Challenge Accepted

“Are you a doctor?” I was asked this by a group of young women in the HOSA - Future Health Professionals organization, who noticed the “California Family Medicine” scarf I was wearing at our recent CAFP All Member Advocacy Meeting (AMAM) in Sacramento where our two organizations were staying at the same hotel. As we descended in the elevator, picking up students on each floor, I happily answered their excited questions about being a Family Physician and encouraged them to pursue becoming physicians. Wearing this scarf reminds me of so many of our incredible CAFP members whom I have met throughout California and the energizing Academy educational, legislative and membership events where I represented you while serving as your President. We were fortunate this year, with fewer COVID restrictions, to have more opportunities to meet again in person, increase advocacy, share stories, and support each other, and take group photos (even some with the scarf!). Warm and versatile with an inspiring message included no wonder this scarf is worn by Family Physicians!

This has been a remarkable year for CAFP and our members, a year which highlights that each individual Family Physician can and does make a difference in our communities and our specialty. CAFP Past President Dr. Jay W. Lee, from Orange County, was elected to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Board of Directors. Dr Jasmeet Bains, from Bakersfield, became the first Family Physician elected to the California State Assembly. I had the privilege to work with the CAFP Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Task Force led by Dr. Shannon Connolly, on the strategic plan to incorporate a JEDI lens as CAFP makes future policy decisions. The CAFP Board subsequently approved a permanent JEDI Committee for CAFP. At AMAM, it was an honor to have our special guest, Secretary Xavier Becerra of United States Health and Human Services virtually attend our meeting. He congratulated me on my CAFP President year and excitedly welcomed our wonderful new CAFP President, Dr. Raul

Ayala. Dr. Monica Hahn from San Francisco won the AAFP 2022 public health award for her work challenging systemic oppression and structural racism in medicine. Our delegation to the AAFP Congress of Delegates successfully advocated for our priority CAFP resolutions which were subsequently passed and became AAFP policy. We are thankful to our incredible CAFP legislative team who help us advocate for the needs of our members, learners, and patients. Several of our CAFP members were also selected to serve on AAFP Commissions.

While at the AAFP Congress of Delegates in Washington, DC my home Congressman Pete Aguilar, whom I had initially met while advocating for healthcare needs of people in our community, invited me to join him and his wife at a reception for Congress and to join his wife at the First Lady’s Luncheon. It was an experience of a lifetime! Notably, that experience was initiated by one Family Physician speaking up to make a difference, as so many of you do.

I am proud to be a California Family Physician. Our Family Physicians have passionately accepted the challenge to care for people of all ages, all life’s circumstances, and social determinants of health, to advocate for them and to teach our medical students, residents, and other learners to do the same. Many of us have the privilege to care for people in our most marginalized and underrepresented communities and advocate for improved health equity. No matter what the setting, I know our California Family Physicians uphold the dignity of everyone.

This year as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of our Academy and prepare to move into our new headquarters in Sacramento close to the Capitol ,where we will continue to advocate for Family Physicians and our patients, I marked this 75th Anniversary by making a “challenge coin” with the California bear and the CAFP scarf depicted on it thanking our leaders for all they have done and anticipating what is to come. As I presented our wonderful CAFP Board and staff their coin, I know they will continue to accept the challenge.

It has been my honor to serve as your 2022-23 CAFP President and I look forward to a wonderful year ahead as Dr. Raul Ayala serves our amazing Family Physicians in California as our new CAFP President. Thank you.