December 17, 2024
From Dec. 5 through Dec. 8, the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) hosted the 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Over 800 guests attended and learned new techniques and insights during the four days of continuing medical education (CME) sessions, and they still had plenty of time to socialize with friends and colleagues. “The Winter Family Physicians Weekend was a wonderful success, and it was a true pleasure to see so many familiar faces reconnecting and sharing experiences,” says NCAFP’s Director of CME and Events Kathryn Atkinson, CMP. “The clinical sessions were engaging and informative, offering practical knowledge that attendees can immediately apply in their practices. Beyond the educational content, the weekend served as a much-needed reminder of the strength and support of our family physician community. It’s always inspiring to witness the camaraderie and enthusiasm that make this event so special year after year.”
“The speakers were dynamic and engaging. Grateful NCAFP was able to provide this conference,” said one attendee in a post-event survey. “And I hope Asheville community continues to heal. Thank you for all your efforts!” We at the NCAFP were fortunate to host the meeting at the Omni Grove Park Inn (GPI) after the impact of Hurricane Helene earlier this fall, and we need to thank both the GPI staff who made this event possible and the attendees who returned to Asheville to support the hotel and other local establishments there.
Thanks to the work of Kathryn, Program Chair Dr. Thomas White, and Program Vice Chair Dr. Katie Haga, the meeting enjoyed four full days of CME from top-notch guest teachers. Their subjects included obesity management, the causes of hypertension, the potential of AI in health care, pharmacological management of insomnia, osteoporosis, and many others which happened both in the mainstage lecture hall but also in smaller, hands-on workshop and seminar settings where attendees had direct access to their teachers. The 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend was also the first-ever edition of this annual meeting to offer a hybrid option of all its mainstage lectures, so that over 100 attendees could attend online from around the country.
Whatever the topic and the venue, these sessions gave attendees the useful education they need. “I really enjoyed the topics presented and found the lectures high yield and relevant to my practice,” said one attendee.
“Fantastic content this year!” said another attendee. “I greatly appreciated the option of mixing live and virtual attendance.”
However, the education and opportunity which attendees received included more than clinical advice to use in their clinics. They also enjoyed professional networking opportunities for connecting with their colleagues from around the state. On Friday evening, the medical students and residents joined new physicians and NCAFP leadership at a social mixer to talk career advancement and residency choices (but also to enjoy refreshments and the company of other attendees). And then on Saturday, over 80 attendees enjoyed the Health Heroes Roundtables Networking lunch to discuss administrative burden, the future primary care workforce, maternal health, primary care investment, and other key topics where NC family physicians regularly face obstacles in their practice. “Excellent lectures and variety of topics, which is always difficult for family medicine,” said one attendee. “I got some good refreshers and also some really nice updates that I plan to put into practice immediately."
And for the Family Medicine residents looking to begin practicing in North Carolina, the career fair on Saturday afternoon gave them the chance to meet their prospective employers in a relaxed, small group setting. “We are thrilled to host this event each year to show North Carolina Family Medicine Residents the broad scope of career options available to them,” says NCAFP Workforce Initiatives Manager Perry Price, who organized and attended the career fair. “It’s a great opportunity for them to get to meet with Health Care organizations and practices from across the state and have conversations about their options as well as share more with these companies about what they hope to be able to do in practice. We’re grateful to be able to fill this gap and help with bringing family physicians to all areas of our state!”
One other new component added to this year’s meeting was the slate of one-to-one professional coaching sessions with Dr. Dael Waxman. Dr. Waxman, emeritus professor of Family Medicine at Atrium Health – Wake Forest School of Medicine, first developed this service while serving as Vice Chair of the Family Medicine department at Atrium Health, when he created the position of Medical Director of Physician Well-being for Medical Education. He brought all the right experience to advise the attendees who met with him during the weekend. “This was by far the most welcoming, most connecting, best organized, and uplifting meeting I’ve attended,” said Dr. Waxman. “Very well done!”
2024 marked the 35th year that the NCAFP has hosted the annual winter meeting at the GPI in Asheville, and some of the attendees who came this past week have been attending for one or two decades of that span. “People catch up here after years apart,” said Dr. Mike Harris.
The event’s schedule included formal times for these social gatherings, such as the daily mid-morning breaks, the NCAFP Awards Lunch on Friday and the Presidential Gala on Saturday night. But attendees regularly met with one another to sit and chat in the lounge outside the lecture hall or in other comfortable spots around the hotel.
This social aspect often leads medical students or younger physicians to receive crucial mentorship from experienced family physicians, according to Dr. Elizabeth Ferruzzi. “Because of the variety of Family Medicine, I learned my own way by directly working with preceptors,” she told a meeting of medical students. “It’s really nice to get connected with those mentors and learn from them.”
Even the formal business of the meeting still included plenty of fun celebrations. First up was the installation of new NCAFP board members by past American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) president Dr. Ada Stewart.
Congratulations to the following members who took office during the installation ceremony during the Presidential Gala:
During his installation address, Dr. McNeill highlighted the resiliency, adaptability, and innovation of family physicians. He told his own story of adaptability and innovation when his practice, Trillium Family Medicine, and many other practices were impacted by Hurricane Helene earlier this fall. “Our adaptability starts with the breadth of our training,” Dr. McNeill said. “No other specialty is prepared to flow seamlessly from the outpatient setting to the hospital, to the emergency department, to a post-storm shelter, to a nursing home, to academics and research. Our specialty has prepared us to adapt."
Dr. McNeill also noted how Family Medicine offers such a great support network, which we all have learned to rely on — whether it consists of colleagues, friends, or the NCAFP itself. “As tough as it has been,” he said, “it warms my heart to know how many people don’t want to see my office or any family medicine office in western North Carolina fail. Since leaving residency, no other organization has influenced and supported my career like the NCAFP.”
Meanwhile, NCAFP award ceremonies throughout the meeting gave recognition to leaders in NC Family Medicine, teaching, public health, and research. One of those leaders was Dr. Nicholas Pennings, who received the NC Distinguished Family Physician Award for his committed patient care and teaching.
As the Family Medicine Chair at the Campbell University School of Medicine (CUSOM), Dr. Pennings is a committed and respected mentor and instructor. He serves as the faculty advisor for the CUSOM Family Medicine Interest Group, where he provides opportunities for medical students to experience Family Medicine through educational events and in-clinic shadowing. During his acceptance speech, Dr. Pennings thanked his supporters and said, “The NCAFP has been integral to so many students entering Family Medicine.”
The NCAFP received multiple letters nominating Dr. Pennings for this award, from his patients, colleagues, and students. During the presentation of the award, NCAFP Immediate Past President Dr. Garett Franklin highlighted Dr. Pennings’ tireless and committed service in his local community: “While his clinical acumen alone could warrant this award, Dr. Pennings’ greatest achievements come from molding the next generation of physicians, particularly family physicians,” Dr. Franklin said.
In addition, NC Dept. of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Chief Medical Officer and State Health Director Dr. Betsey Tilson received the NCAFP Public Service Award during the Presidential Gala, for her long-time work bridging behavioral health, child and family well-being, and social drivers of health. During her tenure at NCDHHS, Dr. Tilson helped lead the state through COVID-19 and the recent response to Hurricane Helene, and the NCAFP was pleased to recognize her tireless effort and leadership.
We were glad to host all our attendees, guest faculty, and vendors throughout the event. We are grateful for your efforts and input, because the meeting wouldn’t happen with all of you in attendance. “Greatest conference in the world,” said one attendee.
"I want to extend my deepest thanks to all the individuals and teams who played a part in making this weekend such a tremendous success," says Kathryn. "This much-anticipated event wouldn't have been possible without the incredible guest faculty and their timely, relevant CME sessions, as well as the generous support from our sponsors, vendors, and all those who champion family medicine. A special thank you goes to the Omni Grove Park Inn and their attentive staff for their exceptional service and hospitality, and to the Pinnacle AV, Alloy Sound, and EZAV teams for producing the NCAFP’s first ever (and very successful) hybrid conference. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to our program chairs, Dr. Tom White and Dr. Katie Haga, for their tireless work and commitment in crafting another exceptional program. Lastly, a big thank you to the 800+ attendees who joined us in-person and virtually for a weekend filled with professional development, connection, and camaraderie.”
We’d like to thank the sponsors who supported the 2024 Winter Family Physicians Weekend and made it possible to bring so many attendees back to Asheville this year: Novant Health, Community Care of North Carolina, Healthy Blue NC, Curi, Novo Nordisk, Abbvie Rhematology, WellCare of North Carolina, Avance Care, Carolina Complete Health, Molina Health, CVS Accountable Care, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Aetna Health, Amerihealth Caritas of NC, Hopscotch Primary Care, NC-PAL, Holologic, and NC Area Health Education Centers.
When you have the chance, check out all our digital photo galleries to see the event for yourselves:
And be sure to mark your calendars now for the 2025 Winter Family Physicians Weekend in Asheville on Dec. 4-7. “We can’t wait to see everyone again next year as we continue to raise the bar for this annual event,” Kathryn says.
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. is a nonprofit professional association headquartered in Raleigh which represents over 4,300 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students across the state. It is the largest medical specialty association in North Carolina and is a constituent chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, based in Leadwood, KS.