Archive for the ‘Leadership News’ Category

GAFP President Dr. Susana Ajoy Alfonso Reflects on Her Journey to Leadership

Dr. Alfonso was sworn-in at GAFP annual meeting in November 2021.  She was installed by AAFP President Sterling Ransome, MD and in a gathering of over 100 friends, colleagues and families – she gave her first speech as chapter president.  Below is a selection of her inaugural speech:

First, I would like to thank you again for coming tonight.  I’ll start with some thank you’s, tell you a little bit about my journey in Family Medicine and the GAFP, and end with an invitation.

I’d like to start by thanking my patients who have allowed me the privilege of helping to take care of them and have trusted me to share their life and health journey with them.  You have taught me so much!  I’d like to thank the many classes of residents whom I’ve had the privilege to train.  I counted 19 alums at this meeting!

I’d like to thank my faculty colleagues who have been a part of my leadership journey from the beginning.  A few of them are here tonight and I won’t say which ones were interns with me in 1997!  I’d like to thank Dr. Ralph Peeler who stopped me in the parking lot behind the now demolished Shallowford hospital and said, “have you thought about getting more involved with the GAFP?”  and I said “no” and he said “you should think about it…I think you’d enjoy it.” That was 18 years ago.

I’d like to thank my village of friends, some of them are here tonight, many have known me since I was a teenager, who have at times literally carried me through life’s challenges.

  • I’d like to thank my mom in heaven who inspired me with her courage and willingness to defy the odds.
  • My father who loves with consistency and was never ever hesitant to set me straight.
  • My step mom who loves blindly and with her actions
  • My aunts and my sisters who in so many different ways have supported me as a mom and as a doctor, and a special shout out to my sister Paty who is deployed in Saudi Arabia who typed up my med school application because I was just home with a newborn baby.
  • My sons. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor but when I became a mother realized what my true purpose was and is, whose antics and perspectives kept me grounded…who taught me what is means to love without conditions.  You will both always be what I am the most proud of in this world.
  • To my husband who has walked every step of this journey with me, for always having a unique, practical perspective. I remember the first time having to tell a patient they might have a cancer and walking into our living room and saying a prayer that I would find the right words.  He looked at me and said “why are you praying for yourself, your patient is the one with cancer!” Thank you, Raul, for all the many years of support, even when what I wanted to do sounded crazy…I wouldn’t be here without all of you but especially you!

I was asked to re-apply to medical school after taking a leave to have a baby and was interviewed by someone who said “why are you here?  You should leave this spot to someone who is truly dedicated to medicine.”  After drying my eyes and my blouse because I was nursing and doing my second interview, I realized then and there that being a mother in med school made me different.

My own mother’s words rang in my mind, “you will always be different (she was referring to my ethnicity), and that difference can be your advantage or your disadvantage…it’s up to you”.   Three years later during my induction to AOA, when I was pregnant with my second son, the same person said to me “oh I always knew you’d do well.”

As a family physician I have had the privilege to practice full scope family medicine in an academic setting, serve farmworkers in South Georgia, serve children in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, and serve as chief medical officer of a QI and UM company. None of which I ever dreamed of doing when I started.

As your president I pledge to work to advance the goals of our academy to serve the patients and families in Georgia and our family medicine colleagues.

COVID has placed a spotlight on some things we already knew:  our healthcare system is fragmented and siloed, we have not invested sufficiently in public health and primary care and prevention, and health disparities remain even when some barriers such as access to vaccine and testing are removed.

We have just finished our three year strategic plan and like our parent organization the AAFP, none of our 5 pillars specify goals around diversity equity and inclusion as we expect to weave DEI into everything we do.  As we work together to change things at a system level and advance family medicine through education, advocacy and service my call to action is this: I invite you to join me in beginning the culture change toward inclusion.

Mother Theresa says, “not all of us can do great things, but each of us can do small things with great love”.  When you go back next week to your practices, hospitals, and communities, look at whose voice is not being heard and invite them to the table.  Different perspectives will make us stronger, different perspectives will make us more innovative, different perspectives will allow us to build more effective healthcare teams and ultimately help us.

Recruitment for 2021 Georgia Academy Leadership

Recruitment for 2021 Georgia Academy Leadership

To:          GAFP Colleague (Active, Life, Resident, Medical Student)

From:    Thomas D. Fausett, Jr. MD, FAAFP – President – 2020-2021

One of the most important roles serving as your President for this upcoming year is appointing the Committee members for 2021. I am soliciting your interest in participating on one of the Georgia Academy’s committees for next year.

I ask that you only volunteer to be nominated if you can attend either in person or by phone all 3 meetings in 2021. Although several committees meet more than 3 times a year, here are the dates for the expected 2021 Committee dates. Note that we do not expect to have any in-person meetings until June 2021:

  • February – March 2021                               Virtual Meetings (after work hours or weekends)
  • Thursday, June 10 Hilton Head, SC (Sonesta Resort Hilton Head)
  • Saturday, July 31                                             Savannah, GA (Kimpton Brice Hotel)

I appreciate your consideration of service with your colleagues on a committee. We are only strong with many voices of family medicine working together.

=======================================================================

Committee membership will be held to no more than 15 members. For most committees, this will include one slot for a resident and a medical student. The expectation is that each member selected for a committee will have the ability to 1) attend the three committee conclave meetings, 2) respond to emails, and 3) review committee materials and be ready to offer advice and guidance.

There will also be a Legislative Session Working Group that meets weekly, but for a shorter time period (January-April 2021) to assist in Georgia Academy programs.

Following is a list of the opportunities for service. We encourage your interest and participation as this is certainly an important and pivotal time for family medicine. We are only as strong as the commitment and involvement of our members.

Education and Research Committee (15 members): This committee is responsible for all the educational activities of the Georgia Academy, including the annual and summer meeting, as well as our regional CME such as THRIVE and online offerings.

Finance Committee (15 members): This committee reviews the financials including our annual audit, staff benefits and the budget. It also makes recommendations to the Board on financial policies.

Legislative Committee (15 members): This committee oversees all advocacy and legislative activities and recommends action to the Board to assure representation of family medicine and our patients.

State Legislative Session Working Group (unlimited members): This working group will meet weekly by phone from January – April to review the policy priorities of the Georgia Academy along with receiving updates on the activities of the Georgia General Assembly. Areas of focus will include the State Budget (Medicaid, Public Health), Tort Reform, Insurance Initiatives, Public Safety, Medical Education, Funding of Family Medicine Residency Programs and Scope of Practice.

Membership Services Committee (15 members): This committee has the responsibility for membership recruitment and retention, overview of leadership development, as well as, for all local and national award nominations. This committee is also tasked with monitoring the communications to our members.

Practice Management Committee (15 members): The Practice Management Committee monitors insurance policies and issues that affect the business of family medicine. It also works on practice transformation and educating our members on business practices. The committee is continually monitoring new payment models and easing administrative burdens.

Public Health Committee (15 members): This committee works to improve the health and welfare of our state’s citizens by assisting Georgia’s Department of Public Health in their mission. The Georgia Academy has an ongoing contractual relationship with the Department of Public Health that is overseen by this committee.

Student and Resident Recruitment (15 members – 9 active/life members, 3 students, 3 residents) This Committee promotes family medicine to our Georgia medical students, pre-medical and high school students as well as looks for areas to support family medicine physicians-in-training.

Committee Membership Application:

Name_____________________________________________________________________________

I am a __________Medical Student ______________Resident ________________Family Physician

______________________________is the Committee I would like to serve on in 2021.

____________I can attend all 3 committee dates (either in person or by phone).

I cannot attend all three committee dates, I can attend _______________of the meetings.

My talents and expertise that will assist the committee are:

If I am not selected for my committee of choice. I would like to be considered for the _______________ Committee.

I would also like to volunteer for the Legislative Session Working Group:________________________________

 

 

Georgia Academy of Family Physicians

Fax to 404-321-7450

or email Angela Flanigan at aflanigan@gafp.org

Download the PDF version

Georgia Academy Comments to CMS on Proposed New Affordable Care Act Exchange                        

CMS has confirmed that Georgia’s Section 1332 state innovation waiver, which changes the Affordable Care Act exchange model, is complete. The waiver will now move into a public comment period.  As it currently stands, the state innovation waiver would shift Georgia’s individual health insurance marketplace from HealthCare.gov to its Georgia Access Model. It would also pursue a reinsurance program through tiered coinsurance.

The state expects the reinsurance program to stabilize the market, reducing premiums by over ten percent.   The proposal projected that the Georgia Access Model would increase individual health insurance market enrollment by 25,000 and, as a result, bring down premiums by 3.5 percent. The cost to fund this project would be $144 million for its starting year 2022.

The Georgia Academy sent comments to Governor Kemp when the proposal was first up for review, and again has submitted comments to CMS.  A summary of those comments is below:

While we appreciate that this proposal will not interrupt coverage with patients with pre-existing conditions, we are concerned about allowing non-ACA compliant plans into Georgia.  Furthermore, removing Georgia from the healthcare.gov platform would penalize Georgians looking for a one-stop marketplace to compare and select insurance plans, forcing them to rely on scattershot network of web-brokers and other actors that may take into account Georgians’ financial or health needs. Under this arrangement, Georgia would be the only state nationwide to remove itself from this marketplace.

The current proposal to allow Georgians to buy extended, short-term health insurance (non-ACA compliant) is a step back to the days when companies sold low-value insurance policies that subjected our patients to catastrophic medical bills and medical bankruptcy.

The current proposal would allow exempt these non-compliant plans from Affordable Care Act consumer protections such as covering essential benefits, which include prescriptions, laboratory tests, hospitalization, and maternity care. It would allow plans to establish caps once again on annual benefits. Limiting benefits can expose patients to extraordinarily high out-of-pocket costs, particularly for people who have chronic or life-threatening conditions that require costly treatment, close monitoring and ongoing medication.

Equally troublesome, these plans further destabilize the individual market by drawing young, healthy people away from meaningful, comprehensive coverage that meets ACA standards. Allowing the healthy to gamble with low-quality insurance will also raise ACA-compliant plans’ premiums, putting better coverage beyond the reach of millions of the sickest Americans.

The Georgia Academy has stood with the American Academy of Family Physicians in steadfastly calling for policies that ensure all Americans have access to affordable, meaningful health insurance. Georgia policies should support patient-centered insurance reforms that prohibit insurers from selling plans that fail to provide meaningful coverage.

Any plan allowed to be sold to Georgians in our state should have these minimum essential health benefits:

Benefits

At a minimum, these would include items and services in the following benefit categories:

  • Ambulatory patient services
  • Emergency services
  • Hospitalization
  • Maternity and newborn care
  • Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
  • Prescription drugs
  • Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
  • Laboratory services
  • Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
  • Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

In addition to requiring coverage for essential health benefits, all proposals or options will ensure that primary care is provided through the patient’s primary care medical home. To foster a longitudinal relationship with a primary care physician, all proposals or options will provide the following services independent of financial barriers (i.e., deductibles and co-pays) if the services are provided by the patient’s designated primary care physician:

  1. Evaluation & management services
    b.     Evidence-based preventive services
    c.      Population-based management
    d.     Well-childcare
    e.     Immunizations
    f.       Basic mental health care

The leadership will continue to monitor the progress of this CMS waiver and inform the membership when news develops.

2020 Election – National and State Sneak Peek – Review of Key Races – Too Close to Call?

To:  GAFP Member – Exclusive Event for GAFP / AAFP PAC Donors

Re: 2020 Election – National and State Sneak Peek – Review of Key Races – Too Close to Call?

Tuesday, October 20th – 6:00 pm

If you have not already received an exclusive email from either the GAFP or the AAFP, it means that we haven’t received a PAC donation for your state PAC (GAFP PAC) or the national PAC (AAFP FAM MEDPAC) – and we want you to be a part of this donor-only event.

We want to offer all our members a sneak peek in key races – both nationally and at a state level – and how the election will shape health care in 2021 (and for many years to come).  Please join us for this update as we will be less than 20 days from election day – and every vote counts.

Faculty:

  • David Tully – American Academy of Family Physicians Director of Government Relations
  • Chuck McMullen – Consultant, Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, Co-lead Parker Poe Consulting’s Atlanta office

Donate Below – After Your Donation You Will Receive an Invitation to Register for the Tuesday, October 20th Event

GAFP PAC:  https://gafp.org/pac/

AAFP Fam MED PAC:  https://www.aafp.org/advocacy/support.html?navid=fammedpac

ALL MEMBER NOTICE!! You’re Invited! Congress of Delegates First Session Webinar/Conference Call

ALL MEMBER NOTICE!!  You’re Invited!

Congress of Delegates First Session Webinar/Conference Call

October 29th – 6:00pm

GAFP Members – Join the Discussion

The first meeting of the Congress of Delegates will be via conference call / webinar on Thursday, October 29, at 6 pm. All members are invited and encouraged to attend. Please register for the 1st session of the Congress of Delegates by clicking this link Congress of Delegates: 1st Session.

Members are invited to speak to resolutions of interest or concern to you. Final 2020 resolutions will be available Friday, October 23 on the GAFP website.

The second session of the Congress of Delegates is virtual and will take place on Sunday, November 15th from 2:30pm until 5:30pm via Zoom.  The second session is where final discussion and voting occurs. COD delegates can speak and vote for your district during the second session.  Click here —Congress of Delegates 2nd Session to register for the Congress of Delegates Zoom Meeting.  Below is the current list of delegates.

2020 District Delegates as of 10/1/20

Speaker: Carl McCurdy, MD, FAAFP

Vice Speaker: Monica Newton, DO, FAAFP

District 1 Delegates

Angela Gerguis, MD

Russell Lake, MD

Jamal Lawrence, MD

Mary Mier, DO

Peter Rives, MD

District 2 Delegates

Mike Busman, MD

Zita Magloire, MD

Michael Satchell, MD

District 3 Delegates

Joy Adegbile, MD

Mah-Fri Fomukong, MD

Shawnte Hall-Kraft, MD

Tamara Lewis, MD

Evelyn Lewis&Clark, MD

Curtis Sorensen, MD

District 3 Alternates:

Avril Campbell, MD

Curtis Clark, DO

James Hagler, MD

Beulette Hooks, MD

Alice House, MD

Daniel Singleton, MD

District 4 Delegates

William Bostock, MD

Kris Manlove-Simmons, MD

John Shih, MD

District 5 Delegates

Shameka Hunt-McElhaney, MD

Allison Key, MD

Susan Schayes, MD

Kele Sewell, MD

Jeff Stone, MD

District 6 Delegates

Tameka Byrd, MD

Hubert Pare, MD

Cyrenah Stokley, DO

Harry Strothers, MD

Brandan Wormsbacher, MD

District 7 Delegates

John Desmond, MD

Pamela Obi, MD

Leonard Reeves, MD

Stephanie Stutz, DO

Katherine Taylor, MD

District 7 Alternate Delegates

Emma Atherton-Staples, MD

Brian Cheever, MD

Christina Douglass, MD

District 8 Delegates

Jason Cox, MD

Jay Goberdhan, MD

Eugene Jackson, MD

District 8 Alternate:

Donny Nash, MD

District 9 Delegates

Amy Bailey, MD

Samuel “Le” Church, MD

Kathryn Neely, MD

Morris Pulliam, MD

Anne Todd, MD

Jake Varghese, MD

District 10 Delegates

Temitope Afon, MD

Edward Agabin, MD

Mitch Cook, DO

Julie Dahl-Smith, DO

Bruce LeClair, MD

District 11 Delegates

Derrell Anglyn, MD

Thomas Bat, MD

Michelle Cooke, MD

Daniel Feckoury, MD

Kennard Hood, MD

Marissa Lapedis, MD

Zazi Nylander, MD

Michael Obiekewe, MD

Sylveria Olatidoye, MD

Priya Shah, MD

Angeline Ti, MD

Resident Delegates:

Anthony Daniels, MD

Augusta University

Ajibola Babatunde, MD

Houston Healthcare

Osara Malalasekara, MD

Wellstar Atlanta Medical

Macy McNair, MD

Morehouse Family Medicine Residency Program

Philomise Moncion, MD

Medical Center of Central Georgia

Student Delegates:

Caitlin  Balno – Mercer Savannah

Naomi Coles – Morehouse School of Medicine

Sydney Koenig – Mercer School of Medicine    

Introducing the 2020 GAFP Award Winners!

GAFP Physician Member Award Winners

Beulette Hooks, MD, FAAFP, 2020 Family Physician of the Year:  Dr. Beulette Y. Hooks is a native of Macon County and a graduate of Macon County High School. She is the daughter of the late Mr. Lewis and Vivian Hooks of Montezuma, GA. After graduating 2nd in her class from Macon County High School, Dr. Hooks went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Mercer University College of Liberal Arts in Macon, Georgia.

After taking the Medical School Admission Test, she was selected to participate in the Summer Academic Achievement Program at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. After completing the Summer Program, Dr. Hooks enrolled in North Carolina A&T to work on a master’s degree in Biology.  While completing her master’s degree she was accepted into Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, where she received a full scholarship and was one of three African American students in her class of forty students. Dr. Hooks went on to complete her family medicine residency at the Medical Center of Central Georgia/Mercer University in Macon, GA.  While a student at Mercer University School of Medicine she was elected to represent all medical students as the Chair of the AAFP’s National Congress of Student Members. She went on to serve as the Chairperson of the AAFP National Congress of Family Medicine Residents.

As a young physician, Dr. Hooks was selected to serve as Convenor of the American Academy of Family Physician’s National Conference of Special Constituencies. Dr. Hooks’ leadership skills served her well through the years, as she has gone on to serve as President -Elect, President and Board Chair of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Hooks is currently the Physician Team Leader for the Victory Team in the Family Medicine Clinic at Martin Army Community Hospital. She is also one of three new members of HRSA Council on Graduate Education. Dr. Hooks has also recently served as Chair of the AAFP’s Commission on Health of the Public and Science. She is the Medical Director for the Tree of Life Healthcare, a free clinic in Columbus, GA, and is the Leader of the Post 69 Healthcare Explores that she started at 4th Street Baptist Church in 2015.  She is a devoted, loving and supportive sister, aunt, and niece, and serves as a mentor to many.

Julie Dahl-Smith, DO, FAAFP, 2020 Family Medicine Educator of the Year: Dr. Dahl-Smith completed her undergraduate degree at Augusta College with a degree in Psychology. She went on to the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, where she earned her Doctor of Osteopathy degree and her family medicine residency was completed at the Medical College of Georgia.

Dr. Dahl-Smith’s love for family medicine has led her to an impressive career in medical academia. She began her medical career as an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Georgia, Department of Family Medicine. Through the years, she has served as Program Director of Osteopathic Internship, Director of the Osteopathic and Allopathic Residency Programs, Associate Professor for the Department of Family Medicine, Clinical Associate Professor for NOVA, and Program Director for the Department of Family Medicine. She has also served as a member, Treasurer, Committee Chair, and Vice President of the Medical College of Georgia’s Faculty Senate.

Dr. Dahl-Smith is the first family medicine female faculty member to have successfully progressed through all of the Medical College of Georgia’s academic ranks to full professor. She is currently the Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Director of the ACGME Family Medicine Program and its embedded Osteopathic program. She also serves as the Director of the department’s Rural 1+2 Residency Program.

Dr. Dahl-Smith interacts one-on-one with residents in the context of patient care delivery.  Her effectiveness as a “hands-on” instructor is seen in the excellent student and resident evaluations. She has extensive experience as a clinical educator and exposes her students and residents to a plethora of medical processes.

Her teaching activities span the entire spectrum of medical education, from serving as physical diagnosis instructor for medical students to providing family medicine didactic and clinical clerkship instructions for family medicine residents at all levels of training.  She also provides teaching support for the department of physician assistants and the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior. She is a favorite with her students and residents, evidenced by her receipt of both the student and resident exemplary teaching awards. In 2019 she was named a Best Doctor by Augusta Magazine.

She is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Osteopathic Family Medicine, and the American Board of Medical Acupuncture, and active with the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians as Chair of the Student and Resident Recruitment Committee.

Mike Busman, MD, FAAFP co-winner of the 2020 Community & Volunteer Services Award: Dr. Mike Busman serves as the Medical Director at Georgia Southwestern State University Student Health Center and the After Hours Urgent Care Center in Americus, Georgia.  Dr. Busman received his undergraduate degree from Emory University and later received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. He completed his family medicine residency at The Medical Center in Columbus, Georgia and a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina.

Dr. Busman worked as an emergency room physician in rural Alabama and Georgia for several years before making a home in Americus, Georgia. Dr. Busman has held leadership roles throughout his career including Chief of Medicine, Chair of Credentials, Medical Executive Committee, and Chief of Staff at Sumter Regional Hospital (now Phoebe-Sumter Medical Center). As he furthered his medical career, Dr. Busman also planted deep roots in the community he served.  He currently volunteers his time as the Medical Director of Travel Medicine for Habitat for Humanity, and as the Medical Director and Co-Founder of the Sumter Faith Free Medical Clinic.

Dr. Busman is board certified in Family Medicine and holds a certificate of Specialized Qualifications in Sports Medicine. Even though he has a love for sports and medicine, his passions lie in his volunteer efforts.  For many years Dr. Busman has been an active member of the Americus Rotary Club and has served on the Sumter County Board of Education for more than seventeen years and is currently the Board Chairman.  He is also a proud member of the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce.

As an active member of the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians, he has served as the Vice Chair of the Education and Research Committee and Chair of the Membership Committee. He has received several professional awards during his career including the GAFP’s Family Physician of the Year Award, the Society of Teachers in Family Practice, Resident Teacher of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Volunteer Award for the Georgia Games. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance

Eddie Richardson, Jr., MD, FAAFP co-winner of the 2020 Community & Volunteer Services Award: Dr. Eddie Richardson, Jr. is a native of Echols County and a graduate of Echols County High School. He is the son of the late Mr. Eddie & Laverne Richardson of Howell, GA. After graduating from Echols County High, Dr. Richardson went on to earn his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a minor in Math from Valdosta State University. Upon completion of his degree, he then joined the United States Marine Corps.  While in the Marine Corps, he was meritoriously promoted twice, served in the Gulf War, and received the Navy Medal of Achievement for his outstanding service.

Dr. Richardson returned to civilian life to attend Clark Atlanta University where he received a Master’s in Biochemistry. He went on to attend Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and completed his Family Medicine residency at the Medical Center in Columbus, GA.

Dr. Richardson has been involved in the community for several years. He has served on the Putnam-Eatonton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Putnam Middle School Advisory Board, and the Ocmulgee Circuit Adult Treatment Court Collaborative Substance Abuse Advisory Board. Most recently he has been a clinical leader during the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr. Richardson’s clinic was the first testing site in the Eatonton and Greene counties area.  He has used his platform to educate the local hospital and the community throughout the pandemic. Dr. Richardson earned the Milledgeville Physician of the Week recognition for his care of ambulatory and hospitalized coronavirus patients.  He was also featured in a frontpage article of The Herald Journal where he shed light on why African American patients are hit harder during the coronavirus pandemic. He continues to fight the pandemic from the front lines.

Dr. Richardson has served in several leadership positions including Medical Director and CEO of Lake Oconee Urgent & Specialty Care Center in Eatonton, GA, and the founder of RYSE Men’s Clinic & Spa in Atlanta, GA. He is the Regional Medical Director of Navicent Healthcare, Chief of Staff and Medical Director of Putnam General Hospitalist Program, Medical Director for Amedisys Home Health Agency, and Medical Director of Harmony Hospice. He is a leader in the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians (past President and Board Chair) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (board member). He also serves as the Vice President of the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance Board of Trustees.

Chivon Stubbs, MD 2020 Family Medicine Resident of the Year: Dr. Chivon Stubbs received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from Georgia State University and a Master of Science in Biological Sciences and Organization Leadership from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia. Upon completion of her master’s degree, Chivon enrolled in medical school at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Dr. Stubbs has recently been published in the STFM Family Medicine Journal and the Journal of Student-Run Clinics. She serves as the Clinical Advisor for MSM-HEAL (Health Equality for All Lives), a student-run clinic which guides medical students of all stages including improving their physical exam skills, teaching them phlebotomy skills, and glucose monitoring.

Throughout her residency career, Dr. Stubbs continues to give back to her community. She consistently volunteers at the student-run free standing clinics, mobile clinics, and community health fairs. She is a volunteer with Hosea Feed the Hungry and for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program through the United Way, a program that helps low income families file their income tax returns.

As a medical student, Dr. Stubbs served as an active member of the STFM Medical Student Education Collaborative, where she served for two years. She aided in the increase in student engagement in STFM and Academic Family Medicine by advocating for free student memberships. She also contributed by leading medical student workshops at the annual STFM conference on Medical Student Education.

As a resident she served as a Resident Board Member for the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians.  She was also a Resident Delegate to the AAFP National Conference where spoke on students and resident issues during the conference. Dr. Stubbs is a member of the MSE Steering Committee of STFM as a core member of a task force to develop national curriculum for family medicine sub-internship. Additionally, from 2015-2018 she served on the Board of Directors as the Cut-Hypertension Chair of the Health Student Taking Action Together (H-STAT) task force.

Ryan Smith, MD 2020 Keith Ellis Resident Scholarship: Dr. Ryan Smith is a native of Lilburn, Georgia and completed his medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Smith served as Chief Resident at Emory Family Medicine Residency Program and builds longitudinal relationship with patients by serving as a family medicine physician.

During his time as Chief Resident, Dr. Smith developed an 18-month curriculum to cover the core topics of family medicine.  He also sponsored an initiative to improve bedside rounding in the Emory inpatient service.  Throughout his medical career, he has been involved in medical school education.

He applies evidence-based medicine to his daily practice. He thrives on delivering full-spectrum outpatient medicine as well as teaching medical students. He takes an active role in the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) at the school of medicine, where he continues to expose medical students to the specialty of family medicine.

Additionally, Dr. Smith has been involved with the community through the development of the residency’s Home Visit program.  Based on his assessments, he was able to develop and improve home visits and implement those changes in the program. He also recognizes the need to consider the social and emotional support system of his patients at the time of evaluating and treating them.

Dr. Smith promotes family medicine interests at the legislative level. He has participated at the GAFP’s Day at the Capitol several times during his residency. He has also represented the Emory Family Medicine Residency Program at the 2019 AAFP National Conference and the 2020 GAFP Medical Student Meeting.

CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS: GAFP’S 2020 CONGRESS OF DELEGATES

GAFP’S 2020 CONGRESS OF DELEGATES:

CALL FOR RESOLUTIONS

The Georgia Academy of Family Physicians is seeking resolutions for the 2020 Congress of Delegates (COD) meeting. Last year, the COD tackled issues such as coverage for HIV testing and treatments, remove barriers to physician credentialing in rural and physician-shortage, and obstetric privileges for family physicians.

What is the Congress of Delegates, you ask?  The GAFP Congress of Delegates is a governing body of the Academy that can set policy. It meets annually at the GAFP Annual Meeting to vote on and ratify decisions that are made by the Board all year, as well as to hear and vote on resolutions from all members.

We are soliciting your ideas and leadership in proposing resolutions for this year’s Congress of Delegates, the first session will be a live webinar/conference call on Thursday, October 29, at 6:00 pm and the final session will meet on Thursday, November 12 in conjunction with the Annual Meeting held at The Avalon Hotel in Alpharetta.

Do you need help writing your resolution? Staff and Speaker Carl McCurdy, MD and Vice Speaker Monica Newton, DO are available to assist you, contact Angela Flanigan at aflanigan@gafp.org or 800.392.3841. You can submit your resolution online at https://gafp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Call-for-Resolutions-2020_Fillable-3.pdf. The deadline to submit resolutions is Friday, September 11.

Join us as a delegate!  If you are interested in serving your district by being elected as a COD delegate for your district, please reach out to Angela Flanigan and she will confirm your district number, then send you a survey to complete to nominate yourself and others from your district.

 

Medicaid Provider – COVID Relief

Targeted Payments to Medicaid and CHIP Providers

HHS announced this week plans to distribute $15 billion from the Provider Relief Fund targeted to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not yet received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Distribution. This funding will supply relief to Medicaid and CHIP clinicians experiencing lost revenues or increased expenses due to COVID-19. Additional payments will also be made to safety-net hospitals.

To be eligible for this funding, health care clinicians must not have received payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution and either have directly billed their state Medicaid/CHIP programs or Medicaid managed-care plans for health-care-related services between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2020.

The Provider Relief General Distribution directed $50 billion to Medicare facilities and providers affected by COVID-19, based on eligible providers’ 2018 net patient revenue, in April and May. This distribution reached approximately 62% of all providers participating in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. For this reason, many family physicians may not be eligible for the Medicaid targeted payments. This new Medicaid and CHIP Targeted Distribution will make monies from the Provider Relief Fund available to the remaining 38% of providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not yet received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation.

Action Required to Receive Payments

HHS launched the Enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal(cares.linkhealth.com) on June 10. To receive a payment, clinicians who participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and/or Medicaid and CHIP managed care organizations, and who have not yet received General Distribution funding, should report their annual patient revenue through this portal. The distribution will be equal to at least 2% of reported gross revenues from patient care. The final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data are submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients served. The deadline to submit an application for the Medicaid Targeted Distribution is July 20, 2020.

Instructions(www.hhs.gov) and the application form(www.hhs.gov) are provided to assist applicants in applying for funds. Once a payment is received, providers must sign an attestation confirming receipt of the funds and agree to the Terms and Conditions(www.hhs.gov) within 90 days.

Thrive Workshop: Now Open to All Members

Are you an employed physician concerned about increasing your bottom line? 

Let the GAFP Thrive – Coding and Reimbursement Practice Improvement Workshop Help!

With the devastating financial impact COVID-19 is having on the economy, there is no better time than now to ensure your practice is reimbursed at the highest rate possible.  There is still time to register for the July 16th Thrive – Coding and Reimbursement Practice Improvement workshop in Atlanta.  Thrive is an innovative practice transformation project that focuses on helping primary care practices increase reimbursements by identifying under-used codes and procedures. It is designed to help practices survive and thrive in today’s changing healthcare environment by educating the care team on ways to find hidden or underutilized coding to help receive the highest possible reimbursement rates.  Thrive will also help the practice ensure their patients are taking advantage of all the benefits that their health plans allow.

As an added incentive, completion of the Thrive program counts as an American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Self-Directed Performance Improvement Activity where you earn up to 20 points towards your overall 50-point activity requirement.

The July 16 workshop will include education on missed coding opportunities, proper documentation tips and techniques, and rapid-cycle improvement processes. During the second workshop on October 15, 2020, practice teams will have an opportunity to report progress on their individual practice improvement projects and receive additional coaching from the practice transformation consulting team.

If you’re tired of losing money because you’re not being reimbursed for the work that you and your team perform in your practice, please submit an application to attend the July cohort today.

Registration fees are $500 per practice, reimbursable upon completion of the program.  Only active GAFP members and their billing team qualify to attend.

GAFP Members in the News

April 13, 2020

The Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors elects GAFP leader, Kevin E. Johnson, MD, to the AFMRD Board of Directors as a Member-at-Large director. Dr. Johnson is the Founding Program Director at Northside-Hospital – Gwinnett Family Medicine Residency Program in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He has been a program director since 2013.

Congratulations Dr. Johnson!

April 23, 2020

GAFP President, Jeff Stone, MD addressed vaccinations & the need for strong physician/pharmacist relationships on the latest edition of the Medical Association of Georgia’s (MAG) ‘Top Docs’ radio show. Click here to listen…

April 24, 2020

GAFP member, Dr. Andrew Reisman was quoted in the Atlanta Business Chronicle article entitled “Atlanta doctors’ business flatlines as guidelines keep patients home” click here to read the full story.