Physicians Raise the Profile of Family Medicine in Michigan
On Tuesday, February 25, over 60 family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students gathered in Downtown Lansing at Karoub Associates to advocate for policies to improve health care outcomes for Michigan’s citizens at the annual Michigan Family Medicine Advocacy Day.
Hosted by the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) and the Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians (MAOFP), the event brought family medicine leaders together to educate Michigan legislators on the critical role the primary care physician plays in helping to achieve the dual goals of meeting the health care needs of the Michigan population while curbing costs. The family physician members of both MAFP and MAOFP care for over ten million patients statewide—patients who are young and old, male and female, rich and poor, urban and rural, and of every race and ethnicity—and provide a unique perspective to the state’s health care system.
“Today, the efforts of the MAFP and MAOFP members made certain that our legislators were informed of the barriers that family physicians and future family physicians are facing that prevent the ability to provide access to care for all,” said MAFP President Fred J. Van Alstine, MD, MBA, of Owosso. “By establishing relationships with our lawmakers, we have opened the doors to work together to tackle these challenges to ensure a healthier Michigan.”
During in-person meetings with their legislators, members had the chance to discuss issues such as the need to invest in the primary care workforce through increased funding for the state loan repayment program and graduate medical education, the necessity of advancing the model of the physician-led patient care team rather than independent practice of allied health care professionals, and delivery system reform to continue high-quality care for the Medicare and Medicaid population. The afternoon concluded with a reception allowing attendees to continue conversations with their senators and representatives.
Thank you to all the members who participated in this event. We must keep the momentum going so be sure to check out the Advocacy section of the website for resources and ways you can stay involved!
For photos from the event, please visit the MAFP Facebook page.
For the news release, click here.