Phoenix Newsletter

October 2023

President’s Message: Enhancing Family Medicine Through Leadership Development and Education

As we near the end of another year, I hope that you and your family are doing well. We know this is a busy time for everyone, so we are taking this opportunity to share a few recent updates and enhancements that you may find beneficial as you complete your certification requirements and look to the start of a new year.

In this issue of the Phoenix, you’ll learn about new certification activities. These include new Pain Medicine and Musculoskeletal Knowledge Self-Assessment activities, a new Health Administration, Leadership, and Management Certificate of Added Qualification currently in development, and a new Performance Improvement activity with a focus on augmented intelligence and machine learning. In addition, we’re excited to release our first edition of the Family Medicine Factbook.

Read the full President’s Message  here

New! Pain Medicine Knowledge Self-Assessment

The new Pain Medicine Knowledge Self-Assessment activity is now available and can be accessed in your MyABFM Portfolio.

Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act – Individuals who need to self-report time spent training to fulfill the requirement should note that the ABFM Pains Medicine Knowledge Self-Assessment has approximately two-thirds of the 60 total questions which address the topics of appropriate opioid prescribing, substance use disorders in those with concurrent pain, effective pain treatment planning, and substance misuse.

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New! Muscoskeletal Knowledge Self-Assessment

The new Musculoskeletal Knowledge Self-Assessment activity is now available and can be accessed in your MyABFM Portfolio. This activity focuses on: Management and treatment of common conditions of the spine, Upper and lower extremities to maximize restoration of function, Clinical features of musculoskeletal traumatic overuse injuries.

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COVID-19 Performance Improvement Activity – No Longer a Pilot

ABFM’s COVID-19 Self-Directed Clinical Performance Improvement activity is now a permanent activity available in your MyABFM Portfolio. This activity is an updated version of the COVID-19 Self-Directed Clinical pilot, which was phased out on June 30, 2023.

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ABFM Releases First Edition of Its Family Medicine Factbook

ABFM is excited to present the first edition of the Family Medicine Factbook, a curated series of basic analyses intended to provide a broad perspective on family medicine and family physicians themselves.

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New! Augmented Intelligence and Machine Learning Performance Improvement Activity

ABFM is proud to announce a new Performance Improvement activity related to augmented intelligence and machine learning.

“Augmented intelligence” emphasizes a complementary role for artificial intelligence in medical practice.

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New! Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management CAQ Available October 2024

ABFM is a co-sponsoring board of the new subspecialty certification in Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management (HALM). This new Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ), with a 5-year continuing certification cycle, is currently in development and the first qualifying exam will be offered in November 2024.

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ABFM Board Chair Gerardo Moreno, MD, MSHS, Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

ABFM is pleased to announce the election of Gerado Moreno, MD, MSHS, to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Dr. Moreno, chair of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Department of Family Medicine and professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, also serves as chair of the ABFM Board of Directors and was previously selected as NAM’s 2015-2017 Puffer/ABFM Fellow.

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Can We Better Serve Our Hispanic Patients Through Language Concordance?

The United States grows more diverse with each passing year, but is that diversity reflected in the care provided by the family medicine community? The United States Hispanic population grew to more than 62 million individuals in 2020, a 25% increase in 10 years. In that time span, the number of practicing Spanish-speaking family physicians has remained relatively stagnant, creating a disparity of care for those with limited English proficiency (LEP).

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Dr. Emiliano Lemus Advocates for Trans and Latine Communities in San Francisco

Throughout the year, ABFM has shone a spotlight on marginalized patient populations and the physicians who serve them. For October, at the intersection of Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month, we spoke with Dr. Emiliano Lemus (they/él).

“I was raised in a family and community where people weren’t accessing health care due to language barriers, documentation barriers, and the fear that seeking health care could lead to deportation,” Dr. Lemus said. “

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From AAFP: Help Build a Best-in-Class Compensation Comparison Tool for Family Physicians

Help the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) build a robust career benchmark dashboard by a completing a short, completely anonymous survey about compensation and work experience.

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