SPCPF |
Society of Primary Care Policy Fellows |
1522 K Street, NW, Suite 702, Washington, DC 20005 - (202) 289-7735 - Fax: (202) 289-8046 - www.primarycaresociety.org |
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August 1, 2007
Dear Colleagues in the Society of Primary Care Policy Fellows,
There are more than 400 of us, alumni of the remarkably successful Primary Care Policy Fellowship. In operation from 1991-2005, the Fellowship was sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration, in cooperation with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.
We’ve gained much from our Fellowship experience, and we’ve given back many fold to enhancing the primary care infrastructure of the nation through using our leadership skills in each of our roles. We have members who are heads of federal agencies, state health officers, deans of health professions schools, CEO’s of healthcare organizations, and, most importantly, practitioners of primary care who understand and demonstrate teamwork and collaboration toward achieving the best patient outcomes.
The US healthcare environment (I hesitate to call it a system) is evolving, interestingly fueled by dissatisfaction in nearly every sector. The US remains the only developed nation that does not enfranchise its entire population for comprehensive, continuous health care. Our nation ranks very low in international comparisons on all World Health Organization statistics, except one in which we lead: cost.
We are beginning to hear calls for efficiency and cost-containment, for improved quality markers and patient outcomes, for narrowing the gap in health and healthcare disparities between the nation’s diverse populations. If we listen carefully, we are hearing calls for a "personal medical home’, or a "patient-centered medical home," with these words often coming from new voices, such as IBM, the Washington Business Group on Health, and the North Carolina Medicaid program, to name a few.
If there was a time for the members of the Society of Primary Care Policy Fellows to lead, now is that time. If there was ever a place that needed our leadership, this nation is that place. To support us in our leadership, our society has a few focused goals for the coming year.
First, we will be working to reinstate the Fellowship. We have early positive responses from AHRQ, from the Institute of Medicine, and most importantly, from a critical mass of the nearly 70 organizations which have nominated fellows in the past. It will be an uphill battle, but we are committed.
Second, we are planning an annual meeting this fall, with some intriguing ideas for making such a gathering a unique battery charging experience for members.
Third, we will be seeking your help in enhancing the number and percentage of members who are active, with a goal of 100 by next year.
As I assume the post of President, I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank Bob Schwartz, who is moving out of his position of Past-president, and welcome Gary Colangelo to that role. Both have served us well, and I know we can count on the benefits of their experince in the year to come. We have class representatives from each of the 15 classes, who are active contributors to the leadership of the Society. We continue to benefit from the dedication of our two Senior Advisors, Kirsten Thomsen and Heather Reynolds.
Go to our website www.primarycaresociety.org , come to our fall meeting, recruit your colleagues to active membership, communicate with your Board … but most importantly, continue your good work in support of a primary care infrastructure for the nation, to achieve the vision of a healthcare system our patients deserve, from a country with the resources of ours.
Norman Kahn MD
SPCPF Class of 1991
Vice-president, Science and Education
American Academy of Family Physicians
Affecting primary care policy, education, research, and
service
at the local, state, national, and international levels.