Posted on 04.26.10 by Executive Vice President Susan Hogeland, CAE

Over the weekend, nine family physicians and six staffers met for a facilitated discussion about the most effective place for CAFP to begin educating its members about, and helping them to become, more patient-centered in their care.  I'd like to extend our deep thanks to the following physicians for spending those two days sharing their expertise with us:  Larry Dardick, Anna Marie Gonzalez, Bo Greaves, Nancy Grossman, Carla Kakutani, Linda Lundeen, Alex Mari, Richard Payne and Rusty Renner.

Staff included Shelly Rodrigues, Cynthia Kear, Adam Francis and me, along with our staff-to-be, Leah Newkirk and Callie Langton.  Results of our discussion will be shared with the CAFP Board of Directors at its upcoming May 14 meeting, and incorporated into our strategic plan implementation work.

Congress of Delegates Correction

My apologies for incorrectly listing the dates of the 2011 Congress of Delegates meeting in last week's Academy in Action e-newsletter:  the correct dates are March 5, 6 and 7 at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento.

Chapter Activities

Legislative Advocate Tom Riley spoke at last week's Los Angeles AFP chapter meeting, providing attendees with a legislative update on both Sacramento and health reform legislation.  Thanks to Tom for taking time away from his family to travel to Los Angeles.

Legislative Activities This Week

This week in Sacramento CAFP legislative staff will join Drs. Carla Kakutani and Irina deFischer, both CAFP Board members, to participate in CMA's Lobby Day in Sacramento.  CAFP provided financial sponsorship of the event as well.  CAFP FP-PAC representatives will also be busy this week interviewing candidates for the State Legislature so contribution recommendations can be made to the PAC Board.  If you haven't yet contributed to FP-PAC, please do so today at http://www.familydocs.org/fppac.   I am happy to report that $7,114 in PAC contributions was raised at the 2010 Congress of Delegates, compared to $1,221 in 2009 and $4,292 in 2008.  We're definitely on the right trajectory.

Final planning is underway for CAFP's participation in AAFP's Congressional visit in Washington, DC on May 11-12, just before our own Annual Scientific Assembly in San Francisco.  Six physicians and one staff will attend.  Dr. Randi Sokol, a resident from UC Davis, is the recipient of an attendance scholarship from AAFP, for which we thank AAFP.

On the Home Front

We welcomed a new part-time receptionist/membership assistant here at CAFP today - Cecilia Awayan - who will be working 8 am-noon until her teaching obligations conclude for the summer.

Drs. Jack Chou and Carol Havens and I will travel to Kansas City this week for AAFP's Annual Leadership Forum.  CAFP's representatives to the National Caucus of Special Constituencies will also travel to Kansas City for that annual meeting; former Membership Manager Jessica Kuo will be providing support to the group. 

There is still time to register for our upcoming Annual Scientific Assembly here in San Francisco at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Union Square.  Call CAFP at 415-345-8667 to register by phone or go to http://www.familydocs.org/professional-development/ASA.php to do so today.