Family Medicine Revolution

In this episode of the Family Medicine Revolution Podcast, we receive a legislative update from the Chair of CAFP’s Legislative Affairs Committee, Dr. Ashby Wolfe and Deputy Director of Government Relations, Adam Francis. You will also hear an interview with the October Member of the Month, Dr. Steven Lin. Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.

In this episode of the #FMRevolution podcast, we talk to CAFP’s September Member of the Month, Dr. Esther Ho and preview the 2014 Family Medicine Summit, which takes place on Saturday, November 1 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott.   Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.

CAFP’s first All Member Advocacy Meeting (AMAM) in Sacramento was a smashing success by all accounts – particularly attendance and enthusiasm quotient, both of which set new records!  The AMAM adopted a resolution continuing a special assessment to support the Academy’s legislative activities but raising the amount by $10 to $35 and extending the time period by five years to 10 years total.  The AMAM also adopted a memorial resolution for past president Holger Rasmussen, who died on February 3, 2013.  The Board heard testimony on three resolutions pertaining to services for patients with special needs, emergency contraception and vasectomy and will consider what action to take over the course of the year. In keeping with the principle that we should “get ‘em young and teach ‘em to advocate,” county chapters paid for and brought along medical students and residents so they could learn the issues and legislative ropes and have the opportunity to be mentored on their first visits to legislators on CAFP’s Lobby Day on March 3.  Around 110 attended the AMAM and 56 were on hand to meet with their legislators Monday, 24 more than at last year’s Lobby Day!  If more attend next year, we’ll have to take TWO photos to get them all in. In this episode, we speak with a number of individuals about the importance of the AMAM, as well as other family medicine-related topics. Dates for the 2015 All Member Advocacy Meeting are Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, and CAFP’s Lobby Day is Monday, March 9.  Mark your calendars now – don’t miss out on this exciting and informative event guaranteed to recharge your family medicine batteries. Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.

Episode three of the FMRevolution podcast features Jeremy Fish, MD, who is March’s Member of the Month. If you are involved with CAFP’s efforts to expand the family medicine workforce, you’ve probably heard of Jeremy Fish, MD. An advocate for strengthening family medicine education statewide, Dr. Fish is a member of CAFP’s Medical Student and Resident Affairs Committee (MSRAC), on which he works to secure funding for resident and student education. In 2011, as part of his work with the Academy, Dr. Fish founded the Medical Education Network, which connects family medicine residency program directors and medical student leaders to address shared educational and advocacy concerns. CAFP Manager of Workforce Development Abhinaya Narayanan says, “Dr. Fish energizes both his peers and rising student leaders to get involved. He balances an eagerness for collaboration with a long-term vision for the value of partnerships in medical education.” Narayanan also adds that the Medical Education Network will be the first residency network of its kind, bringing together more than forty family medicine residency programs from across California. In addition to his work with CAFP, Dr. Fish is a practicing family physician at the Contra Costa Health Services hospital. As a faculty member of the Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency and UCSF Faculty Development Fellowship, he is committed to building the future of family medicine. “I consider teaching the next generation of family physicians my greatest capacity to affect population and patient health for many years to come,” declares Dr. Fish. Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.

In this month’s episode of the #FMRevolution podcast, we’re featuring another incredible member of the California Academy of Family Physicians as part of our 2014: Year of the Family Physician member spotlight. The February spotlight goes to Dr. Marie Ramas. When asked how she defines leadership, Dr. Marie-Elizabeth Ramas states confidently, “Leadership is creating positive change in people’s lives. This is either done by example, or by becoming the voice for those that society does not care to hear.” Since the age of 13, when she lobbied in Congress as the youth spokesperson for the New Hampshire Lung Association, Dr. Ramas has been a leader. She is a first generation Haitian-American, and her understanding of the inequalities within the US health care system has shaped her career as a family physician. During medical school, she was awarded a National Health Service Corps scholarship for her dedication to providing primary care in underserved communities. After completing her residency at Lonestar Family Medicine Program in Conroe, Texas, she has since served as Medical Director of a rural health clinic in Mount Shasta, CA, providing full-scope care to the poorest county in California. Dr. Ramas has served as a Minority Delegate at the AAFP Congress of Delegates, representing the voice of special constituencies. Today, in addition to her work as a practicing physician, she is a member of CAFP’s Medi-Cal Taskforce, helping to improve access and quality of care throughout California, and lends her voice as a representative on the AAFP’s Commission on Membership and Member Services. Read her complete member profile on www.familydocs.org Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.

Check out the first episode of the FMRevolution podcast! In this episode, we discuss the new FMRevolution and CAFP Foundation websites and conduct an interview regarding #2014YearFP with Dr. Ronald Fong, Director of the UC Davis Network of Affiliated Family Medicine Residency Programs. Stay up to date by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or other media players.