Pub. 3 2019 Issue 2

offered at the AAFP’s FMX and State Academy of Family Phy- sicians CME meetings, including at the UAFP CME & Ski Feb. 20-23, 2020, in Park City. You can register for the Group KSA and CME meeting on UAFP’s website at www.utahafp.org Performance Improvement (PI) . Family physicians are committed to continually improving their care of patients. Most of us do PI in one form or another already, and the good news is that there are now numerous options available for you to meet your ABFM PI requirement. The ABFM has just launched a new PI Locator, within your online ABFM Phy- sician Portfolio, which will help you quickly identify which of these PI activity options are most relevant to your practice. ABFM has also expanded the types of activities to meet the needs of family physicians in nonoffice settings, like hospital- ists, those working in urgent/emergent care environments, hospice, nursing homes, locums and so on. The other good news is that any diplomate who teaches students or resi- dents can now get credit for improving teaching. Practice Improvement Options. Underlying everything we do at ABFM is the recognition that the professionalism of family physicians is fundamental. Professionalism draws on the “social contract” in which physicians are given the right to self-regulation in exchange for a commitment to put patients’ interests first, continually improve our care, and demonstrate ongoing excellence in learning and knowledge appropriate to our specialty. ABFM recently opened a new Center for Professionalism and Value in Health Care (CPV) in Washington, D.C. I am very proud that our specialty has taken the lead to advance and support professionalism, essential to improving the health of all Americans! You can learn more about the CPV at www.utahafp.org/ABFM Tradition. One thing is not changing: ABFM’s dedica- tion to supporting and advancing excellence of Family Medicine and Family Physicians as a key foundation to improve the health of all Americans. This dedication is reflected in our mission: “To serve the public and the profession through certification, research, educational standards and support for the improvement of health care,” and in our vision: “Optimal health and health care for all people and communities family physicians serve.” John Brady, M.D., current chair of ABFM in his presenta- tion to the AAFP Congress of Delegates Sept. 24, 2019 in Philadelphia, said it well: “Fifty years ago, brave members of the AAGP [now AAFP] felt society was facing an existential crisis surrounding primary care and came together to birth our discipline. Today, as we ponder the quadruple aim, we face chal- lenges no less serious or complex. ABFM is rapidly changing to meet these needs, but our ultimate goal remains the same: Improving the health of our patients and our communities by being a collaborative partner in your pathway to clinical mastery.” It is a great honor to serve you and our friends and neigh- bors as a member and chair-elect of the ABFM. I hope you are as grateful as am I for the privilege and responsibility of calling myself a board-certified family physician. Please contact me at michael.magill@hsc.utah.edu if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. Dr. Michael Magill is chair-elect, American Board of Fam- ily Medicine and professor and chair-emeritus, Depart- ment of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine. 29 |