Get inspired, get involved!

I’m pleased to share our Fall issue of The Compass, which opens with stories about two of the AAFP Foundation’s signature programs.

The Center for the History of Family Medicine (CHFM) Oral History Grant supports our mission of advancing family medicine by helping to ensure that the work that goes into primary care and population health is well documented and recognized. Much gets lost in the day-to-day grind of family medicine, and it’s important that there’s a record we can learn from.

In this issue, we spotlight Alexis Ramos, MD, who is using her grant to capture how physicians in underserved communities in San Antonio responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another way to expand our knowledge of family medicine is through the Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Discovery and Innovation (FMD RapSDI) program. There’s a wealth of information to be discovered through primary care research by the very physicians who are on the frontlines. But finding the time, resources and funding can be difficult on top of a full clinical workload. FMD RapSDI makes that possible for scholars like Sanjay Batish, MD, who is featured in this issue.

I served on the FMD RapSDI workgroup committee for a year and had the opportunity to read applications and discuss the proposals that came in. It was incredible to learn from the program staff and see firsthand how much time, energy and effort goes into the success of the scholars. By the way, if you have substantial knowledge about research funding or are interested in mentoring a scholar, even for one brainstorming session, it’s a great way to get involved.

There are many ways to support the AAFP Foundation, from volunteering through one of our programs to becoming a donor. In this issue, we highlight two donors, Jennifer Jeffries, MD, and Humana, and what motivated each to partner with us.

We’ve made it more convenient than ever to support the Foundation through our dues checkoff initiative. When paying your membership dues online, simply click on a box to add a donation in any amount to our annual fund, which is applied to the areas in most need.

Finally, if you need more inspiration to get involved, nothing beats FMX, which is fast approaching. Each year, it feels like a family reunion where we get to share ideas, experience new things and have great conversations with our colleagues from across the country and around the world.

And if you can’t join us in person, please consider supporting the Foundation via the FMX online auction, which opens on September 20. To those planning to attend, I look forward to seeing you and hope you’ll say hello!

Warm regards,

Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase, MD, FAAFP
President, AAFP Foundation

P.S. As we wrap up Women in Medicine Month, I want to acknowledge the progress we’ve made toward closing the gap in leadership. While there’s still much work ahead, there’s also much to celebrate. I’m grateful to the AAFP and the many physicians, past and present, who’ve supported this effort.