New program will train family physicians and medical students in health policy leadership
SAN FRANCISCO – The California Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (CAFP-F) has announced the two inaugural fellows for its new Susan Hogeland, CAE Health Policy Fellowship. The fellowship will support promising medical students and family medicine residents committed to advocacy. The foundation’s goal is to increase the number of family medicine physicians trained in health policy at state and federal levels.
The 2019 fellows are Adia Scrubb, MD, MPP, a second-year resident at the John Muir Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Walnut Creek, and Jessica Farmer, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
“The Foundation looks forward to fostering policy involvement by generations of family physicians from a wide variety of backgrounds and institutions,” said CAFP-F President Marianne McKennett, MD. “With Dr. Scrubb and Ms. Farmer, we begin awarding fellowships to one family medicine resident and one medical student annually. We believe our fellows’ future leadership will shape health policy in California for decades to come. These improved policies, in turn, will improve health care and outcomes for patients and practice conditions for family physicians.”
Dr. Scrubb received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine and PRIME Program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley in comparative literature.
Jessica Farmer is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine, where she also is completing a Master of Public Health degree. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from UC Berkeley in microbial biology.
“The fellows will have access to tools, insights and a diversity of mentors to accelerate and distinguish their advocacy activities,” Dr. McKennett said. “The CAFP-F-endowed fellowship also provides stipends for participation in CAFP and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) policy and advocacy events and activities. By the end of the year, each fellow will design and implement a policy project.”
The Susan Hogeland, CAE Fellowship is open to any third- or fourth-year medical student interested in family medicine and any second- or third-year family medicine resident. Visit CAFP’s website for application dates and requirements for next year’s fellowships.
California Academy of Family Physicians and the CAFP Foundation established The Susan Hogeland, CAE Health Policy Fellowship in April 2018. Susan Hogeland served as CAFP’s executive vice president for nearly 30 years and retired in 2018. She began her career in advocacy and health policy in the office of U.S. Senator Everett Dirksen; worked as a federal legislative analyst with the California Medical Association; and served as assistant executive director of the San Francisco Medical Society, overseeing all policy and advocacy work. At CAFP, Ms. Hogeland built a nationally recognized organization and staff, mentored family physician leaders and fought many successful policy battles for family physicians and their patients.
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The mission of the CAFP-F is to advance the delivery of accessible, compassionate and comprehensive health care to the people of California by supporting the goals and projects of California Academy of Family Physicians and securing diverse philanthropic resources in order to accomplish those goals.
