Pub. 3 2019 Issue 2

artificial intelligence idea harvesting to minimize adminis- trative burden. During my visit to Utah, I provided UAFP’s members with my story about the Indianapolis 500 race car driver. I’m from Dayton, Ohio. Not only is Dayton, Ohio, the official birthplace of aviation, it is also indirectly respon- sible for the birth of the Indianapolis 500 motor speedway. It was during a drive from Dayton, Ohio, in 1908 when Carl Fisher’s car had a tire failure on the dirt road while driving back to Indiana. The automobile industry was in its forma- tive years but rapidly growing. While stranded on the road, Fisher’s traveling companion, Lem Trotter, asked him, “Why don’t you build that track?” Fisher had talked about build- ing a massive testing track for automobiles but had never done anything to make it a reality until Dayton’s disastrous dirt roads provided fuel for an idea that would eventually spawn the Indianapolis Motor Parkway. Ironically, the little town of French Lick was Fisher’s initial choice for the track, but he abandoned it because it was too hilly. They settled instead on 320 acres of flat farmland that gave birth, on Memorial Day weekend in 1911, to what Fisher described as, “the grandest grind ever,” to test “man and machine” in a 500-mile race on a 2.5-mile track paved with bricks instead of dangerous dirt. Working together like a well-rehearsed pit crew at the Indi- anapolis Motor Speedway, the UAFP can — not unlike Mr. Carl Fisher — create a tradition of taking imagined ideas and making them an enduring reality. Sometimes it feels as if the practice of medicine is struggling to gain traction on that same old dirt road we have traveled in the past. Either we can sit on the side of the road complaining about our disastrous misfortune, or we can build a better future by using our ingenuity to provide us with the intentional trac- tion we desire. We should not view the practice of medicine as “the grandest [daily] grind ever.” I compared the frustra- tion of the solo/independent or employed physician to that of the Indy car driver who is attempting to win a daily race by pumping his/her gas during each pit stop. Winning the race is impossible if we insist on pumping our gas (input- ting data) and changing our tires (completing prior authori- zations and pounds of paperwork) between each patient encounter. Burnout in medical practice is often caused by being unwilling to improve processes within the office. My next day in Salt Lake City began with a high-spirited break- fast with residents and students from the University of Utah Health School of Medicine programs. It was somewhat ironic that one of the first questions asked by this Utah delegation was the last question a resident asked me in New Hamp- shire. The question was (I’m paraphrasing slightly), “What is the AAFP doing to improve the interception of primary care medicine and social responsibility?” Our breakfast discussion oscillated from topics of EHR contributing to physician burn- out, process improvement, debt management, fellowship opportunities, practice choices, National Health Service Corp. applications, and the use of the term “provider.” It was a great discussion with the future leaders of our specialty. I concluded a recent New Hampshire AFP chapter report by describing my tour of the Dartmouth College Library “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” room — named after the book written by Dr. Seuss (Theodore Seuss Geisel). Thank you to the UAFP members (students, residents, preceptors and faculty), and the UAFP staff for all of the kindness and hospitality they shared with me during my visit. A special thanks to executive director, Maryann Martindale, and pro- gram director, Barb Muñoz, for arranging the details for my journey. This was their first time planning a UAFP annual meeting. They did an amazing job. Before and after the UAFP meeting, Barb provided me with an uber-grand tour of Salt Lake City! The people are friendly, the natural scen- ery is stunningly beautiful, and there are numerous things to do if you enjoy the great outdoors. Brigham Young was correct with his observation in 1847 — “This is the place.” Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to keep the physician in the driver’s seat so she/he can joyfully win the race each day. Get off the dirt road so we can boldly go to new places. Let’s start our collective engines with victory in mind. Gary L. LeRoy, MD, FAAFP, a family physician in Dayton, Ohio, is president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. LeRoy is the as- sociate dean for student affairs and admission at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Dayton, where he also is an associ- ate professor of family medicine. Family Physicians | Continued from page 7 Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to keep the physician in the driver’s seat so she/he can joyfully win the race each day. Get off the dirt road so we can boldly go to new places. Let’s start our collective engines with victory in mind. www.UtahAFP.org | 8