UAFP’s annual meeting was held this year at the Ken Garff University Club at the University of Utah. Each year, our annual meeting gives us the opportunity to showcase what we’ve done throughout the year, to swear in our new president, confer new AAFP fellows, to receive updates from AAFP leadership, and to give out our annual awards. It is an enjoyable and informative evening and a great way to spend time with fellow UAFP members. We would like to extend a special thanks to Voices for Utah Children Executive Director Moe Hickey for helping to sponsor this event!
The 2024 Utah Family Medicine Physician of the Year is Dr. Erik Gulbrandsen. One of his nominations reads, “Dr. Erik Gulbrandsen can be summed up with one word: passionate. Anything that he does, he will be completely invested and passionate about it, and all of his patients get to experience that on a regular basis. Erik wants to understand patients from their point of view and is willing to care for patients in any circumstance. I have never seen him shy away from a complicated patient and will be heavily invested in that patient’s care. He has been working in value‑based care since 2019 and deeply cares about population health. Erik is not only an advocate for patients, but also for fellow physicians. He has a very positive attitude, is a joy to be around, and truly cares about his patients’ lives.”
The 2024 Utah Family Medicine Champion of the Year is Rep. Marsha Judkins. UAFP Maryann Martindale says of Rep. Judkins, “She has always been a strong supporter of family physicians and understands the importance of advocating for primary care. There have been many times I’ve seen her tenacity and ability to ask hard questions help good bills get passed and keep bad bills from moving forward. She is truly one of the best legislators I’ve had the pleasure to work with.”
AAFP President Dr. Jennifer Brull joined us as our keynote this year and provided updates on all the incredible work AAFP staff and board are doing at the national level.
Dr. Brull also conducted the swearing‑in ceremony of UAFP’s new board president for 2024-25, Dr. Tiffany Ho, and conferred several new AAFP Fellows! Congratulations to:
Colten Bracken, MD, FAAFP
Daniel Chappell, DO, FAAFP
Selim Wahhab Sheikh, DO, MBA, FAAFP
Susan Pohl, MD, FAAFP
Sara Walker, MD, MS, FAAFP
Gabriela Walsman Leiva, MD, FAAFP
Next year, we have BIG changes in store for the annual meeting! The dinner and celebration will be held in conjunction with a CME event at the brand‑new Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah! More details coming in 2025.
