NCFM Today

From the NC Academy of Family Physicians, this is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine! This month's episode includes the 25th anniversary of state oral health plans, new CDC vaccine guidance, the installation of NCAFP member Dr. Dev Sangvai as the new NCDHHS Secretary, and much more!

Listen to the installation speech of NCAFP's new President, Dr.  Mark McNeill, given at the Winter Family Physicians Weekend in Early December, as he discusses the innovative nature of family physicians and lessons learned from the impact of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

Listen to 2024 NCAFP President Dr. Garett Franklin as he gives the State of the Academy Speech at the NCAFP Annual Meeting in December, 2024, as he approaches the end of his term. Dr. Franklin discusses the NCAFP's successes in 2024 advocating for our members throughout North Carolina.

From the NC Academy of Family Physicians, this is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine! This month's episode includes the state response to Hurricane Helene, our plans for the 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend in Asheville, our state advocacy to eliminate prior authorizations in the state health plan, and much more!

This is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine: the upcoming reform of prior authorizations from UnitedHealthcare, the newest NC medical school which will arrive in 2026 in Fayetteville, the NC delegation to the 2024 AAFP Congress of Delegates, and much more!

This is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine: the NCAFP meeting with state health plans to advocate for new primary care investment, the CMS physician payment reforms we need, our student summer programs, new rural health care funding for primary care clinics, and much more!

This is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine: the launch of Tailored Plans, the CMS physician payment reforms we need, and much more!

This is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine: congressional testimony against health care consolidation, registration for the 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend, a public health update on the status of avian influenza in NC, and much more!

Whenever we can, we make sure that our members hear about the most important news and resources in North Carolina Family Medicine. If they need to know it to help their patients, they'll hear it from us. This is The Best News in North Carolina Family Medicine: increasing investment in NC primary care, new rules to improve Medicaid payments for family physicians, the new ABFM Certification cycle, and more!

In February, we hosted our annual Family Medicine Day. This event combines two of our favorite things: medical students, and unparalleled Family Medicine education. 87 medical students attended workshops hosted by North Carolina Family Medicine Residency faculty and residents, where they experienced the broad scope of medicine performed by family physicians each day. This learning helped medical students better understand our specialty, what they want for their future practice, and why Family Medicine is a crucial part of the healthcare landscape. All of this made Family Medicine Day the perfect time to ask a few students and residency leaders what they were enjoying most. We were glad to speak with Dr. Melissa Bray Brown, Dr. Jannalyn Beste, Dr. Sushma Kapoor, Evan Morgan, Melissa Jenkins Soares, Jacob Pascual, Eelya Sefat, and Zoe Greene.Today, we're glad to share these interviews about the parts of Family Medicine which North Carolina medical students like best!

At the end of 2023, we were lucky to host the Winter Family Physicians Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. One of the biggest items of that business at the winter meeting is the induction of the new NCAFP president. At the 2023 meeting, we were honored to induct Dr. Garett Franklin as our president and hear his induction speech, which described his journey to Family Medicine, his hard-earned lessons as a family physician, and his plans and hopes for the specialty's future.Hear NCAFP President Dr. Garett Franklin speak at the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend!

NCAFP Immediate Past President Dr. Shauna Guthrie delivered the "Year in Review" speech during the 2023 Winter Family Physicians Weekend. She looked back on her work and the Academy's 2023 achievements with gratitude, insight, and encouragement. We're glad to bring you that entire speech for today's podcast episode!

In this episode, NCAFP Communications and Membership Manager Kevin LaTorre speaks with Dr. Maureen Murphy, Dr. Macy Osborn, and Dr. Beat Steiner about the professional and personal benefits of the mentorship that family physicians receive from one another.  These mentor-to-mentee relationships can provide instruction, support, and companionship that physicians of every age and stage need for their work and their health. Since our work at the Academy includes helping physicians sustain their patient care and wellbeing, we encourage and foster mentorship among our physician members as a key support for one another. The episode includes the lessons and rewards of mentorship for Family Medicine, as these family physicians practice and enjoy them.

In this episode, NCAFP EVP/CEO Greg Griggs and NCAFP General Counsel/Chief of Staff Shawn Parker discuss the 2023-24 North Carolina Budget including the many positives for family medicine specifically and primary care in general.  The discussion includes information about the passage of Medicaid Expansion; increased funding for health professional loan repayment, including a new program specifically for primary care; scholarships/forgivable loans for medical students who plan on serving in primary care or psychiatry in rural and underserved areas of NC; funding for dedicated teaching time at five rural team-based teaching hubs; a study of the need for more community-based clinical preceptors in our state; and a Primary Care Payment Reform Task Force that will look at how to measure primary care investment and ultimately increase investment in primary care in our state. Listen now and learn more about the outcomes from our long-term advocacy efforts.

 One of the greatest parts of our work at the Academy is connecting medical students with preceptors and mentors in an effort to best prepare them for life as a family physician. That process can take years and great support from our members, so we highly value and appreciate our members who are called to this role, and hope to open doors for more physicians to do so!Preceptors are physicians who invite medical students and residents into their clinics, so that they can learn to practice directly from seeing a real workday. These preceptors give their time, talents, and mentorship for the good of these students. It's a gift you can't understate. In today's episode, you'll hear about precepting directly from three preceptors: Dr. Elizabeth Ferruzzi, Dr. Landon Allen, and Dr. Sarah Asman Peiffer. They are all new physicians, who felt led to start precepting early in their careers.  Here are the lessons and rewards of precepting for Family Medicine, in these doctors' own words!

Family Medicine is a versatile specialty full of different skills and procedures, and so family doctors have the chance to branch out, diversify their work, and enjoy it. For many family physicians, it's professionally satisfying to practice the full range of their specialty. However, some procedures require additional credentialing. And you know that credentialing can be a difficult process. In today's episode, you'll hear about credentialing from three family physicians who have done it well: Dr. Landon Allen, Dr. Elizabeth Baltaro, and Dr. Puja Dalal. They work in different settings across different areas of the state, but they've all enhanced their practice with new credentials.

NCAFP interviews five mothers in family medicine to hear their stories at home, in the clinic, and everywhere in between. Workforce Initiatives Manager Perry Price spent months interviewing these physicians, and their input on the convergence of family and work, the best types of maternal leave, and the work still ahead is insightful, personable, and well-rounded.

In this episode, NCAFP's new President Dr. Shauna Guthrie delivers her installation speech at the Winter Family Physicians weekend, telling our members a little about herself and her vision for the Academy.

If you missed our 2022 NCAFP Annual Meeting, this is a must listen, and it should be even if you attended. Listen as outgoing President Dr. Dimitrios (Takie) Hondros provides the 2022 State of the Academy Address at our Annual Awards Banquet.  Dr. Hondros outlines the many accomplishments of the NCAFP throughout the last year.

In this episode of NCFM Today, you will hear from two medical students who participated in summer clinical experiences funded by the NCAFP Foundation. Evan Morgan, a second-year medical student at Wake Forest University discusses his experience in our two-week Rural Western Medical Student Program, including what he learned and how it is influencing his career path. Likewise, Joanmarie Lewandowski, a second-year medical student at the University of North Carolina discusses her four-week summer experience working with Dr. Michael Harris in Raleigh. Don't miss the opportunity to hear from two future physicians as they discuss their medical school journey and what is impacting their path toward a career in family medicine.

On this month's edition of NCFM Today, learn about the state's Maternal Health Innovations grant from five family medicine champions working on the program. Dr. Amy Santin, Dr. Carmen Strickland, Dr. Narges Farahi, Dr. Janalynn Beste and Dr. Mona Xiao discuss the specific role of family medicine champions in the Maternal Health Innovation Grant and how family physicians can help ensure that medical conditions that women develop during pregnancy have ongoing care. In addition, they talk about how family physicians can address issues that have an impact on both young children and their moms, and how many chronic diseases, such as hypertensive disorders, start during pregnancy. Finally, the group discusses innovative models of caring for women during and after pregnancy. Don't miss this important discussion of how North Carolina is working to reduce maternal mortality. To learn more about the state's Maternal Innovations Grant, go to https://mahec.net/regional-initiatives/maternal-health-innovations-grant.  

In this episode we talk to Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, a family physician in western NC and now acclaimed author of the riveting medical mystery, the Other Dr. Gilmer. Dr. Benjamin Gilmer discusses his own journey as he works to determine why Dr. Vince Gilmer, who previously practiced in the same clinic, came to murder his own father. We learn about Dr. Benjamin Gilmer's journey of discover from fear to friend and advocate for Dr. Vince. Today, Benjamin Gilmer is advocating for mental health and prison reform nationally. Prior to becoming a book, part of this journey was documented on an episode of This American Life. Join us as your colleague, Benjamin Gilmer, calls on you to be an advocate and use your own stories to bring about change.

In this episode, we focus on the family medicine workforce pipeline in North Carolina, specifically two efforts co-sponsored by the NCAFP and the NC AHEC Program:   the first-ever Family Medicine Academic Summit for academic family medicine faculty around the state, and the 2022 Family Medicine Day, where we brought more than 70 medical students together to learn about the specialty and our state's Family Medicine Residency Program.  The episode includes excerpts from the Academic Summit's keynote address by NC DHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley, remarks from AAFP Board member Dr. Karen Smith, and numerous comments from both residency program faculty and medical students on what the day meant to them.  Don't miss it.

In this month's episode, soon to be Dr. Morgan Carnes discusses her journey into family medicine from her days in dance to college to working in population health before entering the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.  Morgan also outlines the importance of serving as a physician advocate and what she has learned in her elective rotation on Policy, Advocacy and Leadership with the NCAFP.  Don't miss this exciting episode on the importance of family medicine and physician advocacy.  Follow along with Morgan's journey on Instagram at @morgansiebs

In this month's edition of NCFM Today, NCAFP Communications Consultant Peter Graber interviews our latest Family Physician of the Year, Dr. Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, Director of Health Equity for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Duke University.   In the episode, Dr. Martinez-Bianchi discusses her childhood in Argentina, how she came to the US for her Family Medicine Residency, and how she ultimately became a leader locally, nationally and on the international level. She also discusses the intersection of public health and clinical care, her work with WONCA (the World Organization for Family Physicians) and her work with the Latin-X community in North Carolina throughout COVID-19. You don't want to miss this inspiring episode. 

In this episode, new NCAFP President Dr. Dimitrios "Takie" Hondros discusses his leadership journey in family medicine and outlines a few of his goals for the next year, including mentoring the next generation of family physicians and harnessing the promise of value-based care.  If you missed his inspiring installation speech, you can hear much of the same content in this conversation about his goals as president of NCAFP.

In this episode, current NCAFP President Dr. Jessica Triche reviews the Academy's activities in 2021, including how the Academy helped our members throughout COVID, the NCAFP's new strategic initiatives, how NCAFP is helping members with administrative burden, her goals for the future and even a few humorous moments from her year as President.  It's a must listen.  

In this episode of NCFM Today, we talk to Shawn Parker, JD, MPA, General Counsel and Chief of Staff for the NC Academy of Family Physicians about physician employment contracts.  Shawn discusses different elements in an employment contract, what physicians should look for, and where to find more help.  You don't want to miss this episode.  

In this episode of NCFM Today, we talk to five different family physicians who have all made transitions in their careers.  They share pearls about how they made these decisions, what personal and professional influences led them to these decisions, and what other family physicians should consider as they think about transitioning jobs.  They also discuss the unique ability of family physicians to practice in different settings and wear different hats from telehealth to Direct Primary Care to system-based practice to independent practice to the VA.  You don't want to miss this informative episode as we hear from Dr. Vickie Fowler, Dr. Talia Aron, Dr. Thomas White, Dr. Takie Hondros and Dr. Liz Baltaro.  

In this month's edition of NCFM Today, learn about some of the NCAFP's advocacy efforts around masking in schools and Medicaid Transformation, and an update on our recent member survey about administrative burden in primary care.  In addition, you will hear from our new Manager of Workforce Initiatives, Perry Price, and from VP & COO Brent Hazelett, who will discuss both the Academy's recent virtual CME offerings and plans for our Annual Meeting in December.  

This month's podcast focuses on Long COVID with a discussion of how some patients are having symptoms for months after first testing positive for COVID-19.  We first talk to Dr. John M. Baratta with the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the UNC School of Medicine.  Dr. Baratta is founder and co-director of the COVID Recovery Clinic at UNC, which was opened in February to specifically address long-term COVID cases.  Dr. Baratta discusses symptoms of long COVID as well as some of the testing and treatment regimens they are trying at UNC.   Later we talk to NCAFP Past President Dr. Conrad Flick who still has some symptoms from his COVID diagnosis early last December.  Dr. Flick discusses the long-term impact COVID has had on him, particularly how it has impacted his fitness regimen.  Finally, we provide a few quick updates from the NCAFP.

This month's episode focuses on the importance of mentoring future healthcare professionals.  We talk to two current residents to learn about how mentors impacted their decision to go into medicine and specifically family medicine.  We also talk to NCAFP President Dr. Jessica Triche on why she thinks it is so important to teach and mentor medical students and how that has actually helped her in practice.  Finally, we provide a few updates from the NCAFP.  

This month, we discuss the precipitous drop in immunization rates during the coronavirus pandemic and the need to catch up on missed vaccines as patients return to their primary care physician.  Dr. Leonard Friedland, a pediatrician and Vice President and Director of Scientific Affairs and Public Health at GSK, shares statistics about the drop in immunizations, what the impact of missing immunizations for preventable diseases could be, and how we can work to ensure patients across all life stages catch up on missed vaccines as we move forward.  Dr. Friedland reminds us of how many preventable diseases we no longer see because of immunizations and the importance of making sure patients receive their COVID-19 vaccine and other recommended immunizations. 

This month we discuss a family physicians efforts to prevent diabetes.  Dr. Karen Smith, a former president of the NCAFP talks about her involvement in Diabetes Free NC and how she screens patients and refers them to one of our state's Diabetes Prevention Programs.  In addition, Franklin Walker, Vice President of Rural Health Innovations for the NC Medical Society, talks about how physicians can get involved in Diabetes Free NC.  Finally, we provide brief updates on efforts to advocate for dedicated teaching time and payment for our state's community preceptors and the role of family physicians in COVID-19 vaccine efforts, particularly combating vaccine hesitancy.

In this episode of NCFM Today, Ryan Paulus, DO, a second-year family medicine resident at UNC, discusses continuity of care in family medicine and the scope of family medicine and why that drew him to this career.  In addition, Hannah Smith, a fourth-year medical student at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, talks about why she chose family medicine as her specialty and discusses what sparked her love affair with family medicine.  Finally, we provide a few brief updates on what's going on in NC impacting family medicine this month.

In the February 2021 episode of NCFM Today, learn about the role of the Advanced Medical Home as North Carolina transitions its Medicaid Program to Managed Care. Carol Stanley, Medicaid Transformation Manager for the NC AHEC Practice Support Team, and Nicole Cannady, Practice Support Coordinator and Quality Improvement Coach for the Southeastern AHEC in Wilmington, discuss tools that NC AHEC has available to help primary care practices achieve Advanced Medical Home (AMH) Status, the differences between a Tier 2 and a Tier 3 AMH, and what family medicine and other primary care practices should be doing now to prepare for Medicaid Managed Care in North Carolina. The two also discuss significant financial incentives for practices who are achieve AMH Tier-3 status early, and how those incentives can impact your practice. Any primary care practice currently taking Medicaid should listen to this important update.

In this edition of NC Family Medicine Today, we speak to Dr. Alexa Mieses-Malchuk, a faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina about why all North Carolinians should receive a COVID-19 vaccine, especially historically marginalized populations. She also discusses her advocacy role in family medicine and how she was recently interviewed for Oprah Magazine. In addition, Dr. Shannon Dowler, Chief Medical Officer for NC Medicaid, joins us to discuss the state's efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine. She tells family medicine practices how they can begin preparing to vaccinate their patients now, even though supply and distribution points are limited at this time. However, she talks about how family physicians will be crucial as further vaccine becomes available, and how they can work with their patients now to address vaccine hesitancy.

Meet the new president of the NC Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Jessica Triche, who practices at Vidant Chocowinity Family Medicine and lives in Bath, NC. Dr. Triche discusses three lessons she has learned from her mentors and why mentoring is so important in developing the future healthcare workforce. Dr. Triche also discusses her own journey into leadership positions in medicine.

In this episode of NC Family Medicine Today, Dr. Tom Wroth, President and CEO of Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), discusses the future of family medicine and primary care in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicaid Transformation in North Carolina, the move to value-based healthcare and the results of the recent election. He discusses how CCNC specifically and primary care practices in general have pivoted to deal with all the changes 2020 has thrown at the practice of medicine.

This month's issue of NCFM Today features an interview with Dr. Shannon Dowler, Chief Medical Officer for North Carolina Medicaid. Dr. Dowler talks about her leadership journey, how COVID-19 impacted her role at Medicaid, and the key differences between activism and advocacy. She also offers advice on how young physicians can begin their advocacy journey.

This month's edition features an interview with Dr. Mary Hall, a family physician who serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Hall discusses her leadership journey from her various roles within Atrium to her year as President of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She also discusses the family medicine workforce needs of the future and how Atrium is working to address those needs.

What does family medicine, mentoring, social justice, boxing and advocacy have in common? Find out the answer and much more in this edition of NCFM Today as we interview Dr. Tamieka Howell, an NCAFP Past President and a current member of the AAFP Commission on Membership and Member Services

In this episode, we interview the President of the NC Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. David A. Rinehart, a family physician in Belmont, about what it has been like to practice medicine during a pandemic and lead a professional association of his peers. Dr. Rinehart outlines some of the changes his practice has made during the coronavirus outbreak and also talks about how NCAFP has pivoted to better serve its members during these unprecedented times.

In this episode, Dr. Shauna Guthrie, At-Large Member of the NCAFP Executive Committee and Medical Director for the Granville-Vance Health District, discusses the intersection of public health and primary care, particularly in light of COVID-19, and offers advice to both our state's family physicians and the public at large.

This episode features updated testing and treatment guidance for NC Family Physicians working with patients who have or are suspected of having COVID-19. It also discusses telehealth resources from various payers.

Today's episode provides information to North Carolina's family physicians about efforts to combat the coronavirus and special steps that Medicaid and other NC insurers are taking to make it easier for family physicians to care for their patients.