Physician leaders and staff representing the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians traveled to the 2017 Ten State Conference held February 17-19 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago. The conference was hosted by the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians.
- Ryan Kauffman, MD – president
- Stan Anderson, MD – vice president
- Anna McMaster, MD – treasurer
- Gary LeRoy, MD – director, AAFP Board of Directors
- Kate Mahler, CAE – deputy executive vice present
The three-day conference opened on Friday afternoon with five, 20-minute conversations which ranged from clinical topics such as diabetes prevention to issues in practice management such as MACRA and quality reporting. Each session was led by an expert speaker and included time for participant input.
Rebecca Costa, a social biologist and author of The Watchman’s Rattle: Thinking Our Way out of Extinction, provided the keynote address and described the three telltale signs of how complexity in society exceeds the brain’s capacity to manage it and how diversification facilitates success in high-failure rate settings. Ms. Costa provided evidence on how “big data” analytics is the future for complex decision-making especially in health care.
Next, Shawn Martin, American Academy of Family Physicians senior vice president for advocacy, practice advancement and policy, provided insight into the AAFP’s health care policy and a brief overview of how the Trump administration is making an impact on how the business of our nation is now done in Washington, D.C.
Saturday’s educational agenda followed two complimentary tracks for chapter executives and physicians leaders to focus on family medicine’s opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing environment. Topics covered included succession planning, organizing an effective advocacy team, and the process for chapters to transition to a virtual office. OAFP President Dr. Kauffman presented on the OAFP’s recent strategic planning process and provided tips on how to celebrate and promote the plan to the entire chapter membership.
Clif Knight, MD, AAFP senior vice president for education, presented the latest data on burnout and dissatisfaction and described the AAFP’s current activities to address family physician wellness. In a subsequent breakout session, Dr. Knight referenced the OAFP’s Wellness Wednesdays program as an outstanding example of chapter impact on resolving burnout and improving resiliency in medicine.
The conference ended with presentations offered by Bob Phillips, MD, American Board of Family Medicine vice president of research and policy on the its continuous certification process and by Javette Orgain, MD, an AAFP speaker who provided an overview of the AAFP’s member-driven priorities and activities.
Thanks to the Illinois chapter for hosting an excellent conference on a variety of important topics. First organized and held in 1969, Ten State is a valuable networking opportunity for family physician leaders from the Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin chapters.