May 2, 2024
On May 1, the NCAFP brought over 40 members and staff to the General Assembly in Raleigh for meetings with their legislators. While meeting with their lawmakers, NCAFP members stressed the state’s need for increased investment in primary care, discussed how family physicians need reduced administrative burdens (particularly regarding prior authorizations), and thanked lawmakers for policy advances like increased medical student loan repayment and expanded Medicaid. “All these issues impact health care access,” NCAFP Executive Vice President and CEO Greg Griggs said.
The number of attendees was the largest in memory for an NCAFP-sponsored White Coat Wednesday event, and many attendees came for the first time. “I’m not really a policy person, but I can see that it’s important to my practice that we’re here to talk with policymakers,” said Dr. Catherine Lok, a new physician from Asheville.
The group met for a short logistical meeting at the NC Medical Society headquarters on N. Person Street, where staff discussed the positives of making good first impressions and developing lasting relationships with lawmakers. “Primary care is the solution for the policy problems we need to solve,” NCAFP General Counsel Shawn Parker, JD, MPA, told members. “That’s why your representatives want to hear your stories and insights as family physicians.”
“It’s all about the relationship,” said Greg. “I like to call family physicians the trusted health care advisor for patients, and they can earn the same trust from their legislators.”
Many attendees had attended White Coat Wednesday before and looked forward to speaking with the lawmakers they had met in previous visits. Dr. Benjamin “Frankie” Simmons, NCAFP Secretary-Treasurer, recalled that he’d met the legislative aide of one of his legislators last year and that they have kept in touch: “He has my phone number now, and we have been texting and emailing about laws since then. We can’t discredit meeting a legislative aide.”
Anisa Eshraghi, a fourth-year medical student graduating from Campbell University’s Osteopathic School of Medicine to begin her Family Medicine Residency at Duke University’s School of Medicine, met with Sen. Dan Blue (D-14) for the second time. “I wanted to prioritize meeting with Sen. Blue because we have a relationship from last year, when we talked about the need for new primary care investment” she said. “Today we had another good conversation about how Family Medicine is unique in the state. He’s very easy to talk with.”
Everyone’s first meeting happened on the lawn between the Legislative Building and the Legislative Offices Building, where Sen. Mike Woodard (D-22) welcomed the group and thanked them for their good work as family physicians. The attendees then met with their senators and representatives across nearly 30 meetings, and in each one they reiterated how family physicians could best serve North Carolinians with greater primary care investment, relief from the administrative burden they face, and new ways to attract and retain future family physicians.
When Sen. Graig Meyer (D-23) met with Dr. Joanne Fruth, Dr. Robin Wallace, Dr. Moriah Barker, and University of North Carolina medical student Hannah Hushult, he heard first-hand how administrative burden harms both patients and primary care in North Carolina. “I know program directors whose residents don’t want to practice Family Medicine because of the burnout that admin burden causes,” Dr. Wallace said.
“It sucks the joy out of caring for patients,” added Dr. Fruth.
When Dr. Jeffery Hamm met with Rep. Donnie Loftis (R-109) and Sen. Brad Overcash (R-43), he learned that they shared a lot in common. For one thing, Dr. Hamm knows Dr. Overcash, since they’re neighbors. For another, Rep. Loftis helped establish the Gaston County magnet school where Dr. Hamm graduated. “He was really excited to see that I became a doctor in Gaston County,” Dr. Hamm said. “And he’s very open to helping family doctors.”
In the same way, Dr. Jessica Triche found common ground with Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-79) on student loan repayment and reforming the barriers that family physicians face from prior authorizations. “We had a 30-minute meeting that went over time,” said Dr. Triche, “and he wanted to keep talking and asked for my card. It was a very productive meeting, and hopefully we’ll stay in touch. These meetings at White Coat Wednesday are always good for that.”
“Our members are the best voice of Family Medicine,” said Greg. “Patients have to trust their personal physician, and it is important that our lawmakers also trust family physicians. White Coat Wednesday is the first step in building that trust. As a result of our visit, 40 more family physicians, residents, and medical students are one step closer to becoming trusted health care advisors for our legislators.”
To see how much NCAFP members enjoyed the 2024 White Coat Wednesday, see the photo gallery!
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. (NCAFP) 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.