: Amir Barzin, DO, MS

www.ncafp.com/summercme

Approx 8 CME Credits Available

30 Minute Hot Topic Exchanges CME Dinner & Networking

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

Location TBD | Charlotte, NC

www ncafp com/hottopics

Approx 1 75 CME Credits Available

2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend

Wednesday, Dec. 5, - Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024

Omni Grove Park Inn | Asheville, NC

Program Chair: Thomas R White, MD

Program Vice-Chair: Katherine Haga, DO

www ncafp com/wfpw

Approx 30+ CME Credits Available

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

By Garett Franklin, MD, MS NCAFP 2023-2024 President

THE 2023-2024 INAUGURAL ADDRESS

The Next Chapters of NC Family Medicine

(The following was adapted from Dr. Franklin’s induction speech at the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend.)

It is truly an honor to begin a term as President of the NCAFP. Thank you for your faith in me and my ability to serve your Academy. There’s such a long list of thank you’s I have tonight:

Thank you to Shauna Guthrie and all the rest of the executive committee and board members. Thanks to my Dad who drove all the way from Texas to be here. Thank you for motivating me all those years. Thank you for pushing me to always be better. Thank you for always setting a great example. Mom, thank you for your love and kindness. Thank you for your thoughtfulness. Thank you for pushing me to pursue medicine. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I’d be doing this. But also thank you for always reminding me not to forget my jacket. Thank you to my sister, Breana. Thank you for always keeping me grounded and for always being there.

I can’t move on without at least acknowledging my kids, Isaac, Adaline, and unborn baby no-name. I promise at some point, we’ll give you an actual name. But you know, we have until Tuesday, I guess because that’s when the C-section happens. (Note: Emma Faith joined the Franklin family just three days after Dr. Franklin was installed.)

Linsi, you are definitely the MVP of the family. You are my wife, the mother of our children, but you are also my best friend. Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for all those late nights. Thank you for putting up with all the meetings and travel I do. Thank you for handling my crazy schedule.

Thank you for all things NC State. Thank you for this crazy journey through medicine. Thank you for being there. And thank you for putting off the C-section until after the meeting.

So, who did you just elect other than someone who does a lot of thank you’s? I grew up in a small town you might’ve passed on the way up here. It’s called Drexel, North Carolina. It is a small place of about 1,700 people. I was born and raised there. After high school, I went to NC State. I was there for seven of the best years of my life. That’s not a joke, but there was a master’s degree too. I entered a very traditional pre-med path at NC State: I went into chemical engineering.

I entered chemical engineering with the thought that I was going to go into pharmaceutics and develop drugs. And I did do some work in the pharmaceutical industry. I really liked what I was doing, but I really was missing the people aspect of medicine. So that made me think about my life. I really wasn’t sure what to do after that. I graduated and went home, and, thankfully, Mom always had an open door for me. I studied for the MCAT and worked at a great hospital called Grace Hospital in Morganton. I worked in the ER and cut my teeth on medicine there. But it was pretty obvious I needed some more education. So, I went back to graduate school at NC State. And that’s where the seven years come in.

At NC State, I completed a master’s of physiology, which is where I learned the love of medical sciences. I also learned about the Flying Saucer, where I learned the love of beer. I did somehow make it through grad school. And I did actually make it to the ECU Brody School of Medicine. There were a lot of great teachers there, including Dr. Dean Patton. He was a great teacher, but he has also become a friend and mentor. We still have breakfast at least once a month, even to this day. I met a lot of great folks in medical school like Dr. Michael Harris, who became a great friend to me, as well as my own family physician.

But the biggest thing was that I fell in love with Family Medicine. The reason I fell in love with Family Medicine was because we as family physicians do it all. There is nothing we don’t do. Your problem solving is just amazing. And Family Medicine is just really relevant. There was never a

situation I went into where it wasn’t relevant. And there was this thing called the ACA that was happening at the time, and there was a lot of examination of primary care and what the country needed. I wanted to do what people really needed. And they need Family Medicine. They need primary care. That’s what every hometown needs. That’s what every city needs. That’s what the state of North Carolina needs. It’s what the whole nation needs.

After Brody, I ended up at Wake Forest Baptist for residency. That’s where I learned how to be a family doctor, with great help from Dr. Richard Lord,

2023-2024

NCAFP Board of Directors

Executive Officers

President Garett R. Franklin, MD, FAAFP

President-Elect S. Mark McNeill, MD, FAAFP

Secretary/Treasurer Benjamin F. Simmons, MD, FAAFP

Immediate Past President Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Executive Vice President Gregory K. Griggs, MPA, CAE

At-Large Directors

Josh T. Carpenter, MD

Lisa A. Cassidy-Vu, MD, FAAFP

Deanna M. Didiano, DO

Nichole L. Johnson, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Kelley V. Lawrence, MD, IBCLC, FABM, FAAFP

Amanda R. Steventon, MD, FAAFP

Patrick S. Williams, MD

Courtland D. Winborne, MD

Academic Position

R. Aaron Lambert, MD, FAAFP

Resident Director

Morgan Parker, DO

Resident Director-Elect

Stephanie P. Wilcher, MD, MPH

Student Director

S. Evan Morgan

Student Director-Elect

Nicholas Wells

AAFP Delegates & Alternates

AAFP Delegate Richard W. Lord, Jr., MD, MA, FAAFP

AAFP Delegate Robert L. Rich, Jr., MD, FAAFP

AAFP Alternate Tamieka Howell, MD, FAAFP

AAFP Alternate Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP

NCAFP Committee Chairs

Workforce Pipeline Chair Jay Patel, MD, MPH

Advocacy Committee Chair Deanna M. Didiano, DO

Member Satisfaction Nichole Johnson, MD, MPH, FAAFP and Practice Environment Committee Chair

Academic Departments Margaret Helton, MD, FAAFP Chair

NCAFP Foundation President Maureen Murphy, MD 2501

120, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607

www.ncafp.com

Jr.. That’s where I learned to love advocacy, because Dr. Steve Poon dragged me in to talk to legislators and helped me advocate on a big level for Family Medicine. I learned to love the NCAFP, which is why I guess I’m here tonight with the help of many of the doctors in this room. I also learned about sports medicine and ultimately stayed another year for a sports medicine fellowship.

After my fellowship, I ended up at Raleigh Medical Group in Raleigh. This is where I still do Family Medicine. I do primary care sports medicine and clinical research, and I keep learning how to be a businessperson because I work in an independent practice. I also get to work with NC State as one of their team doctors. I get asked a lot about what it’s like to be a team doctor for a Division One school, and they usually like to hear my lessons. Here are a few lessons I learned from being a team doctor for NC State:

Number one, my parents think I’m famous because they see me on TV. Number two, it really doesn’t matter if you went to med school at ECU, their fans will still boo you on the field if you wear NC State colors. I’ve never been cursed so hard in my life. Number three, don’t miss the team plane. They will not wait for you. Number four, don’t miss the team bus. They will not wait for you. Number five, you know there’s a really bad injury when people start texting you before you even make it on the field.

There are many, many more lessons. But I tell folks that sports medicine is just part of what I do. I’m a family doctor, and I’m very proud of that. Dr. Rosenbaum, a faculty member who is still at Wake Forest, would always say that to be a good sports medicine doctor, you had to be a good family doctor first. And I firmly believe that’s true. That’s what I hope I am: a family doctor first. And why is that? Because family medicine is awesome.

You are all awesome: your passion and your willingness to

serve patients, teach students, and help your communities across the great state of North Carolina. You really are the Swiss Army knife of medicine. You do it all. You take care of babies, kids, adults, geriatrics, and even athletes through sports medicine. The list goes on and on and on. You are the missing link. You are the key to health care. You are the glue that holds this crazy system together. You have the expertise. You have the experience. You have the hearts, you have it all. You’re often emulated, but you’re definitely never duplicated. And we have now been together in this through NCAFP for 75 years.

meeting on a cruise to Havana and to Nassau.

Over time, our membership, budget, and staff increased. There was a lot of modernization that happened: we embraced technological changes, we honed education and training, and we carefully scrutinized our values.

I was really interested in the history of this great Academy, and I found some interesting facts on our website that I thought I would share with you tonight. In 1948, Dr. John Bender helped start the North Carolina Academy of General Practice. The first meeting was in Greensboro. The headquarters were in Winston-Salem, in Dr. Bender’s office. In 1969, we made the transition from the North Carolina Academy of General Practitioners to the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians as we know it today. I also learned in 1953 and in 1958, the NCAGP had our annual

The other thing that struck me was the people in our history versus the accomplishments. I started realizing, I know many of these people. These are leaders I really respect. These are people who accomplished so much for their patients, their profession, and their state. But after a certain point in 2022, there really wasn’t anything written. And I couldn’t help but think about that these unwritten chapters of this Academy. The next part of our history.

What is next?

I challenge you to think about that. What are these Continues on next page

unwritten chapters? What are the next accomplishments? I think the next chapters of our history will talk about fixing the burden of prior authorizations and making electronic medical records easier to use. I think the next chapters of our history will discuss new technology, even how we incorporate AI. The next leaders are going to solve these issues. They will solve how we will get paid for all the hard work we’re already doing, how to get fair compensation. Our history will talk about all the workforce efforts we are making happen right now.

Our history will also talk about how we kept people in the profession and not leaving their jobs early. This year, Medicaid expansion was added to our story, and we’re already working to provide access to quality care for this new group of patients. These new Medicaid recipients don’t just need access to care, they need access to excellent and timely care where they have their needs taken care of by family physicians – they don’t need a broken, fragmented system.

When I think about that, I also think about the people who are going to do that: you. I’m going to serve as president for one year, but we will need more leaders in our clinics and on this stage. I’m fully confident that y’all will write these next chapters of our Academy. I’m honored and excited to be the next president on that journey with you guys.

During this weekend, I walked around the Grove Park Inn and couldn’t help but think about the season of Advent, the season of hope. So, I wanted to remind everyone that you represent hope. You represent hope to your patients, your colleagues, your students, your office staff, your city, the great state of North Carolina, and your nation. I encourage you to find that source of hope. I encourage you to hold strong to that hope. Let it refresh you and sustain you, especially during these times. When I think about this hope, I can’t help but think about Isaiah 40:30-31: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

In these next unwritten chapters of medicine, Family Medicine represents a beacon of light and hope for our health care system. I urge you to keep up the fight. Keep being that beacon of hope for each other, for your patients, for your community, and for the great state of North Carolina. Thank you so much.

To hear Dr. Franklin’s full speech on the NCFM Today podcast, visit www.buzzsprout.com/909250/14/320117. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you subscribe to podcasts.

By Gregory K. Griggs, MPA, CAE NCAFP Executive Vice President & CEO

The NCAFP’s Secret Weapon: Our Annual Meeting

While our Winter Family Physicians Weekend is first and foremost designed to provide you, our members, with high-quality CME, the success of this meeting provides many other dividends as well.

Thanks to your support, we have one of the largest (if not the largest) state-based gatherings of family physicians in the country, with consistent attendance between 700 and 800 family physicians, residents, and medical students. And that is quite an impressive scene for the outsiders who attend our meeting.

Beyond Family Medicine, we are the biggest educational meeting for physicians of any specialty in North Carolina. When we have elected officials, health policy leaders, representatives of our large health systems, or representatives of insurance companies attend our meeting, they stand up and take notice. They see the power of Family Medicine. They experience the energy of family physicians. They see the NCAFP at work. And more importantly, they see the desire of North Carolina’s family physicians to move health care forward in a high-quality, cost-effective manner.

So, while the majority of the presentations at our Annual Meeting will always be clinical, it is also important to bring non-clinical speakers to experience our meeting, because it helps our advocacy efforts on every level. Health policy leaders or elected officials who don’t know as much about Family Medicine or the NCAFP always leave our Annual Meeting with a newfound respect for your profession. It also gives your elected NCAFP leaders an opportunity to meet with these same individuals on our own turf on a oneto-one basis. It makes a difference.

Elected officials are amazed at our numbers. Health policy leaders love the energy we bring to our education. Public

and private payer representatives experience the power of Family Medicine. It changes perceptions of your specialty and our organization.

So remember, when you attend a lecture from one of these non-clinical speakers, we definitely hope you learn something about other areas of health care – the business side, the policy side, etc. But their non-clinical presentations also give us the opportunity to influence policy makers in other ways. We’re already in discussions with some of our guests from the recent Annual Meeting about investment in primary care, policy changes that can help your profession, and other crucial objectives. An hour or two of non-clinical education can provide many other dividends as we develop stronger relationships with other health care leaders. Don’t underestimate the power of someone simply attending our Annual Meeting.

By Shawn Parker, JD, MPA NCAFP General Counsel and Chief of Staff

ADVOCACY FOR FAMILY MEDICINE

Meet the New NCAFP Government Affairs Team

John Hardin Partner

Meet the Team

John Hardin is a partner in Manning Fulton’s government relations practice and co-chairs the practice area. He has been named one of the ten best lobbyists in North Carolina for several consecutive years.

The NCAFP is pleased to announce the hiring of the highly reputable lobbying firm Manning, Fulton, & Skinner. The government affairs team there has a 50-year history of effective representation and lobbying success in North Carolina and looks forward to representing the NCAFP in this capacity. The team at Manning Fulton will work directly with NCAFP staff, its board, and other stakeholders on strategies that support efforts at the legislature and within the executive branch that will improve the lives and professional environment of current and future family physicians, so that they can provide exceptional care to their patients and communities.

About the Government Relations Team

Manning Fulton’s government relations practice prides itself on providing effective solutions to clients, providing upto-date and accurate information to legislators, and working effectively with lobbyists, legislators, and government officials regardless of party affiliation.

Their industry-focused attorneys provide counsel to a wide variety of health care clients with respect to ongoing legal matters as well as special projects involving regulatory matters, transactions, and litigation. Their attorneys have represented large and small physician practice groups, hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, medical and dental management organizations, independent practice associations (IPAs), medical clinics, and numerous other health care providers and organizations.

John is a graduate of Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, where he served as Editor in Chief of the Campbell Law Observer. He received his undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina.

Prior to entering law school, John spent two years serving as Special Assistant to former state Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate Richard H. Moore.

Will Morgan Partner

Will Morgan is a partner in Manning Fulton’s government relations practice and has been recognized as one of the top lobbyists in the state of North Carolina. He has experience representing clients at all levels of government, including the United States Congress, federal agencies, the North Carolina General Assembly, state executive agencies, and local governments.

Will earned a J.D. from the Wake Forest University School of Law, where he served on the Moot Court Board and was the President of the Environmental Law Society. He received a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lewis King Government Relations Advisor

Lewis King is an advisor in Manning Fulton’s government relations practice. He served as a researcher, analyst, and policy advisor under two successive Speakers of the NC House of Representatives from 2013-2020.

In these roles, he managed a diverse set of issues, most recently advising the Speaker and House leadership in the areas of energy, environment, natural resources, agriculture, regulatory reform, and appropriations. He also routinely engaged policymakers and stakeholders concerning legislation impacting local government, economic development, transportation, military and veterans’ affairs, education, and insurance.

Sue Ann Forrest Swift Government Relations Advisor

Sue Ann is an advisor in Manning Fulton’s Government Relations practice. She began her advocacy career while still completing her undergraduate studies interning for the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, the association for the 36 private, nonprofit institutions of higher education in the state.

After completing her internship, Sue Ann lobbied for the North Carolina Medical Society, the professional association representing 10,000 physicians and physician assistants. She was ultimately promoted to lead the organization’s advocacy efforts in 2020. Sue Ann is a recent graduate of Campbell University’s Doctor of Health Sciences program. Her concentration area in this program was health administration, and her research focused on mental health.

By Kevin LaTorre NCAFP Communications and Membership Manager

NCAFP Members Learn and Reunite at the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend

From Nov. 30 through Dec. 3, the NCAFP hosted the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, celebrating our 75th anniversary. Over 750 attendees arrived to learn new techniques and insights during 33.5 hours of educational sessions but still had plenty of time to socialize with friends and colleagues.

“I am delighted with this year’s turnout, and I am thrilled with all the kind comments and feedback we’ve already received from attendees,” said NCAFP’s Director of CME and Events, Kathryn Atkinson, CMP.

“I look forward to it every year and am always pleased by the CME and networking,” said one attendee in a postevent survey.

NCAFP MEMBERS LEARNED THE “BEST CME” FROM BOTH LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS

The core of the event was the continuing medical education (CME) which members attended from Wednesday evening until Sunday morning. These sessions included lectures on every topic that family physicians need: continuous glucose monitoring, digital workflow management, hypertension in elderly patients, mental and physical fitness for physicians, and many others. In addition to the lectures that occurred in the main lecture hall of the Vanderbilt Wing, the event also included optional CME workshops for hands-on instruction in smaller settings. “This is the best CME of the year,” said one attendee. “I love the diversity of topics.”

We’ll mention two of the sessions that attendees named as highlights, since we can’t mention them all. On Friday Dec. 1, the “How Value-Based Care Can Positively Impact Your Practice and Your Bottom Line” panel gathered experts to

discuss this model of primary care with NCAFP Exec. Vice President and CEO Greg Griggs: Purva Ruwal, PhD, Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center; Stephen Friedhoff, MD, Senior Vice President of Health Services for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC; and Tom Wroth, MD, President and CEO of Community Care of North Carolina.

That panel preceded the address from NC Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley that afternoon, when he recounted the advances of primary care from the 2023-24 state budget (including Medicaid expansion) and explained the areas of public health which primary care can still help address. “We were able to get $220 million for behavioral health rate increases, and that’s great,” said Kinsley. “Now let’s get the same amount of money or more for everything else, like physician rates. We can’t just raise one part of the ship and not the other. Being arm-in-arm with you family physicians to go after primary care investment is critical.”

Attendees commemorate the Gala.

Taken together, the two sessions demonstrated the promise of future primary care payment reform showing increased value in primary care and Family Medicine, while reducing the administrative complexities our members face today while caring for their patients.

MEMBERS ALSO ENJOYED THE COMPANY OF THEIR FELLOW PHYSICIANS

Many members return to the Winter Family Physicians Weekend each year partly to see their old friends and fellow family physicians. “It’s always such an engaging conference,” said one attendee, “and it’s wonderful to network with so many amazing family docs.”

Dr. Conrad Flick, Dr. Tom Wroth, and Dr. Tommy Newton.

Attendees at the Award Lunch.

They spent their time together during each day’s buffet breakfast, between the CME sessions, in the networking lounge, and during the Dec. 2 Presidential Gala. Here, their camaraderie happened over plates of tasty food, at tables full of attendees and their loved ones, and on the dance floor once the live band took the stage.

The Presidential Gala also included the induction of the 202324 NCAFP officers, the installation speech from NCAFP President Dr. Garett Franklin, and a charity auction for the NCAFP Foundation. All proceeds from the auction will support the Foundation’s endowment, which funds more opportunities for medical students to experience and enter Family Medicine, so that the specialty will continue to serve patients across North Carolina.

These events were items of official NCAFP business but also an important part of attendees’ time together as NCAFP members. “The NCAFP does really feel like a small group, and I love that,” said one attendee.

Camaraderie between NCAFP members also turned the Dec. 1 State of the Academy and Awards Lunch into a social event, not just an awards ceremony. Attendees and their guests gathered to celebrate the achievements of others while enjoying great food and a room full of their peers. “I loved the chances to network and form community,” said one attendee.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US AT THE 2023 NCAFP WINTER FAMILY PHYSICIANS WEEKEND

We were glad to host all our attendees, guest faculty, and vendors throughout the event. No one would enjoy the Winter Family Physicians Weekend as they do without all of you in attendance.

“I’d like to extend a warm thank-you to the many individuals (and their teams) who helped make the weekend so wildly successful,” says Kathryn. “This highly anticipated annual event would not have been possible without the exceptional guest faculty and their timely and impactful CME sessions or the many terrific vendors, sponsors, and supporters of family medicine. The Omni Grove Park Inn and their entire staff were incredibly attentive, and the Pinnacle AV Team produced a great show every day. I’d also like to give a big heartfelt thank you to our program chairs, Dr. Tamieka Howell and Dr. Tom White for their hard work and dedication to making this year’s program another stellar CME event. Finally, I’d like to sincerely thank the 750+ attendees for choosing to spend a weekend brimming with

CME and camaraderie with us.”

Be sure to mark your calendars now for the 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend in Asheville on Dec. 5-8. “My mind is already spinning with ideas for next year!” Kathryn says.

Dr. Thomas R. White, Program Vice-Chair.

Dr. Tamieka Howell, Program Chair.

The State of the Academy

We had a very successful year at the NC General Assembly, making a positive impact on six of our seven advocacy priorities.

Medicaid Expansion

First, after a decade of effort from numerous NCAFP leaders and many others, North Carolina finally expanded Medicaid. This had been one of NCAFP’s top priorities for over a decade.

Prior Authorizations

Another long-term Academy priority has been to reduce administrative burden. We were pleased to work with our colleagues at the NC Medical Society to advocate for House Bill 649 – Ensure Timely/Clinically Sound Utilization Review. The bill passed the House unanimously but did not receive a hearing in the Senate. We are continuing to work with the Medical Society and others to move this bill forward in the upcoming short session. In the meantime, we continue to meet with the state’s major payers and strongly encourage them to eliminate or reduce prior authorizations. They are listening: many of our state’s payers have recently announced reductions in prior authorizations, including United Healthcare,

who eliminated 20% of their prior authorizations in 2023 and is implementing a “Gold Card” program in 2024. In addition, Carolina Complete Health also announced a significant reduction in prior authorizations.

Workforce

In 2023, we led a coalition that advocated for greater investment in workforce solutions. We are happy to report the General Assembly put more funding in the budget to address health care workforce needs than ever before.

First, the General Assembly enacted a forgivable loan program for medical students interested in practicing primary care or psychiatry in rural areas of the state. The budget allocates $16 million over two years for these medical students to receive $25,000 per year toward medical school, which will be forgiven if they work in a rural area one year for every year they receive the scholarship.

Second, the budget provides $25 million per year for two years for loan repayment programs for health care professionals including $9 million extra per year for the existing State Loan Repayment Program, for which family physicians can qualify. It also

Dr. Shauna Guthrie

2022-2023 NCAFP President

Dr. Guthrie attended medical school at the Drexel University College of Medicine before completing her residency training in Family Medicine at the New Hampshire Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency. After finishing her residency, Dr. Guthrie stayed in New Hampshire to complete the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency, where she also completed her master’s in public health with a focus on quality improvement. She opened and now runs her own private practice, Sunflower Direct Primary Care, in downtown Henderson to provide the kind of care she has always dreamed of. She is also currently the Chief Medical Officer for Maria Parham Health and Medical Director at Granville Vance Public Health, a district health department where she can improve care throughout her whole community.

Dr. Guthrie enjoys giving back to the profession by teaching medical students and residents. She lives in Henderson, where she enjoys music, reading, cooking, and caring for her dog and chickens.

includes a new Primary Care Loan Repayment Program at a level of $5 million a year for practicing family physicians, general internists, general pediatricians, OB/GYNs, and psychiatrists.

Third, the General Assembly is addressing the community-based preceptor crisis through funding the NC AHEC to study the preceptor crisis in North Carolina and report the findings. In addition, the budget provides $150,000 per year for two years to protect teaching time in five rural clinical teaching hubs. Bottom line: we successfully advocated for significant incentives to practice specialties of need, particularly in underserved areas of the state.

Primary Care Investment

We also led the effort for greater investment in primary care across the board. The legislature included a budget provision for a task force under DHHS to study Primary Care Payment Reform in North Carolina. The Task Force is charged with: establishing a standardized method to measure primary care spend; evaluating the current spend for primary care from all payers in North Carolina; studying the primary care landscape in other states; identifying data collection and measurement systems to ultimately inform the creation of a primary care investment target; and making recommendations back to the General Assembly. This task force could have long-reaching implications for improving primary care in NC.

Beyond the Primary Care Investment Study, we worked to educate our members about a new primary care payment and investment model being rolled out by Medicare’s Innovation Center in eight states, including North Carolina. The Making Care Primary Model will help practices move toward prospective payment for core primary care services and uses only 10 quality metrics with a bonus structure that can increase physician payment by up to 60%.

Scope of Practice

While we worked with our physician assistant colleagues on a bill that would focus on team-based practice while reducing administrative burdens for supervising physicians, we opposed legislation that would have provided Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) with independent practice immediately upon completing school without any physician involvement or other guardrails. The PA bill easily passed the House and was positively considered by the Senate but has not been finalized. The APRN bill did not receive a committee hearing this year.

We also addressed a number of issues regarding pharmacists’ scope of practice. While we agreed to provide latitude for adult vaccines with a clear protocol developed by both the Medical Board and the Pharmacy Board, we have drawn a line in the sand regarding childhood and adolescent vaccines with the exception of flu and COVID-19. We have also strongly resisted pharmacist proposals to allow testing and treatment of many diagnoses.

Sanctity of the Physician-Patient Relationship

The hardest legislative issue we faced this year was protecting the sanctity of the physician-patient relationship and criminalization of medical acts. Our key tenet has long been to keep the government and the insurance company out of the exam room, regardless of the issue. We believe health care decisions are best made between a patient and their trusted physician. Changing this could have far-reaching consequences beyond the topics of reproductive health and gender-affirming care. We utilized well-crafted and targeted responses and saw our thoughtful and well-reasoned arguments help avoid even more stringent restrictions.

Continuing Medical Education

Our 2023 educational events included the second Annual Family Medicine Academic Summit and two great virtual educational opportunities, the first on Complex Pain Management and a Virtual Summer Symposium with over 160 attendees. We were also excited to bring back evening regional programming this year after a three-year COVID-19 hiatus, in Charlotte last spring and in Chapel Hill last fall. And we ended 2023 with the annual Winter Family Physicians Weekend, which sold out its registrations and hosted dozens of top-notch lecturers. All of these events proved extremely successful and received satisfied attendee feedback.

Other Areas

Elsewhere, we continue to work in a coalition that supports the Collaborative Care Model of integrating behavioral health into your practice. The coalition successfully advocated for the General Assembly to provide $5 million in start-up costs for primary care practices adopting the model.

We also continued to advocate at the federal level in numerous ways, including through AAFP’s Family Medicine Advocacy Summit, sending chapter letters about Medicare payments to our Congressional delegation and to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We strongly opposed any physician rate cuts and strongly supported implementation of the G2211 complexity codes for primary care which went into effect on Jan. 1.

As you can see, we have many reasons to feel grateful and accomplished. The state of our Academy remains strong.

Strategic Progress in 2023

Advocacy

• Led efforts to create a Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force to study greater primary care investment and make recommendations to the General Assembly

• Advocated for Medicaid Expansion then assisted the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services with implementation through physician outreach, etc

• Helped secure a 20% reduction of prior authorizations from UnitedHealthcare as of Fall 2023 and implementation of a Gold Card program in 2024

Member Satisfaction and Practice Environment

• Expanded development of practice management teaching resources in conjunction with Community Care NC, including specific resources on Practice Preparation for residents

• Provided education on ways to mitigate administrative headaches in practice throughout 2023 with digital resources and workshops at various events

2022-23 NCAFP Leadership

Executive Officers

President Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, FAAFP

President-Elect Garett R. Franklin, MD, FAAFP

Secretary-Treasurer S. Mark McNeill, MD, FAAFP

Immediate Past President Dmitrios “Takie” Hondros, MD

Executive Vice President Gregory K. Griggs, MPA, CAE

At-Large Directors

Joshua Carpenter, MD

Lisa Cassidy-Vu, MD, FAAFP

Deanna Didiano, MD

Nichole Johnson, MD, FAAFP

Kelley Lawrence, MD, IBCLC, FABM, FAAFP

Benjamin “Frankie” Simmons, MD, FAAFP

Patrick Williams, MD

Courtland Winborne, MD

• Profiled mentorship opportunities and best practices in the NCFM Today podcast while also formulating future mentorship opportunities for students, residents, and new physicians

Workforce Pipeline

• Led effort to secure a two-year, $16 million Forgivable Loan Program (up-front scholarships) for medical students interested in practicing primary care or psychiatry in rural areas of the state in the 2023-24 North Carolina state budget

• Helped secure $25 million per year for two years in new funding for loan repayment programs for health care professionals in the 2023-24 budget

• Helped secure the development of five rural clinical teaching sites that will receive $150,000 per year to incentivize community precepting — along with funding to study the need for such preceptors — in the 2023-24 budget

• Expanded the reach of our resources by exhibiting with NC-HOSA and SNMA

Academic Position

Margaret Helton, MD

Resident Director

Resident Director-Elect

Student Director

Student Director-Elect

AAFP Delegates & Alternates

AAFP Delegate

AAFP Delegate

AAFP Alternate

AAFP Alternate

Matthew Drake, MD

Morgan Parker, DO

Morgan Beamon

Akhila Boyina

Richard W. Lord, Jr., MD, MA

Robert "Chuck" L. Rich, Jr., MD, FAAFP

Tamieka M.L. Howell, MD, FAAFP

Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP

2023 NCAFP Membership Summary

Chapter Awards & Recognitions

William Hedrick, MD

The 2023 Distinguished Family Physician Award

Recognized for his many decades practicing Family Medicine in Raleigh, Dr. William Hedrick exemplified long-term care for countless patients, having actively practiced for more than 60 years.

(Data as of December 2023.)

National and International Family Medicine Leadership

Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, MD, FAAFP President-Elect,WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors)

Karen L. Smith, MD, FAAFP AAFP Board of Directors

Mott P. Blair IV, MD, FAAFP American Board of Family Medicine Board of Directors

T. Austin Witt, MD Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Board Resident Representative

Tamieka M.L. Howell, MD, FAAFP AAFP Commission on Membership & Member Services

Andrea DeSantis Barkley, DO, FAAFP AAFP Commission on Federal and State Policy

Robert "Chuck" L. Rich, Jr., MD, FAAFP FamMedPAC Advisory Board Member

Dalia Brahmi, MD, MPH Member, AAFP Reproductive Health Project Advisory Group

Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP Member, AAFP Administrative Burden Project Advisory Group

Catherine Coe, MD, FAAFP Junior Faculty Representative American Academy of Medical Colleges Board of Directors

Continuing Medical Education

2023 Family Medicine Academic Summit

Program Co-Chairs: Adam Zolotor, MD, MPH and Aaron Lambert, MD, FAAFP

• 5.25 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 61 CME Attendees

Networking Dinner & 30 Minute Hot Topic Exchanges - Women's Health

Program Chair: Jewell Carr, MD

• 1.75 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 50 CME Attendees

2023 Virtual Treatment of the Complex Pain Patient

A Collaborative Project with the NC Governor’s Institute

Instructor: Stephen Prakken, MD

• 2 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 138 CME Attendees

2023 Virtual Summer Symposium with Pre-Conference KSA Opportunity

Program Chair: Jessica Triche, MD

Program Vice-Chair: Dawn Caviness, MD

• 16 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 164 CME Attendees

Public Health in NC 30 Minute Exchanges CME & Dinner Program

Program Co-Chairs: Victoria Boggiano, MD, MPH & Ryan Paulus, DO

• 1.75 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 31 CME Attendees

2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend with Pre-Conference KSA Opportunity

Program Chair: Tamieka Howell, MD, FAAFP

Program Vice Chair: Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP

• 33.50 Live AAFP Prescribed Credits

• 755 CME Attendees

The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians Foundation

Medical students are the future of Family Medicine in North Carolina. The NCAFP Foundation promotes interest in the specialty by working closely with each medical school’s Family Medicine Department on program delivery and funding to introduce students to the many benefits a career in Family Medicine provides. Through the Foundation’s interest programs, medical students can take advantage of opportunities to learn about the scope of Family Medicine, the lifestyle of a family physician, and the community of patients they serve through hands-on learning experiences.

The NCAFP Foundation is in the midst of a campaign to grow our Medical Student Endowment by $6 million to strengthen and expand the Foundation’s programs. We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm we’ve seen from our community so far, and we look forward to continuing to share information about ways for our members to get involved in the campaign!

2022-23 Foundation Leadership

President

Vice President

Secretary/Treasurer

Exec. VP & CEO

Physician Trustee

Physician Trustee

Physician Trustee

Physician Trustee

Physician Trustee

Maureen E. Murphy, MD

Eugenie M. Komives, MD

Kyle Melvin, MD

Greg Griggs, MPA, CAE

Amir Barzin, DO

Christopher P. Danford, MD

Vickie A. Fowler, MD

Michael J. Harris, MD

Amy E. Marietta, MD, MPH

Physician Trustee Franklin Niblock, MD

Academy President

Academy President-Elect

Corporate Trustee (Curi)

Corporate Trustee (Blue Cross NC)

Corporate Trustee (Community Care of NC)

Resident Trustee

Resident Trustee

Student Trustee

Student Trustee

Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH

Garett Franklin, MD

Steven Parker

John Smith, MD

Tom Wroth, MD

Wesley T. Roten, MD

James T. Muller, DO

Cy Fogelman

Colleen Yang

2023 NCAFP Foundation Contributors

Richard Adelman, MD

Kira Alatar, MD

Chelly Alexander, MD

Landon Allen, MD, MPH, MBA

Christina Anderson MD

Kathryn Atkinson

David Baker, MD

Monica Barnes-Durity, MD

Amir Barzin, DO

Morgan Beamon

Gary Bea, MD

David Belinke

Mary Bengtson, MD

Muhammad Bhatti, MD, MPH

Victoria Boggiano, MD, MPH

Karolen Bowman, MD

Akhila Boyina, MD

Kirsten Bray, MD

Rhett Brown, MD

Ed Bujold, MD

Amy Burger

Mark Bushhouse

Donna Capps, MD

Joshua Carpenter, MD

Michele Casey, MD

Lisa Cassidy-Vu, MD

Dawn Caviness, MD

Eric Chen, MD

Sara Cotten

Vanessa Crerar, DO

Gary Curran, MD

Christopher Danford, MD

Mark and Diane Darrow

William (Bill) Dennis, MD

Lavanya Desai, MD

Andrea DeSantis, DO

Deanna Didiano, DO

Shannon Dowler, MD

NCAFP members and supporters of the Academy are encouraged to make gifts of on-going significance or annual contributions to the NCAFP Foundation. The following individuals and organizations contributed to the Foundation in 2023.

Thank you for your continued support.

Matthew Drake, MD

Ken Edel, MD

Howard Eisenson,MD

Fernando Escabi-Mendez, MD

Allison Evanoff, MD

Walter Ezeigbo, MD

Karl Fields, MD

Shane Flaherty

Conrad Flick, MD

Clewell Fogleman

Vickie Fowler, MD

Garett Franklin, MD

Randall Gehle, MD

Deepak Gelot, MD

Donald Goodman, MD

Gregory Griggs, MPA, CAE

Andrew Griggs

Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH

Katherine Haga, DO

Mary Hall, MD

David Hall, MD

Michael Harris, MD

Margaret Helton, MD

Doug Henley, MD

Mark Hester, MD

Melissa Hicks, MD

Mark Higdon, DO

Tamieka Howell, MD

Kevin Johnson, MD

Nichole Johnson, MD

Jim Jones, MD

Michelle Jones, MD

Susan Keen, MD

Thomas Koinis, MD

Eugenie Komives, MD

Aaron Lambert, MD

Kelley Lawrence, MD

Frank Leak, MD

Chuck Lewis

Shelly Lowery, MD

Richard Lord, MD

John Mangun, MD

Amy Marietta, MD

Scott Maxwell

Alfred May, MD

Robert McConville, MD

Marion McHugh

S. Mark McNeill, MD

Kyle Melvin, MD

Paul Meyer, MD

Corinna Miller

Bryce Miller

Joy Mothorpe

Jennifer Mullendore, MD

James Muller, MD

Maureen Murphy, MD

Tommy Newton, MD

Franklin Niblock, MD, MPH

Novo Nordisk

Steve North, MD, MPH

Amanda North, MHA

Kelly Ogrin

Tambetta Ojong, MD

Heather Palmer

Janice Paris

Morgan Parker, DO

Shawn Parker, JD, MPA

Steve Parker

Jay Patel, MD

Pulak Patel, MD

Dean Patton, MD

Nicholas Pennings, DO

Bradley Propst, MD and

Ashley Sedlack-Propst

Robert Rich, MD

Dave Richard

David Rinehart, MD

Mark Robinson, MD

Wesley Roten, MD

John Sauer

Benjamin Simmons, III, MD

Nadine Skinner, MD

John Smith, MD

Richie Smits, MD

Neil Sparks, DO

Barbara Stagg, MD

Erika Steinbacher, MD

Michael Steinbacher, MD

Beat Steiner, MD

Kathy and Stephen Stilwell

Christopher Street, MD

Sharon Sweede, MD

Paul Sykes, MD

Triangle Wealth Management

Teresa Van Duyn

Ying Vang, MD

Anthony Viera, MD

Talia Vogel, MD

Eugene Wade, MD

Erin Wagner, DO and Sean Wagner

Thomas Ward, MD

Jana Watts, MD

Nancy Washburn

R.W. (Chip) Watkins, MD

David Wells, MD

Thomas R. White, MD

Patrick Williams, MD

Courtland Winborne, MD

Cynthia Witt, MD

Tom Wroth, MD

Colleen Yang

Fulfill Your New Year’s Resolution to Participate in Top-Tier CME Opportunities in 2024!

By Kathryn Atkinson, CMP NCAFP Director of CME & Events

Your NCAFP CME Team and our 2024 Program Chairs have already begun their work on this year’s seven (yes, seven!) seminars, webinars, and conferences designed to bring you the latest updates and innovations in Family Medicine.

This year’s programs include a blend of traditional learning styles, interactive sessions, and hands-on learning opportunities all designed to engage and challenge you. Brought to you by subject-matter experts, you’ll gain actionable insights and skills that you can begin using right away. Elevate your patient care and honor your commitment to Family Medicine with these exceptional NCAFP CME opportunities in 2024!

Family Medicine Academic Summit

Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024

Sheraton Imperial Hotel RDU

Program Co-Chair: Regina Bray Brown, MD, FAAFP

Program Co-Chair: Aaron Lambert, MD, FAAFP www.ncafp.com/summit

Approx. 7 CME Credits Available

Virtual DOT Certification Training Course

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Instructor: Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP www.ncafp.com/dot

Approx. 6 CME Credits Available

Virtual Complex Pain Project 2.0

Wednesday, May 15, 2024, or Saturday, May 18, 2024

Instructor: Stephen Prakken, MD www.ncafp.com/complexpain

Approx. 2 CME Credits Available

Virtual KSA Opportunity (evening)

Friday, June 21, 2024

Instructor: Jonathon Firnhaber, MD, FAAFP www.ncafp.com/summercme

Approx. 8 CME Credits Available

Virtual Summer Symposium

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Program Chair: Lisa Cassidy-Vu, MD, FAAFP

Program Vice Chair: Amir Barzin, DO, MS, FAAFP www.ncafp.com/summercme

Approx. 8 CME Credits Available

30 Minute Hot Topic Exchanges

A CME, Dinner, & Networking Program

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024

Location TBD | Charlotte, NC www.ncafp.com/hottopics

Approx. 1.75 CME Credits Available

Winter Family Physicians Weekend

Wednesday, Dec. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024

Omni Grove Park Inn | Asheville, NC

Program Chair: Thomas R. White, MD, FAAFP

Program Vice-Chair: Katherine Haga, DO www.ncafp.com/wfpw

Approx. 30+ CME Credits Available

Learn more about each of this year’s CME programs at www.ncafp.com/cme. Contact Kathryn Atkinson, CMP, Director of NCAFP CME & Events with questions at katkinson@ncafp.com.

Dr. Elizabeth Ferruzzi with Lily Hale and Maebelle Matthew.

Dr. Garett Franklin and Dr. Michael Harris.

NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley

Dr. Maureen Murphy and Dr. Corinna Myers.

Evan Morgan and Nicholas Wells.

Dr. Alyssa Hackbarth and Dr. Shalini Valusa.

Dr. Rich Lord, Jr. Dr. Tamieka Howell, Kathryn Atkinson, and Dr. Thomas White.

Dr. Kimberly Biichle and Dr. Zeel Shah.

Dr. S. Mark McNeill, Dr. Shauna Guthrie, and Dr. Frankie Simmons.

The Executive committee members looking very executive.

Campbell medical students presenting their research

Dr. Bryan Bunn, Dr. Lisa Cassidy-Vu, Dr. Eric Buenviaje, and Dr. Brittany McIntyre.

Attendees enjoy the meeting.

Drs. Karen L. Smith and Shauna L. Guthrie. Greg Griggs, Dr. Purva Ruwal, Dr. Stephen Friedhoff, and Dr. Tom Wroth.

Dr. Shannon Dowler and Dr. Maureen Murphy during the Foundation aution.

Dr. Tom Speros and Dr. Mary Emma Beres.

Dr.

Dr.

McLean.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

By Kevin LaTorre NCAFP Communications & Membership Manager

Dr. William Hedrick Receives the 2023 NCAFP

Distinguished

Family Physician Award

During a Dec. 1 ceremony at the NCAFP 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend, then-President Shauna Guthrie, MD, MPH, honored Dr. William Hedrick as the 2023 NCAFP Distinguished Family Physician. “This award recognizes a family physician who embodies our members’ total commitment to caring for patients, expanding primary care access, and ensuring the future of our specialty,” Dr. Guthrie said.

Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, service in the Army in France, and Wake Memorial Hospital (now WakeMed) in Raleigh, where he was the first emergency room physician. Dr. Hedrick eventually opened his own private Family Medicine practice on June 2, 1962, and served his patients there until his retirement.

During his time practicing in Raleigh, Dr. Hedrick served thousands of patients and pursued one goal for all of them: “Making people feel better and making them live longer lives.” Because he cared for multiple generations of the same families, Dr. Hedrick came to be known as “the Marcus Welby of Wake County” and in 2018 was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. As Dr. Guthrie said during her remarks, “Dr. Hedrick very well may be the longest-tenured family physician ever to serve in our state.”

During his remarks upon receiving the award, Dr. Hedrick said, “I’m very honored to receive this award. I decided late that I wanted to go to med school, because I wanted to become a family doctor.”

DR. HEDRICK CREATED HIS OWN FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY BEFORE THEY EXISTED.

Dr. Hedrick practiced Family Medicine for over 62 years before he retired in July 2023. Dr. Hedrick completed his medical training in a variety of places and disciplines before today’s Family Medicine residencies had even formed, cobbling together experiences in internal medicine, pediatrics, and even psychiatry to develop his own Family Medicine program. His stops included training at the Bowman School of Medicine at Wake Forest College and Grady

In addition to his community service as a physician, Dr. Hedrick had also served the NCAFP as a long-time member and past president

Dr. Hedrick worked tirelessly to improve the status of Family Medicine in North Carolina. After joining the NCAFP in 1966, he soon rose to leadership and served as the Academy’s president in 1975. In his farewell address after his presidential term, Dr. Hedrick said, “We are not like some delicate crystal vase that would shatter at the slightest blow. We are more like leather. We are able to stretch and bend and accept hard blows. And that strength comes from the fact that we have both the new ideas of the younger members as well as the wisdom and perspective of the older members. And it is from those tools that we will be able to solve any problem that might arise in the future.”

But Dr. Hedrick likely wouldn’t claim his past presidency as the pinnacle of his medical practice. Instead, his years of service showed that devotion to his patients was his primary concern. As Dr. Hedrick said himself in his award speech, “I never experienced burnout in over 60 years of family practice. I was always glad to get up and go to the office. I saw my patients as my friends and treated them that way. I wanted them to know that I cared.”

She has served on the council since 2017 and most recently served as co-chair.

Two NCAFP Members Appointed to AAFP Commissions

In December, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) appointed two of our members to serve two-year terms on national commissions. First, NCAFP past president Dr. Jessica Triche was appointed to the Commission of Education (COE). Dr. Triche began her work on Dec. 15 and will remain in her role until Dec. 14, 2025. The COE develops policy and disseminates the expertise and information which help educate family physicians during the residency training period. Its commitment to supporting the pathway of family physician development dovetails nicely with the NCAFP’s ongoing support of workforce initiatives for medical students and residents, and so we’re thrilled to see Dr. Triche take up this position for the next few years.

She will now help lead quite an impressive organization: the NC ACCCC is the second-oldest state cancer coalition in the U.S., and it has helped reduce North Carolina’s cancer mortality rate by nearly 65% since 1993 through sustained and successful advocacy for prevention, early detection, and treatment efforts.

In addition, Dr. Joanne Fruth, an active NCAFP Committee member, was appointed to the AAFP Commission on Quality and Practice for the same two-year term. This commission works to improve the practice environment of family physicians and supports AAFP’s Strategic efforts to increase payment, reduce administrative complexity, and help to optimize patient care via technology, among other things.

Dr. Vickie Fowler Named Chair of the NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control

NCAFP member Dr. Vickie Fowler is now the chair of the NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control (NC ACCCC). The committee celebrated 30 years of its work on Nov. 17, and during that meeting, Dr. Fowler formally received the NC ACCCC’s gavel in recognition of her new role as chair.

Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi Elected WONCA President-Elect!

NCAFP member Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi was just elected as the 2023-25 President-Elect of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA). She will become president of WONCA in 2025 and then serve until 2027. American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) President Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize was among the first to congratulate Dr. Martinez-Bianchi: “Congrats to our own Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi on becoming the 2023-25 WONCA president elect!”

Dr. Martinez-Bianchi ran for the position with a platform based on stronger health, collaboration, inclusivity and innovation. “I believe this moment is not just about electing a leader, it’s about choosing a visionary and passionate advocate who together with you can shape the future of Family Medicine and health care for generations to come,” she announced in her campaign video.

Dr. Jen Martini Receives Medical Staff Clinician of the Year Award from UNC Health!

NCAFP member Dr. Jen Martini received the Medical Staff Physician Excellence Clinician of the Year Award from the leaders at UNC Hospitals The award is a new honor that recognizes physicians who provide unmatched patient service, showcase medical skill, professional collaboration, and advocacy on behalf of their patients and communities.

Dr. Margaret Helton, chair of UNC’s Family Medicine Department, said, “Dr. Martini was selected as the recipient of this award out of over 1,500 UNC faculty physicians at UNC Hospitals. The committee was impressed by the nominating letters and even a PowerPoint presentation from 10 peers that highlighted the extraordinary efforts she makes on behalf of her patients and the passion she displays in her work.” In particular, Dr. Helton noted how Dr. Martini’s patients “absolutely adore and appreciate her” for her care: “That she was selected as the final winner of the award is a testament to the wide respect she has earned in our department and throughout the hospital. She makes a real difference in the lives of our patients and their families.”

Dr. Maniraj Jeyaraju Received a Family Medicine Cares Resident Service Award!

We recently heard from Veronica Roberts at the AAFP Foundation that NCAFP member Dr. Maniraj Jeyaraju received the Family Medicine Cares Resident Service award! “Dr. Jeyaraju will receive $16,500 from the AAFP Foundation for his project, ‘Promoting Language Equity in Primary Care Clinics,’” Roberts says.

Dr. Jeyaraju is one of two residents to receive the award from across the country. His project seeks to deliver language equity through organization-level solutions for patients from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures. Congratulations, Dr. Jeyaraju!

Dr. Karen Smith Receives the Community Star Award from NC Office of Rural Health

Late last year, we heard from the NC Office of Rural Health (NC ORH) that Dr. Karen L. Smith, former NCAFP President and current AAFP Board member, received a Community Star Award for her medical practice! Justin Kearley, Operations Specialist, told Dr. Smith in a statement, “This is a fantastic achievement, and our team is grateful for the excellent work you have done and continue to do to support the health of rural North Carolina.”

The Community Star program honors the people and organizations committed to serving their rural communities, and the NC ORH announced 2023 Community Stars were shared on Nov. 16 (National Rural Health Day). The celebrations included an online presentation and a brief speech by Dr. Smith at the NC Governor’s mansion in Raleigh. Dr. Smith noted: “This is truly an honor, and I am looking forward to continuing to represent Family Physicians in all settings. This recognition exemplifies not only our resilience but potential to improve the communities we serve.”

Congratulations to the Latest AAFP Fellows from NC!

During the State of the Academy and Award Lunch on Dec. 1, NCAFP Immediate Past President Dr. Shauna Guthrie inducted 37 new fellows during the Degree of Fellow Convocation ceremony. This degree recognizes AAFP members who have distinguished themselves by serving Family Medicine, advancing health care for their patients, and developing their skill and knowledge as family physicians. This group represented the most individuals to ever receive their Fellow designation at our Annual Meeting. We are honored to name them here:

Susan Alexander, MD, DipABLM, FAAFP

Daniel Landon Allen, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAFP

Christina Elizabeth Anderson, MD, FAAFP

Regina Braxton Bray Brown, MD, FAAFP

Tracy Elizabeth Bullard, MD, FAAFP

Puja Mayank Dalal, MD, FAAFP

Shari A. Del Do, MD, FAAFP

Vickie Ann Fowler, MD, FAAFP

Garett Randall Franklin, MD, FAAFP

Kurt Frauenpreis, MD, FAAFP

Joseph Al Hodges, MD, FAAFP

Tonya Marie Hudson, MD, FAAFP

Ronnie Laney, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Brenda A. Latham-Sadler, MD, FAAFP

Justin Allen Lee, MD, FAAFP

Evan Andrew Lutz, MD, FAAFP

Homa Magsi, MD, FAAFP

Steven Mark Manning, MD, FAAFP

Nailah Safiya Adams Morancie, MD, MS, FAAFP

Christian Bradford Moretz, MD, FAAFP

Soenda E. Padmore Norman, MD, FAAFP

Shirley Daikie Ocloo, MD, FAAFP

Tambetta Ntui Ojong, MD, FAAFP

Emily Peacock, MD, FAAFP

Kellner Pruett, MD, FAAFP

Gregory Edward Reichert, DO, FAAFP

Patricia A. Reichert, DO, FAAFP

Carmen T. Robinson, MD, FAAFP

Matthew Aaron Rushing, MD, MEd, FAAFP

Stephen Daniel Sasser, MD, FAAFP

Janine A. Scott, MD, FAAFP

James R. Shaw, MD, FAAFP

Benjamin Franklyn Simmons, MD, FAAFP

Honnie Patricia Spencer, MD, FAAFP

Steven James Spivey, MD, FAAFP

Philip “Hunter” Spotts, MD, FAAFP

Sharon Aberin Wolters, MD, FAAFP

Member Perspectives

Why I Renewed My NCAFP Membership

By Tambetta Ojong, MD, FAAFP

I practice at a Federally-Qualified Health Center in Kinston, NC, where I have worked for the past three years after completing a Maternity and Women’s Health Fellowship in the Department of Family Medicine at ECU Health. I have truly enjoyed being part of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, and I have seen how my membership has supported my professional and practice growth.

I believe that whether you want to be minimally or maximally involved, the Academy has the right benefits for your needs. If you are looking to brush up on your knowledge base, get some hands-on experience with procedures, get more involved by joining a committee, or become a preceptor or mentor, your membership at the Academy will support all those aspirations. But rather than just give you a laundry list, let me share my personal testimonial of how I have directly benefited from my membership.

In my first year as an attendee at the Winter Family Physicians Weekend, I met one of the past NCAFP presidents and learned about the various NCAFP committees. The following year, I was selected to join the NCAFP Member Satisfaction/ Practice Environment Committee.

That same year as a new attending, I was refreshed to see some of the updated guidelines for Hypertension, PCOS, CKD and much more. Additionally, I got a better grasp on how to improve my billing and coding of encounters as well an introduction to precepting and the AAFP’s physician well-being program. The following year, I returned to the same winter meeting and connected with one of the Deans of the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine and was able to establish a precepting agreement between them and our FQHC.

I was also selected to participate in the third cohort of the AAFP Leading Physician Well-being Program, and I had the chance to be one of the delegates for the Annual Chapter Leader Forum and National Conference of Constituency Leaders, which focuses on advocacy and policy development at AAFP. My attendance there was a great experience as a first-time attendee, and I learned a clearer understanding of the structure of the governing bodies and was able to co-author two resolutions (which both passed). I was inspired by the importance of being your authentic self in professional spaces and learned about the priorities and influence of the AAFP at the national level. It was also after this conference that I learned and subsequently advocated for separate compensation as a supervising physician. And guess what? I got that compensation amended in my contract.

This past year as I returned to the Winter Family Physicians Weekend. I not only felt more energized but felt like I was coming back home, surrounded by the friends and colleagues with whom I reconnected and shared battle stories — and wins — from our respective practices. And at the same time, we were learning not only about Medicaid expansion, glucose monitoring, and dermatologic conditions in skin of color, but also the importance of your own exercise and wellness to your practice. I was able to reflect and see how various wellness initiatives, such as in-basket management and introduction of a wellness committee within our FQHC, had come from my simple willingness

STUDENT INTEREST & INITIATIVES

By Perry Price NCAFP Workforce Initiatives Manager

ATTENTION, MEDICAL STUDENTS INTERESTED IN FAMILY MEDICINE:

Applications Now Open for New Forgivable Loan Program!

Applications are now open for the “Primary Care Medicine and Psychiatry Forgivable Education Loan Program” for the 2024-25 academic year. Current North Carolina medical students are eligible for up to $25,000 per year of medical school. The loans will be forgiven if the student ultimately enters a primary care specialty or psychiatry on a full-time basis in one of 80 counties in the state that are classified as Tier 1 or Tier 2 counties. Each $25,000 loan will be paid in full after one full year of service in these specialties in these counties.

This new program is part of the broader Forgivable Education Loans for Service (FELS) Program. Applications

opened Jan. 16 and will remain open until March 1. Any medical student who has applied by March 1 will be considered for a forgivable loan. The NC General Assembly allocated $8 million per year for the next two years for this program, for which the NCAFP strongly advocated. If there are more applicants than available funding, the loans will be allocated through a lottery of all eligible applicants.

A second smaller program has already been available for medical students, dental students, podiatric medicine students, and PhD psychology students. This program provides up to $14,000 per year (maxing out at $56,000), but there is no specialty requirement nor geographic restrictions. You simply must practice in North Carolina for one year for every year of funding received.

To apply for either of these Forgivable loans, you should go to the FELS Program page on the College Foundation of North Carolina’s website: https://www.cfnc.org/ pay-for-college/apply-for-financial-aid/forgivable-education-loans-for-service/

This website explains the various programs and is where you start your application for the forgivable loans which are administered by the NC Education Assistance Authority.

The Winning Research Posters from the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend!

By Perry Price NCAFP Workforce Initiatives Manager

The NCAFP is proud to offer opportunities for medical students and residents to present their research, gain valuable feedback and insights, and to meet family physicians that share their interests! The 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend saw a strong presentation of research that was as varied in topics as Family Medicine is in practice. Congratulations to this year’s winners!

STUDENT WINNER

Kandis Fogleman, MPH | UNC School of Medicine - MS4

“Premedical School Variables and Interventions Associated with Physician Choice of Rural Primary Care Practice in the United States: A Systematic Review”

The primary care physician shortage in rural areas contributes to poor health for individuals living in those same rural areas. This poster presents a full systematic review which provides premedical school variables associated with rural primary care physician practice and characteristics of premedical school interventions associated with Family Medicine practice to inform existing and novel workforce pipeline programs.

THE TIED RESIDENT WINNERS

Scott MacBeth, MD, MSPH | Atrium Health Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program - PGY3. Additional Resident Author: Ryan Accomazzo, MD, MPH

“Colorectal Cancer Screening in the Hispanic Community: ‘¿Adónde va ese tubo?’”

The primary aim of our project was to increase CRC screening for Hispanic patients in our outpatient Family Medicine clinic using a mailer, telephone call, and information distribution within the clinic. Among Hispanics 50 years old or greater, compliance rose from 65.2% to 72.9%.

Richard Sun, MD | Cone Health Family Medicine - PGY-3. Additional Resident Authors: Catherine Lynn, MD; Victoria Paige, DO; Ashleigh Wells, MD.

“Improving Developmental Screening Rates in a Family Medicine Residency Clinic”

This was a quality improvement project aimed at increasing use of standardized developmental screening tools during well-child visits to identify early signs of developmental delay and improve patient outcomes for at-risk children.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Vickie Ann Fowler, MD, FAAFP

Chair, NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination & Control Member, NC Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Board of Trustees

Phillip Gibson North Carolina Radon Program Coordinator, NC Department of Health and Human Services

The Role of the Family Physician in Radon Awareness

Lung cancer is currently the leading cause of cancer death in North Carolina, the United States, and the world. In 2024, more than 8,800 individuals will be diagnosed with lung cancer in North Carolina with an estimated 4,660 lung cancer deaths. Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer and the leading cause of lung cancer in those who have never smoked tobacco.

Radon gas is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas released from rocks, soil, and water. In a patient who does smoke tobacco products, the combination of radon gas and tobacco use leads to a 10-fold greater risk of developing lung cancer at the same level of radon exposure.1 Radon gas alone is estimated to cause 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in our nation and is the leading environmental cause of any cancer. As such, radon is a Class A carcinogen. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that children are twice as susceptible to radon than adults. The Center further reports that children that are exposed to second-hand smoke are 20 times more susceptible to radon.

In September 2023, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) listed

radon-induced lung cancer as a priority health issue, a resolution that aligns with a priority identified by the NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control. On a national and global stage, the Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Surgeon General, the World Health Organization, and the International Atomic Energy Association have emphasized the risks of radon gas for decades.

It is important to realize that while on average one in 15 homes in the US have high radon levels, certain regions have particularly high levels including my hometown in the northwestern NC mountains. And while radon occurrence was historically based on the natural geology of a region, the uranium in that rock and soil now finds its way into concrete, sandstone, gypsum, and other building materials (since the rock is quarried and then utilized to create those materials).2 This explains why elevated radon levels have been measured in mid- and high-rise condominiums in regions such as coastal North Carolina.

Radon enters homes or buildings through small cracks and holes in the structure and can build up to unsafe levels.

Over time, inhalation of radioactive radon gas leads to lung cancer by damaging cells in the lungs. During my years of practice in Ashe County, I witnessed firsthand the high incidence of lung cancer, often in patients with no personal smoking history. As family physicians committed to improving the health of our patients and our state, we must all be knowledgeable regarding the dangers of radon gas and how to mitigate its risk.

The NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control Prevention Subcommittee has developed a Lung Cancer and Radon Toolkit which is available online to assist physicians, patients, realtors, and our community partners regarding radon gas. The NC Radon Program has county-specific guidance documents available on their website radon.ncdhhs.gov. At the NC Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Resource Hub, you can readily access information regarding well water and air testing for radon as well as additional resources for reducing radon gas. Unfortunately, in 2022, the American Lung Association reported that the radon testing rate in North Carolina is alarmingly low.3 North Carolina’s radon testing rate ranked 42nd in the US with only 15.4 tests per 1,000 housing units in 2022.

Federal, state, and tribal Leaders across the United States strongly recommend installing a radon mitigation system when the average indoor radon level is 4 picocuries per liter of air. The risk for a non-smoking adult at this level is 7 out of 1,000. The risk for current and former smokers is ten times higher than that chance. The risk for children living in these homes is double that of adults. Family physicians need to inform parents that the risks of developing lung cancer in their lifetime is 20 times higher for children who are exposed to cigarette smoke and radon gas simultaneously due to the additive carcinogenic effects of both within the lungs at these very susceptible ages.

Radon is most definitely a health disparity issue. Recent research conducted by Dr. Tomi Akinyemiju, Professor of Population Health and Global Health and Associate Director of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity at the Duke Cancer Institute, supports data from the 2015 and 2019 CDC Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System.4 Dr. Akinyemiju led a team of researchers who studied the impact of social determinants of health on radon exposure and lung cancer incidence. This research revealed that historically disadvantaged communities are less likely to know about radon, less likely to test for radon, and thus are less likely to minimize radon exposure. These findings highlight the need for new partnerships and outreach to increase awareness among susceptible populations regarding how to

test for radon and how to mitigate for elevated radon levels.

The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, a member of the NC Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control, actively supports the effort to increase statewide awareness. An example of these efforts is available on YouTube, where you can find our Immediate Past President Dr. Shauna Guthrie speaking to this issue in a public service announcement about radon awareness.5 Dr. Guthrie’s video can be used to initiate conversations with community members, legislators, and organizations who can assist in sharing this critical message about radon which silently and insidiously increases lung cancer risk in vulnerable populations.

Family physicians serve as trusted resources to their patients and their communities. As such, family physicians need to understand the health risks of radon gas and provide patients with tools to evaluate and lower their risk. Radon counseling is an essential tool as we work to reduce the burden of lung cancer in our state. Additional resources about radon awareness and mitigation by contacting the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Radon Program at radon.ncdhhs.gov.

References

1) “Radon Toxicity: Patient Education and Care Instruction.” The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (cdc.gov). https:// www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/radon/patient_education.html

2) “Radiation from Building Materials.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/building.html

3) “Radon Testing Disparities in States.” The American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/clean-air/indoor-air/indoor-air-pollutants/ radon/radon-resources-for-professionals/disparities

4) “Climate Change, Radon Exposure and Lung Cancer.” Akinyemiju, T. Smith, V. Zhang, J. Koch, A. Clarke, J. Gibson, P. Duke University. https://dataclimatehealth.duke.edu/2022/04/04/climate-change-radon-exposure-and-lung-cancer%EF%BF%BC/\

5) “Radon Radio PSA from NC Academy of Family Physicians.” Guthrie, S. The NC Department of Health and Human Services. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTBkBMAd9l8

Further Resources

American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21763

Siegel RL,  Miller KD,  Wagle NS,  Jemal A.  Cancer statistics, 2023. CA Cancer J Clin.  2023; 73(1): 17-48. doi:10.3322/caac.21763

Navigating Down Syndrome Care:

Guidelines, Challenges, and Support for Individuals and Families

By Jason Ho, MD, FAAP

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder and cause of intellectual disability in humans, occurring in one in 700 births. This condition is the result of trisomy (three copies) of chromosome 21.

There are a wide variety of clinical presentations with this condition, which can affect multiple organ systems. Many of these conditions are well-known, such as Hirschsprung's disease, celiac disease, cardiac septal defects, leukemia, thyroid disorders, hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and joint laxity.

The clinician faces challenges for maximizing care for those with Down syndrome. These individuals can have developmental, behavioral, and cognitive issues that often require support and therapies.

However, there are published guidelines available to help clinicians navigate the care of individuals with Down syndrome at their regular check-ups. These guidelines include when to order specific labs and tests to screen for known issues, among other resources.

For pediatric patients, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their guidelines, “Health Supervision for Children Down Syndrome,” in May 2022. The AAP had published previous versions in 1999 and 2011. For adults, the GLOBAL Medical Care Guidelines were published in 2020 to provide expert consensus guidelines for the care of adults with Down syndrome that are now available for the first time. Following these guidelines will help establish a medical home for their patients with Down syndrome.

Along with medical care, families of those

with Down syndrome may need resources and help to support their loved ones. Fortunately, there are many organizations available to help individuals with Down syndrome and their families navigate this condition starting from pre-natal diagnosis through adulthood: the North Carolina Down Syndrome Association (NCDSA), the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), and others.

Clinicians can access and download the resources mentioned above, along with additional materials, from the NCDSA First Call Program Medical Outreach webpage: https://www.ncdsalliance.org/medicaloutreach/

Dr. Jason Ho is a pediatric cardiologist at WakeMed and parent of a child with Down syndrome.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

Dr. Wesley Roten Received UNC’s House Staff Service Award!

On Aug. 2, UNC Health announced the five winners of the 2023 Robert C. Cefalo House Officer Awards. One of the recipients was Dr. Wesley Roten, and along with the other award winners, he was recognized for “exemplary service to patients and families, professional performance and compassionate patient care.” As you might expect, the testimonies that others gave to nominate Dr. Roten were glowing:

• 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

“Dr. Roten has the personal characteristics that make him an exemplary physician,” said one testimony. “He is bright, motivated, and has a wonderful sense of humor. He has natural leadership skills and will serve as our chief resident next year.”

Another testimony highlighted his continued care for patients in need: “In medical school at UNC, Dr. Roten was a Kenan Rural Scholar, with a commitment to serving a rural and underserved community post-training. Furthermore,

HANDS-ONCAREEXPERIENCE LEADERThe NCAFP Medical Student Elective

As medical students, we are asked to rapidly learn a huge amount of new information in our preclinical years. At first, it feels like learning a new language, with words like “rales” that have no real meaning behind them (no matter how many YouTube videos you watch trying to understand the sound). jobs.ncafp.com

Family Physicians: Employers: powered

• 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

to become a NCAFP member, meet with my fellow members, and learn about the Academy’s opportunities to support my practice.

Lastly it was also during this conference that I was inducted as a Fellow of Family Medicine alongside many great friends and colleagues. So, while my journey continues and there is more to come, it all started with becoming a member of the NCAFP.

All that said, today I encourage you to recommit to your friends and colleagues and become intentional about how you can influence the practice of Family Medicine in your own environment. Take this step again: renew your

membership, to support not only your professional development but also to enhance the quality of care you provide.

I’m a Lucky Physician. I Practice Medicine Where Patient Care, Self-Care and Teamwork are Prioritized and Balanced

At CenterWell, a care team approach gives physicians extended time with patients and more time for ourselves

By Gregory Lavins, M.D. CenterWell Senior Primary Care, North Carolina

Like many physicians, I experienced unprecedented burnout in my previous practice due to an overloaded patient panel and a high-volume daily schedule, leaving me with little time for the quality care I aspired to provide. Although the pandemic has subsided, a national physician survey revealed 75% of physicians experienced increased burnout compared to the previous year.

That is why I am grateful to be working for CenterWell Senior Primary Care, where I have smaller patient panels and spend up to 40 minutes with my patients per visit, allowing for personalized care.

CenterWell’s care team model consists of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, behavioral specialists, resource coordinators, care coaches, and other clinicians and administrative sta . They provide comprehensive care and address emotional, social and economic factors such as food, housing and transportation assistance. This approach helps build trust and fosters better patient engagement, leading to more successful outcomes.

One example of this approach is when I was caring for a lifelong smoker who avoided lung cancer screenings due to fears of unexpected bills and hospital charges. I spent time explaining the screening’s importance and collaborating with my care team to ensure a smooth process and cost transparency. This resulted in the early detection and treatment of small lung cancer, preventing the progression of a potentially fatal disease. That’s a level of care I’m proud of and for which my patients are grateful.

There are many benefits to working at CenterWell, but the following factors are particularly essential for me:

Mission-Driven Care: CenterWell believes in the importance of holistic, senior-focused primary care that addresses medical conditions and overall well-being. The care team model allows me to maintain smaller patient panels and spend more time building strong patient relationships that lead to better care.

Balance: CenterWell prioritizes sta well-being, a ording me a better work-life balance, something I didn’t experience in my previous role. This personal time prevents burnout and enhances my ability to provide better care.

Collaboration: CenterWell embodies a collaborative culture. The burden of being the sole expert can be stressful, making this collaborative environment beneficial for all physicians. It allows us to treat medically complex patients comprehensively, addressing all health factors.

Growth: CenterWell Senior Primary Care is part of the nation’s largest senior-focused primary care network with nearly 300 centers across 15 states and ongoing expansion.

I would encourage anyone looking for a change and interested in working in a collaborative practice that e ectively supports both patients and physicians to tour our centers and talk with our providers to understand how we deliver primary care. You’ll find that physicians practicing at CenterWell know we are making a meaningful di erence in our patients’ lives.

To learn more about careers at CenterWell Senior Primary Care, please visit CenterWellCareers.com