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CDC Updates TB Recommendations for Health Care Workers

AAFP

Annual tuberculosis rates of infection in the United States have declined substantially during the past nearly three decades, according to CDC data, with the 2017 rate dipping to 2.8 per 100,000 population — a 73% decrease from 1991, when the rate was 10.4 per 100,000, and a 42% dip from 2005’s rate of 4.8 per 100,000. Additionally, surveillance data reported to the agency from 1995 to 2007 showed that TB incidence rates among health care personnel were similar to those in the general population, raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of routine serial occupational testing.

These collective findings led the CDC to update its “Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health-Care Settings, 2005.”(www.cdc.gov) The new guidance was published in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report(www.cdc.gov) released May 17.

Read more.

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AAFP and KAFP Membership Grows

AAFP/KAFP

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and Kansas Academy of Family Physicians announces their 2019 membership numbers:

AAFP Membership Benchmark:

Total: 134,600

Active: 72,000

Student: 37,200

Resident: 13,000

KAFP Membership Benchmark:

Total: 1,820

Active: 1,053

Student: 479

Resident: 126

AAFP benchmark numbers have increased by 200 members overall. Our Kansas chapter has grown as well!  We have 1,820 members, an increase of 60.  Thank YOU for your membership.

Do you know someone who isn’t a member but should be?  Check out the Active Membership Benefits and Resident & Student Membership information and how to apply for membership.  For further information or questions contact KAFP at kafp@kafponline.org or 316-721-9005.

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AAFP EVP & CEO Douglas E. Henley, MD to Step Down Next Year

AAFP

Statement attributable to:
Michael Munger, MD, FAAFP
Board Chair
American Academy of Family Physicians

“The American Academy of Family Physicians recently announced that Douglas E. Henley, MD, FAAFP, executive vice president and chief executive officer for the AAFP since 2000, has notified the board of directors of his intention to leave his role with the organization next year. Dr. Henley’s last day as the AAFP’s EVP and CEO will be Aug. 1, 2020, the 20th anniversary of his tenure.

“Dr. Henley will remain at the helm of the AAFP and fully committed to his role until August of next year. During that time the AAFP will initiate a nationwide search for his successor. Because of the ample notice Dr. Henley provided, the AAFP expects seamless transition and onboarding for a new leader sometime in 2020.

So many aspects of modern life have changed in the last 20 years, and health care in America has experienced some of the most evolutionary transformation. The AAFP has accomplished many things under Dr. Henley’s leadership, and there is much more to work to do on behalf of family medicine over the course of Dr. Henley’s next 15 months.”

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For Students: Download Residency Finder App

AAFP

The AAFP app now has everything students need to find the right family medicine residency program. Open the app and click For Students to search and save residencies, take notes on programs you meet, plan interview questions, and make decisions about a rank list. Start selecting your favorite programs to meet at this summer’s National Conference. Read a handout about the app or download it now.

 

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Social Activities for 50th Anniversary of Family Medicine

AAFP

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of family medicine, AAFP will post two questions a month on the Facebook Event Page, Twitter and Instagram for you to respond to by uploading a video or adding a comment. The hashtag is #FMed50.

To participate be sure to follow AAFP on these channels and use #FMed50 with your post.

  • Facebook: @familymed
  • Twitter: @AAFP
  • Instagram: the_aafp

After FMX, the AAFP will share anniversary content from FMX to keep the celebration going.

 

 

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Thank You to KAFP Members Who Completed RUC Survey

KAFP

Thank you to all who completed the Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) survey at the request of American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians – you rock!

The RUC survey closed on March 18. The AAFP reports that 360 AAFP members completed the entire survey and 208 AAFP members completed the physician work component. Thank you!

According to AAFP CEO Doug Henley, MD, these numbers are excellent. The AAFP far surpassed other medical societies in numbers of survey completions.

AAFP staff will attend the RUC meeting later this month and hopes to have data ready from the survey that indicates new Relative Value Units (RVUs).

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Celebrate Patient Engagement Day April 4: Register for Webinar today

AAFP

April 4 is Patient Engagement Day! A highlight of the day will be a webinar scheduled for 1:00 p.m. hosted by the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) Center for Excellence in Primary Care and moderated by Anjana Sharma, MD. She will feature certain aspects of her group’s research and will highlight case study findings — those bright spots that were central to the team’s nationwide project as part of Family Medicine for America’s Health.

Register today for that free webinar, and while you’re at the center for excellence site, be inspired by a video in which physicians and others discuss first-hand experiences in engaging patients to improve care.

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Increasing Adult Pneumococcal Immunization Rates – Update on Recipients

AAFP

The KAFP is one of three grant recipients for the pneumococcal grant for quality improvement (QI) initiatives that will increase adult pneumococcal vaccination rates. In this initiative KAFP is partnering with family physicians to implement evidence-based practices to promote effective immunizations of Medicare patients. Practices selected for the Kansas Family Medicine Pneumococcal Immunization Office Champions (KFMPIOC) Program will be supported in using their Electronic Health Record (EHR) to track and improve their pneumococcal immunization rates and rates of other immunizations for seniors. Read more about KAFP’s project and the other two projects selected.

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Results from Match Day 2019

AAFP

Family medicine, which recognized its 50th anniversary as a specialty in February, has another reason to celebrate this year. On March 15, more students than ever matched into the specialty, marking a decade of year-over-year growth for family medicine.

While the numbers are mostly positive, a decline in the match rate of U.S. seniors at allopathic medical schools raises some concern. The AAFP has published a news article and a detailed analysis that delve into the 2019 results and historical trends.

Highlights from the 2019 Match include:

  • 3,848 medical students and graduates matching into family medicine, 313 more than in 2018
  • 474 more family medicine residency positions offered in 2019 than 2018
  • 1,617 U.S. MD seniors matching into family medicine programs, 31 fewer than last year

All numbers reported are based on data provided by the National Resident Matching Program.

Looking ahead, the AAFP is championing major reform to achieve more rapid growth for the specialty in the decade to come. Through the America Needs More Family Doctors: 25×2030 Collaborative, the AAFP and the family of family medicine are calling for 1 in 4 medical students in the US to match into the specialty. Today, approximately 1 in 8 of these students enter a family medicine residency each year. Achieving the goal of 1 in 4 would mean more cost-effective, life-saving, accessible care for patients in the US, and it will take major cultural and systemic shifts for this outcome to be realized.

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The ABFM Launches New, Improved Website

AAFP

The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) announces a newly designed website (www.theabfm.org).

The much-improved streamlined navigation was a central focus of the website redesign effort, providing a user experience that allows access to consistent and accurate information quickly and easily. Reducing the density of content and improving the clarity of explanations about the certification process were also major goals in this effort.

The website will feature optimized responsive functionality on mobile devices which will allow users to access the ABFM website while on the go, in the office, or at home. A new search feature is also one of many improvements that will provide users the ability to quickly search the website for key information of interest. Finally, this site offers new features not previously seen on ABFM’s website, including a Get Involved with the ABFM section.

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