September 21, 2023
On Sept. 19 in the Aycock Family Medicine Center at the University of North Carolina, dozens of family physicians gathered to learn about three public health-centered areas of care that affect North Carolina patients: age discrimination, adverse health impacts from climate change, and recent developments in treating HIV and viral hepatitis in primary care settings.
“This regional educational event offered attendees valuable insights and practical knowledge from a distinguished panel of expert guest faculty. It was a pleasure to witness numerous friends and colleagues come together for a delightful and convenient time of learning and camaraderie,” says Kathryn Atkinson, NCAFP Director of CME and Events. That coming-together was clear as soon as attendees gathered in the auditorium: “It’s so nice to hear the buzz of conversations,” NCAFP President Dr. Shauna Guthrie said in her opening remarks.
The event began at six p.m. with a catered meal from the local Med Deli restaurant so that attendees could meet and reconnect with one another. During this period, nine former colleagues who all graduated from the UNC Family Medicine Residency got together for a quick picture and reminisced about their various experiences at UNC. With that professional community well underway, the attendees were welcomed by program co-chairs Dr. Victoria Boggiano and Dr. Ryan Paulus, and the workshops began.
Once NCAFP Executive Vice President and CEO Greg Griggs, CAE, MPA reiterated the mission, committees, and advocacy victories of the NCAFP in his introductory session, the three presentations began. Their speakers differed in their subjects, but their presentations all offered clinical guidance centered on how family physicians can address the societal realities that affect their patients outside the clinic. What the doctors can tangibly do was the top priority for Dr. Mallory McClester Brown, Dr. Kathleen Shapley-Quinn, and Dr. Rick More III as they taught what one attendee called “an awesome program.”
At seven p.m., Dr. McClester Brown, residency director at the UNC Dept. of Family Medicine and a practicing geriatrician, taught her workshop, “Ageism: Acknowledgement to Action,” to help attendees recognize and counteract ageism in their own behavior and clinics. Working from a collection of studies that link negative views of aging to adverse health in elderly patients, Dr. McClester Brown explained several “ways to push back in medicine.” “As a geriatrician, I’m committed to increasing our primary care work force’s understanding of the best practices for caring for older adults as it pertains to their function, mobility, cognition, and quality of life,” Dr. McClester Brown said.
Dr. Shapley-Quinn also focused on clinical solutions to larger societal concerns as she taught “Family Practice in the Era of Climate Change” at 7:30 p.m. She serves as the Executive Director of the Carolina Advocates for Climate, Health, and Equity (CACHE) after years of practicing as a family physician and as the medical director at the Alamance County Health Department. From this experience at the intersection of climate change’s effects and patient care, Dr. Shapley-Quinn zeroed in on the adverse health impacts of increased heat and pollution. Family physicians, she said, can counsel their at-risk patients on how to better weather extreme heat, “leverage their voices” to advocate de-carbonization for their employer systems, and prescribe with an eye toward carbon footprint as well as patient need.
For the last workshop at eight p.m., Dr. Rick More III reviewed and analyzed treatments and patient outcomes for HIV and hepatitis in “HIV and Viral Hepatitis - Primary Care Update.” Dr. More works as an assistant professor at UNC’s Dept. of Family Medicine after many years leading the Rural Health Group as the associate medical director in charge of HIV, viral hepatitis, and medication-assisted treatment programs. In the workshop’s 30-minute timeframe, he covered a full curriculum that included novel strategies for prevention of STIs in higher risk populations, the “U=U” guidance for transmission prevention, an overview of how the REPRIEVE affects cardiovascular concerns in patients with HIV, and other guidelines. There was plenty of material, but Dr. More’s overview and explanations struck a chord: attendees recommended hearing more about HIV and viral hepatitis in future NCAFP meetings.
What the attendees learned caused them to think of more questions and consider future areas of study. After Dr. McClester Brown’s workshop, one of the attendees asked her about balancing discrimination concerns with the physiological realities of elderly patients. The exchange led to even more instruction and a back-and-forth on medical respect, beyond what Dr. McClester Brown had covered in her presentation.
“I think the role [physicians] have to play in climate change is important,” one attendee said after Dr. Shapley-Quinn’s presentation, “So I’d like to discuss those case studies specifically. I also think more topics specific to an aging population, managing menopausal symptoms for example, would be useful.” This interest in future education comes from the high quality of the workshops that attendees enjoyed at the event. “I like the variety and being exposed to new ideas I wouldn’t have known to ask for,” said another attendee in feedback after the event. “Keep it coming!”
Of course, the NCAFP will continue to deliver stimulating medical education through its events: not only at the 2023 Winter Family Physician Weekend beginning on Nov. 29, but also in the soon-to-be-announced schedule of seven events planned for 2024. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who dedicated their time to be a part of this wonderful event!” says Kathryn.
Make sure to relive the event by seeing the digital album of pictures we took there!
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.