OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UTAH ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

Pub. 6 2022 Issue 1

President’s Message

This story appears in the
UAFP Journal Pub 6 2022 Issue 1

Going forward, you will be in excellent hands. Our board is composed of brilliant physicians, a passion for growth drives current President-Elect Saphu Pradhan, and our UAFP staff will continue to be an excellent resource for all Utah physicians.

On a late summer Saturday in 2021, the UAFP Board met to brainstorm how we could improve the health of our community and the lives of our members. At the time, COVID numbers were down, and the weekend allowed us an opportunity to meet up with colleagues for the first time in over a year. Not surprisingly, this group of physicians dedicated their time to creating areas of opportunity for their peers and community. From that meeting, we set several goals to achieve during the 2021-22 year: improve member outreach, increase awareness of and work to mitigate implicit bias, and grow the philanthropic presence in our state.

Nearing the end of this 2021-22 UAFP Board calendar year, we are happy to say we are on track to accomplish every one of these goals. Our board is working on proactive outreach to rural members with hopes of increasing the diversity of voice in our chapter, our physicians have created incredible philanthropic grant proposals to the AAFP due to identified needs of less fortunate patients in our community, and our Program Director, Barb Muñoz, and Executive Director, Maryann Martindale, assembled an amazing lineup of Implicit Bias CME at our annual CME & Ski Event. The countless hours of hard work and innovation make me proud beyond what my written word can express; thank you to all those who contributed to these efforts!

While our Board has been hard at work over the past year, I know that Family Medicine Physicians in our community have continued to demonstrate why our specialty is the greatest in medicine. The countless stories of physicians going above and beyond the call of duty make me proud to be your colleague.

Going forward, you will be in excellent hands. Our board is composed of brilliant physicians, a passion for growth drives current President-Elect Saphu Pradhan, and our UAFP staff will continue to be an excellent resource for all Utah physicians.

In my last message to you, I have a few requests:

  • If you see an area of opportunity to improve public health, member outreach, or mentoring students and residents, please reach out to us. I would love to see our presence grow in this philanthropic area, and we have grants to fund projects.
  • Continue to advocate for growth in our specialty, wherever your voice may be heard.
  • Take time for yourself and spend time with those you love.

Lastly, we are pleased to announce the advance of Barb Muñoz from Program Director to Associate Director. This title change reflects the expertise she has provided our chapter for the past several years. Additionally, our Executive Director, Maryann Martindale, moved to the title of Chief Executive Officer to reflect her efforts and leadership of the academy. We thank them for their efforts as a board and look forward to seeing where they lead us in years to come!

Sincerely,
Chad A. Spain, MD, FAAFP, UAFP President 2021-22