Happy New Year and New Decade! It is my honor to serve you this year as President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Academy of Family Physicians and build upon the great work of the last several decades. I hope to build upon the great legacy of the Academy through continued advocacy for our patients and our profession, fostering collegiality and inclusion, and aiming for wholeness and joy in practice for our physicians.
I would especially like to thank Dr. Daniel Pio for his outstanding leadership and enthusiasm in 2019. He is an inspiring yet down-to-earth leader who fiercely advocates for Family Medicine, physicians and patients at many levels. I especially admire how he makes sure to care for himself and takes his health as a priority, running numerous marathons around the world. What a great example he set!
My hope is that all of our members take time in 2020 to reflect on why we chose medicine, Family Medicine in particular, and how we will continue to ensure our passion and focus are not lost. I have found that one of the best ways of doing this is by caring for myself and my loved ones. That may mean different things to different people, but I invite you to find something that regularly allows your tank to be replenished.
To that point, for some, advocating for our colleagues and patients through policy is one way to find renewal. I ask you to consider attending the All Member Advocacy Meeting on March 14-16 in Sacramento. This annual event sponsored by the CAFP includes two days of advocacy and leadership training followed by an opportunity to meet your state representatives to share your experience and perspective as a family doctor. The meeting is engaging, exciting and enriching! We have scholarships available for medical students and residents interested in attending. They can learn more and apply, here: https://www.laafp.org/scholarships-grants/
For others, it may be through impacting the next generation of physicians. I also ask you to consider volunteering on Saturday, March 7 in Irvine for the 7th Annual Southern California Regional Procedure Workshop sponsored by CAFP Foundation. It is an amazing way to introduce medical students to the wonderful world of family medicine. For more information, please email Pamela Mann at pmann@familydocs.org.
I welcome you to explore what the Academy both at the state and national levels has to offer you and invite anyone with any interests related to Family Medicine to join the Los Angeles Academy of Family Physicians at any of our upcoming meetings or events. Please feel free to email us any ideas, questions or concerns; we would love to hear from you and learn how we can help improve the patient-care and physician-practice experience.
