ISSUE 1 | 2026 THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UTAH ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS Free to Practice: How UAFP Led the Fight to End Non-Compete Clauses in Utah Healthcare
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Participation by advertisers does not constitute endorsement by UAFP. ©2026 Utah Academy of Family Physicians (UAFP) | MBR Connect™, formerly The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. Utah Family Physician is published two times per year and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of UAFP, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Utah Family Physician is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of UAFP. While a first-print policy is encouraged, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at (801) 676-9722. Table of CONTENTS ISSUE 1 2026 18 7 29 OUTGOING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 4 Serving Family Medicine Across Utah: A Year in Perspective INCOMING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 5 The Future of Healthcare in Utah CEO’S MESSAGE 6 Nonpartisan by Design Advocating for Family Medicine Across the Political Spectrum 7 2026 Legislative Recap 9 Free to Practice How Utah Ended Healthcare Non-Competes 12 2026 Student and Resident Awards 14 You Belong UAFP Foundation Celebrates First Scholarship Recipients 15 Utah Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors 16 Graduating Residents and Incoming Interns 18 Passing the Torch From One Dr. Pernick to Another 19 Empowering Families With Simple Tools for Healthy Early Childhood Development MARK YOUR CALENDAR 21 Upcoming UAFP Events 22 Long COVID Management 24 Managing Difficult Patient Conversations in High-Stress Moments STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 26 Desiree Gonzalez RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT 27 Vickie Armstrong, MD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 29 Kara Frame, MD 30 Family Medicine Day at Utah’s Hogle Zoo June 6, 2026 3
Serving as UAFP board president this past year has been a meaningful opportunity to step back and see family medicine in Utah from a broader perspective. Most of us spend our days focused on patients, clinics and teams. This role created space to connect across those settings and better understand both the challenges and the strengths of our specialty across the state. What stands out most from this year is the people. Sitting with physicians from different regions, practice models and stages of career reinforced something important. Family medicine may look different depending on where and how you practice, but there is a shared commitment to patients and communities that anchors all of us. That common purpose is steady, and it is what gives me confidence that family medicine has a bright future. This year, the board focused on a few areas where we could move from discussion to action. One example was the development of a scholarship to support medical students matching into family medicine residencies in Utah. This was a board-driven idea that became a tangible outcome, and it reflects the kind of focused work that can make a difference for the future workforce. We also continued our role in advocacy at both the state and national levels. One of the most significant moments this year was the passage of legislation addressing non-compete agreements for healthcare workers, HB 270. Watching that process unfold, from early conversations to legislative action, was remarkable. It was a reminder of how important it is for physicians to be engaged in policy discussions that directly affect our ability to care for patients. I am grateful to have had a small part in that effort and to see meaningful change take place. Rural health was another important focus. UAFP gathered feedback from rural physicians to inform the state’s Rural Health Transformation Grant planning. More importantly, it was an opportunity to listen and to better understand the realities of practicing in those communities. That work underscored the need to continue strengthening connections with rural physicians and ensuring their perspectives are part of ongoing conversations. This year also challenged me to think differently about leadership. I have come to appreciate that leadership in this role is less about directing and more about creating clarity, supporting follow-through and making space for others to contribute. It requires listening, setting realistic expectations and recognizing that everyone involved is balancing significant demands. I am grateful for the outgoing board members and committee leaders who have contributed their time and energy this past year. Their work has created a strong foundation. I also look forward to the incoming leadership, who will bring new ideas and perspectives to continue moving this organization forward. UAFP exists to support family physicians and the communities we serve. That purpose has been clear throughout this year. It has been an honor to serve in this role, to learn from so many of you and to be part of work that supports the future of family medicine in Utah. OUTGOING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Serving Family Medicine Across Utah: A Year in Perspective Lynsey Drew, DO, MBA, FAAFP President, UAFP 4
The Future of Healthcare in Utah What a great time to be in medicine. I continue to be inspired by the strength, adaptability and commitment of family physicians across our state. Every day, in communities large and small, you provide not only medical care, but stability, trust and leadership for Utah families. At a time when healthcare continues to evolve rapidly, the role of family medicine has never been more essential. Family physicians remain the foundation of a healthier healthcare system. We are often the first call, the familiar face and the long-term partner patients rely on through every stage of life. Whether delivering preventive care, managing chronic disease, supporting behavioral health or guiding patients through increasingly complex systems, primary care continues to demonstrate its unmatched value to patients and communities alike. This is especially true in rural Utah. In many of our rural communities, family physicians are more than clinicians. They are advocates, educators, emergency responders, mentors and neighbors. Rural physicians often care for entire families across generations while navigating workforce shortages, limited specialty access and growing administrative burdens. Yet despite these challenges, rural family medicine continues to exemplify some of the very best of our profession: continuity, resilience and deep community connection. As an academy, we remain committed to ensuring that rural voices are not only heard, but actively represented in statewide conversations around healthcare policy, workforce development and care transformation. The future of healthcare in Utah depends on maintaining strong access to primary care in every corner of our state. That means continuing to advocate for sustainable rural practice models, physician recruitment and retention, expanded training opportunities and policies that recognize the critical importance of comprehensive family medicine. At the same time, I believe one of our greatest strengths as family physicians is our willingness to support one another. Across Utah, I continue to see physicians sharing ideas, mentoring younger colleagues, innovating within health systems and finding creative ways to improve patient care despite mounting pressures. Those connections matter. They remind us that while the challenges in medicine are real, none of us carries them alone. The Utah Academy of Family Physicians exists because of its members. Your engagement, advocacy and dedication shape not only this organization, but also the future of family medicine in Utah. Whether you practice in a frontier town, suburban clinic, academic center or community health setting, your work matters deeply to the health of our state. Thank you for the care you provide, the sacrifices you make and the leadership you demonstrate every day. It is an honor to serve alongside physicians who continue to embody the very best of medicine through compassion, service and commitment to community. Together, we will continue strengthening family medicine and ensuring that patients across Utah have access to the trusted primary care they deserve. Tyson Schwab, MD, FAAFP Incoming President, UAFP INCOMING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE DON'T MISS THESE EXCLUSIVE ONLINE ARTICLES! In addition to the articles in this print issue, there are now exclusive online-only articles. Scan the QR code to read more! → Utah Family Medicine Match Results → Prognosis Negative: Hospital Begins Advertising Campaign Using MySpace 5
Recently, our associate director, Barbara Muñoz, spoke with a family physician who had completed residency one to two years earlier but had not renewed their membership with UAFP. When Barbara asked why they had chosen not to rejoin, the physician responded, “I don’t like that UAFP endorses Republicans.” UAFP is a nonpartisan organization committed to representing all family physicians, medical students and residents across Utah, regardless of political affiliation or ideology. Our advocacy efforts focus on supporting initiatives and advancing legislation that benefit our members and their patients, including issues such as expanding access to healthcare, increasing physician reimbursement, strengthening graduate medical education funding and reducing administrative burdens on physicians. I must admit that when Barbara shared this conversation with me, I was both surprised and frustrated. Utah is a predominantly Republican state. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, every member of our federal delegation is Republican, and all statewide elected offices are currently held by Republicans. If we were to limit our engagement to only one political party, we would immediately forfeit opportunities to build support among the other. More importantly, in a state with Utah’s political makeup, choosing to work exclusively with Democrats would significantly diminish our ability to effectively advocate for family medicine. I have great respect for anyone who chooses to run for public office. Seeking elected office requires a tremendous commitment of time, energy and personal sacrifice. Candidates ask friends, family members and supporters for financial contributions, spend countless hours meeting voters, and dedicate themselves to public service with no guarantee of success. I believe that balanced representation often produces the strongest public policy. However, regardless of the political composition of a legislature, it is essential that we work with policymakers who are willing to support the issues that matter most to family physicians and their patients. To be clear, not every elected official shares our priorities. Yet, in my more than two decades of working with the legislature, I have found that we have far more in common than we often realize. Too frequently, the issues that divide us are those that have become highly politicized, creating unnecessary conflict and polarization. Our political action committee, Fam Med PAC, is relatively small. We provide modest contributions to a select number of candidates who have demonstrated meaningful support for family medicine and our legislative priorities. While we are not a major political player, we believe it is important to participate in the process, recognize those who support our profession, and express appreciation to legislators who sometimes take political risks to advance policies that benefit family physicians and their patients. Those legislators come from both political parties. For example, our non-compete legislation was sponsored by Rep. Katy Hall, a Republican who worked tirelessly to advance the bill. Without her leadership and commitment, I am confident we would not have achieved success. As the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, she was ideally placed to put forward the legislation, but we also relied on Democratic support to ensure passage of the bill. I take the commitment to speak on behalf of all family physicians seriously, not only those whose personal views align with my own. Our Advocacy Committee, composed of board members elected by the membership, helps guide endorsement decisions. The committee carefully reviews legislative voting records, bill sponsorships and lawmakers’ support for our policy priorities before making recommendations. Using the voice and reputation of UAFP to endorse a candidate is a responsibility we do not take lightly. As individuals, each of us is free to support and vote for the candidates of our choosing. As an organization, however, our endorsements are based on what we believe best serves the interests of our membership as a whole and advances the mission of family medicine in Utah. CEO’S MESSAGE Maryann Martindale CEO, UAFP Nonpartisan by Design Advocating for Family Medicine Across the Political Spectrum 6
2026 Legislative Recap 2026 was a highly successful legislative year for UAFP. With the passage of HB 270, non-compete clauses were eliminated from all provider contracts, representing one of the most significant and impactful changes to healthcare employment in recent years. (For an in-depth review of HB 270, see the article on page 9.) In addition to the countless hours dedicated to advancing the non-compete legislation, we tracked and actively engaged with more than 80 additional bills during the 2026 legislative session. Notably, compared to previous years, we saw fewer healthcare-related bills that posed concerns, a greater number of unfavorable bills defeated and increased support for positive, proactive healthcare initiatives. While the session was not without challenges, these developments represent a promising trend that we hope will continue in the years ahead. If you would like to review our 2026 Bill Tracker, including the legislation on which UAFP took positions and the outcomes of those efforts, you can access it by scanning the QR code. https://utahafp.org/2026LegislativeRecap Our Legislative Advocacy Committee consists of both board members and general members who volunteer their time and expertise. The committee reviews proposed legislation and determines whether UAFP will support, oppose or remain neutral on each bill. Even when taking a neutral position, the committee closely monitors legislation to ensure that amendments or changes do not alter its potential impact on family medicine. The work of the Legislative Advocacy Committee is critical to our advocacy efforts, and we strive to ensure it broadly reflects the perspectives of our membership. If you are interested in joining the Legislative Advocacy Committee, watch the Beat, UAFP’s newsletter sent out twice a month, for more information as we get closer to the 2027 legislative session. 7
The AAFP also offers two excellent programs designed to help family physicians engage with Utah’s federal delegation and advocate for the specialty at the national level. AAFP Advocacy Ambassadors The Advocacy Ambassadors program pairs family physicians with members of Congress and other elected officials who support the priorities of family medicine and champion legislation and public policies that strengthen primary care. To learn more and get involved, scan this QR code. https://www.aafp.org/get-involved/advocacy/ambassadors AAFP Speak Out The Academy’s Speak Out tool enables you to directly contact your state officials, members of Congress and the Executive Office of the President regarding issues that matter most to primary care. Through timely, customizable messaging templates, Speak Out makes it easy to send letters, emails or phone call scripts and ensure your voice is heard. To learn more and participate, scan this QR code. https://www.aafp.org/get-involved/advocacy/speak-out 8
Sometimes a major policy victory begins not with a sweeping campaign or a headline-grabbing protest, but with a single conversation. In this case, it began with physicians calling attention to a problem quietly reshaping healthcare in Utah: non-compete clauses that prevented doctors and other clinicians from staying in their communities, pursuing better opportunities or continuing to care for their patients after leaving a job. For patients, the consequences were often invisible until they became deeply personal. A trusted physician disappeared from a clinic roster. A specialist could not be located. Follow-up care became fragmented. In a state already facing workforce shortages, those disruptions carried real weight. What followed was a lesson in how policy change actually happens in Utah. A concern raised by frontline physicians became an organizational priority. Research turned into strategy. Strategy turned into bill language. Bill language had to survive stakeholder meetings, committee scheduling, legislative bottlenecks and the compressed, high-pressure pace of a 45-day session. By the end of that process, Utah had passed HB 270, landmark legislation eliminating non-compete clauses for healthcare workers. For the Utah Academy of Family Physicians, the bill’s passage was not only a legislative success but also a concrete example of how advocacy works when members engage, chapters organize and the right partners come together at the right time. The Spark: Two Physicians, One Growing Concern According to UAFP CEO Maryann Martindale, the idea for the legislation did not begin as an abstract policy exercise. It began with people UAFP knew well. Martindale has jokingly referred to the measure as the “Chen-Spain Memorial Non-Compete Bill,” named after two family physicians whose experiences brought the issue to light. One was Dr. Michael Chen, who ultimately left Utah after trying unsuccessfully to get out of a non-compete agreement. Another was Dr. Chad Spain, who was facing a similar dilemma. For Martindale, those stories crystallized both the personal and professional stakes. These were not hypothetical cases. They were respected physicians, deeply connected to family medicine in Utah, whose careers and communities were being affected by contractual restrictions. “It came from the loss of two really strong family physicians,” Martindale said. “I didn’t want to lose any more family physicians, and Utah patients definitely couldn’t afford to lose them.” That initial concern quickly widened. As Martindale started asking questions, she found that non-competes were not limited to a few contracts or specialties. They were widespread, inconsistent and affected more than physicians alone. The more she learned, the clearer it became that this was not just an employer-employee dispute. It was a policy problem. That distinction mattered. If non-competes in healthcare were going to change across the board, the solution would have to be statutory. In other words, Utah law itself would need to change. Step One: Learn the Landscape The first phase of the work was research. Before drafting anything in Utah, Martindale reached out to other states Free to Practice How Utah Ended Healthcare Non-Competes 9
to see what had already been tried. Through national family medicine and advocacy networks, she connected with states that had worked on similar legislation, gathered copies of bills and asked practical questions: What worked? What failed? What language held up? What compromises weakened the policy? What would fit Utah’s political and legal environment? That kind of preparatory work is one of the least visible but most important parts of the legislative process. By the time a bill is introduced publicly, much of the real shaping has already happened. Successful advocacy often depends on understanding not only what a policy should do, but how it can realistically move through the legislative process. At the same time, Martindale was gathering data from Utah itself. She contacted specialty societies, nursing and advanced practice groups, and other healthcare organizations to determine how pervasive non-competes really were. The answer was clear: they were everywhere, though they varied widely in form. Some were based on mileage radius or county. Some limited work in certain practice settings, and others imposed broader geographic or functional restrictions. The inconsistency was itself revealing. There was no coherent public-interest rationale behind the patchwork. Instead, the agreements were functioning as barriers to mobility in a healthcare system already under strain. Just as importantly, this outreach helped frame the bill as a workforce and patient-care issue, not merely a family medicine issue. That broadened the coalition and strengthened the case for action. Step Two: Find the Right Sponsor In any legislature, a bill needs more than a good idea; it needs a credible champion. Martindale spent nearly two years looking for the right legislative sponsor. That search reflected a practical political reality: in a short, fast-moving session, the name attached to a bill matters. An effective sponsor has relationships, credibility, subject-matter interest and the willingness to keep pushing when a bill stalls or meets resistance. The eventual partner was Rep. Katy Hall, a registered nurse by background, who immediately understood the stakes. Her family had also been affected by a non-compete clause, giving her a personal window into the issue. That combination of policy interest and direct familiarity made Hall a strong fit. She not only agreed to take on the bill; she proved willing to defend its core purpose from the beginning. That part is critical in Utah’s process. Bills rarely move in a straight line. Stakeholders ask for changes. Committees slow things down. Opponents probe for compromise. When that happens, the sponsor sets the tone. A sponsor who signals flexibility on the bill’s central premise can weaken it before the public ever hears about it. A sponsor who clearly defines the non-negotiables gives the bill a spine. On this measure, that mattered. Hall made clear from the outset that the bill would eliminate healthcare non-competes, not merely narrow them. Step Three: Build the Coalition Before the Fight With research in hand and a sponsor secured, the next step was coalition building. Martindale began contacting healthcare organizations and stakeholders across the state, including ACOG, the Utah Medical Association, nursing groups, advanced practice groups and others. Some responded enthusiastically. Some provided examples of contracts and member stories. Others were more cautious. That caution was not always ideological. Sometimes it came from memory. Organizations that had worked around the Capitol for years remembered previous non-compete fights in other sectors as bruising and uncertain. Even groups sympathetic to the goal were not immediately convinced the bill could pass. That is another underappreciated part of lawmaking: Support for a policy and confidence in its viability are not the same thing. A proposal may be morally persuasive yet perceived as politically doomed. One job of advocates is to close that gap. For UAFP, that meant not just making the case but also changing the calculus. A key turning point came through the Utah Medical Association House of Delegates. Martindale drafted a resolution, and family physicians helped bring it forward and speak in support of it. Once it passed, active support for non-compete reform became a UMA priority rather than a peripheral interest. That shift mattered enormously. It transformed a hesitant ally into an engaged one and expanded the bill’s reach at the Capitol. “It’s important for legislators to hear not just from a single entity,” Martindale said, “but from several entities speaking on behalf of their own particular practice.” That breadth signaled that the legislation was not a niche concern. It was a shared healthcare priority. Step Four: Draft the Bill and Test it Against Reality Only after much of that groundwork was laid did the bill move into intensive drafting and negotiation. 10
Interestingly, UAFP did not begin by inviting employers to shape the proposal from the ground up. Instead, Martindale and Hall chose to reach that stage with a draft already in hand, along with broad stakeholder support and a clear sense of purpose. Their message was not “Should we do this?” but “This is moving; what concerns need to be addressed without undermining the goal?” That sequencing changed the conversation. When major employer groups and systems finally came to the table, the debate did not center on whether non-competes should survive in some reduced form. The central principle had already been established. From there, the negotiations focused on implementation details. Some of those details were reasonable and workable. Employers wanted clarity that eliminating non-competes would not prevent them from protecting legitimate financial investments, such as sign-on bonuses, fellowships or training expenses. Those requests did not contradict the bill’s purpose, and the final language reflected that. Contracts could still include specific repayment provisions, provided they were clearly outlined rather than vague or punitive. That is often how effective legislative drafting works in practice. A bill keeps its core while accommodating legitimate operational concerns. The art lies in distinguishing between a technical improvement and a substantive retreat. At the same time, another issue surfaced with greater force than expected: continuity of patient care. Advocates heard stories of patients who could not find out where their doctors had gone after a clinic departure. In some cases, practices would not disclose that information, and hiring entities could not publicly identify the physician because of contractual restrictions. That problem sharpened the bill’s patient-centered argument and expanded its practical value. The final legislation did more than prohibit non-competes. It also ensured that patients could learn where a physician had gone, preserving the possibility of continuity when ongoing relationships mattered most. For patients with chronic illnesses, rare diseases or recent major procedures, that change was significant. Step Five: Survive the 45-Day Sprint Even broadly supported bills can die for reasons unrelated to their merits. Utah’s legislative session is famously compressed. In 45 days, hundreds of bills compete for attention, committee time and floor votes. Agenda delays, referral changes and House-Senate friction can stall even noncontroversial legislation. That happened here. Although the bill moved smoothly in the House and earned unanimous support there, it later stalled in the Senate, where it became caught in a bottleneck that often delays measures late in the session. It had to be scheduled, heard, advanced and protected from running out of time. None of that happens automatically. The most nerve-wracking part of the process? “The timing,” Martindale said. “Forty-five days is so fast.” That observation gets at a core truth of state advocacy: Passing a bill is not simply about being right. It is about endurance, timing, relationships and relentless follow-through. Even after a consensus is built, the work continues every day until the final vote. In this case, the bill did pass, but only near the end. It passed on the second-to-last day of the session, after weeks of active management and strategic pressure to keep it moving. The lesson is clear. A good bill needs more than a compelling story and strong policy. It needs people Medical Review Officer Training and Certification Exam On-Site and Online Join us for the National Drug Screening Symposium: • Improve your Personal or Practice Revenue • Adding drug testing to your practice can markedly improve cash flow Paris Hotel & Casino-Las Vegas, NV November 13-15, 2026 Approved for 21. 75 AAFP prescribed credits Attend only the Friday event for information to improve your existing drug testing business, or join us for the full event to learn MRO essentials and become a certified MRO. For more information: 800-489-1839 • www.aamro.com 11
who will stay with it through the procedural grind. What This Victory Says About Membership and Advocacy In the end, the elimination of healthcare non-competes in Utah is a story about legislation. But it is also a story about organized medicine at its most effective. The issue surfaced because physicians spoke up. It advanced because a state chapter listened, investigated and acted. It gained strength through members’ participation in organized advocacy spaces, including the UMA House of Delegates, and it crossed the finish line because coalition partners, legislative allies and health professionals across disciplines kept pushing together. For UAFP members, this law is a particularly vivid example of what advocacy infrastructure actually does. Membership dues do not just support abstract representation. They enable a chapter to track policy, cultivate relationships, identify opportunities, draft proposals, coordinate testimony and navigate the mechanics of lawmaking. Martindale sees that connection clearly, as well as a broader lesson: Physicians cannot afford to sit out policy. “I couldn’t do this job if I didn’t have physician input,” she said. That may be the central takeaway from the bill’s journey. Laws are shaped not only by lobbyists, legislators and institutions. They are often shaped by clinicians who notice a problem, name it and trust their professional organizations enough to carry it forward. A concern raised by two physicians became a statewide reform affecting the future of healthcare employment in Utah. That is what it looks like when engagement turns into policy, and policy turns into law. 2026 Student and Resident Awards Each year, UAFP recognizes an outstanding graduating medical student from each of our three medical schools in Utah who has matched into family medicine. All three of these accomplished future family medicine physicians have shown evidence of active student leadership in family medicine activities and demonstrated evidence of superior scholastic achievement in their medical school studies, particularly in the field of family medicine. Congratulations to the following students: • The Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Distinguished Family Medicine Scholar award was given to Hannah Berhow, who matched at Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Residency Program, Rochester, Minnesota. • The Outstanding Senior Award at Rocky Vista University — Southern Utah Campus was given to Anson Nebeker, who has matched into family medicine at Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency here in Provo, Utah. • At the University of Utah, the F. Marian Bishop Award was awarded to Spencer Barlow, who will be starting his residency with the University of Arizona/Banner Health Family Medicine Residency Program, Phoenix, Arizona. 12
UAFP also awards the Resident Leadership Award to recognize the accomplishments of one of our third-year family medicine residents in Utah. Nominations are sent in by residency faculty, peers and other residency staff. Those nominated needed to demonstrate promotion of family medicine, leadership skills and serving as a role model to peers. Additional consideration was given for teaching skills, professionalism, research skills and community service. The UAFP Member Engagement Committee voted on the final winner and chose Hendrik Stegall, MD, from the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency. Dr. Stegall’s nomination stated, “As chief resident responsible for the Wellness, Identity, Culture and Community Committee of our residency, Hendrik was tasked with leading monthly meetings and facilitating activities to support resident well-being. He went above and beyond the expectations for this role by applying for and being awarded a GME Wellness grant to better understand the culture of the residency. Through his leadership, he guided the residents and faculty through a project that created a better understanding of each group’s perspectives on professional well-being. This helped identify differences but also highlighted shared values.” We are thrilled that Dr. Stegall will be staying at the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency, joining the team as a faculty member! 13
You Belong UAFP Foundation Celebrates First Scholarship Recipients The Utah Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (UAFP Foundation) is proud to announce the inaugural recipients of the You Belong in Family Medicine Scholarship, a program created to bridge the gap between medical school and residency while strengthening Utah’s future family medicine workforce. This year’s scholarship recipients are Sarah Dale, who matched into the Community Health Center Family Medicine Residency, and Madison Marquette, who matched into the Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency. Chosen through a competitive review process, both recipients demonstrated outstanding dedication to family medicine, leadership in medical school, service to their communities and a strong commitment to providing community-based primary care. Sarah Dale shared, “I am deeply honored to receive the You Belong in Family Medicine Scholarship from the UAFP as I transition into residency. This support affirms my commitment to providing compassionate, community-centered care and investing in the long-term health of the patients and families I will serve. I am grateful to continue my training in the place I call home and give back to the community that shaped me.” Madison Marquette added, “Receiving this scholarship is a tremendous honor as I transition from Louisiana to Utah for residency training. I have already fallen in love with the people and the sense of community in Utah, and I am excited to give back through patient care. This scholarship eases the financial burden of moving and supports my passion for caring for patients across every stage of life.” Each scholarship award supports these future family physicians as they begin residency and continue their journey toward improving access to quality healthcare throughout Utah. The UAFP Foundation congratulates Drs. Dale and Marquette on this significant achievement and looks forward to their lasting impact on family medicine in Utah. To help us continue investing in the next generation of family medicine leaders, please consider donating to the UAFP Foundation by scanning the QR code! Your support helps expand scholarship opportunities and strengthen the future of primary care in Utah. https://utahafp.givingfuel.com/utah-academy-of-familyphysicians-foundation 14
Utah Academy of Family Physicians BOARD OF DIRECTORS Thank you for your service to the UAFP Board! Executive Committee Tyson Schwab, MD, MS, FAAFP President Katherine Hastings, MD President-Elect Lynsey Drew, DO, MBA, FAAFP Immediate Past President Daniel Payne, MD Treasurer At-Large Board Members Shannon Baker, MD Scott Black, MD, FAAFP Colten Bracken, MD Branden Buffington, DO Erin Helms, MD Jessica Jones, MD, MSPH Bernadette Kiraly, MD, FAAFP Collin Lash, MD Spencer Lindsay, MD, MPA Matthew McIff, MD Jaime Montes, DO Frank Powers, MD Joseph Sanchez, MD Jonathan Shumway, DO Heather Sojourner, MD, FAAFP Sally Tran, MD Sara Walker, MD, MS, FAAFP 2026 AAFP Delegates and Alternates Thea Sakata, MD AAFP Delegate Saphu Pradhan AAFP Alternate Delegate Spencer Lindsay, MD, MPA AAFP Delegate Daniel Payne, MD AAFP Alternate Delegate Family Medicine Residency Representatives Andrew Sorensen, DO Community Health Centers Family Medicine Residency Representative Carson Clark, DO McKay-Dee Family Medicine Residency Representative Lydia Leavitt, MD St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Representative Vickie Armstrong, MD University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Representative Porter Edwards, DO Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency Representative Medical Student Representatives Alexander Hale Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Sarah Chaudhry Rocky Vista University — Southern Utah Tyler Drummond University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Thank You For Your Service We would like to recognize and thank the following board members who completed their term(s) of board service in June. We are very appreciative of their willingness to share their time and expertise to help make UAFP a strong and effective voice for family medicine in Utah. Craig Batty, DO Marlin Christianson, MD Tiffany Ho, MD, MPH, FAAFP David Miner, MD Kirsten Stoesser, MD, FAAFP 15
Graduating Residents and Incoming Interns Congratulations to the graduating family medicine residents of 2026! We wish you all the best in your career as a family medicine physician. Community Health Center (CHC) Family Medicine Residency The CHC Family Medicine Residency is still in its early years and will graduate its first class in 2028. INCOMING INTERNS Mindy Cook, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Sarah Dale, DO Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Andrew (Andy) Romney, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Connery (Jacob) Silva, MD Ben-Gurion University of the Negev McKay-Dee Family Medicine Residency GRADUATING RESIDENTS Claire Baumgartner, MD OB Fellowship, Duluth, MN Savanna Cox Behymer, MD Holton Community Hospital, Holton, KS Alexa Fritsch, DO Intermountain Health South Sandy Clinic, South Sandy, UT Morgan Greene, DO Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Clinic, Bristol, TN Rachael Haines, DO Intermountain Health Layton Clinic, Layton, UT Mariah Richins, MD Undecided as of time of print Sydney Schmidt, MD Undecided as of time of print INCOMING INTERNS Braden Cunningham, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Chloe Dryden, MD University of Utah School of Medicine Jonathan Knudsen, DO Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Cruz Longoria, MD University of Nebraska College of Medicine Dominic Lundquist, MD University of New Mexico School of Medicine Jakob Pendleton, DO Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Maura Perez, MD University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency GRADUATING RESIDENTS Natasha Greene, MD Outpatient Family Medicine, Utah Carline Powell, DO Outpatient/Inpatient Family Medicine and Faculty, St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Ellie Zurbuchen, MD Outpatient Family Medicine, Utah Nicholas Gajkowski, MD Outpatient Family Medicine, Utah INCOMING INTERNS Mary Jane Seamons, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Kyle Reaveley, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Kyle Turner, DO Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine Kailee Edwards, DO Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine 16
University of Utah Family Medicine Residency GRADUATING RESIDENTS Tracy Hunter, MD Undecided as of time of print Erik Maradiaga, MD Bull Run Family Medicine, Manassas, VA Shannon McKim, DO Primary Care Physician, Spanish Fork, UT Katie McLeod, MD Family Medicine Physician, West Valley, UT Hanh Ngo, MD Outpatient Primary Care, Houston, TX Lauren Pham, DO Family Medicine Hospitalist, Salt Lake City, UT Blaine Spivey, MD Relocating to Australia Hendrik Stegall, MD Family Medicine Faculty, Salt Lake City, UT Jenny Sullivan, MD Family Medicine Physician, Salt Lake City, UT Patrick Taylor, MD Family Medicine Physician, Heber City, UT INCOMING INTERNS Maya De Jonge, MD Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Connor Emsley, MD Indiana University School of Medicine Kylie Fisher, DO, MBA Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine Allyn Jones, MD University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Trevor Jurges, DO, MBA Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Hadley Leatherman, MD University of Washington School of Medicine Jens Mellby, DO Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine Krishna Patel, MD Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Nathan Sherbotie, MD University of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Hannah Thomas, MD University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency GRADUATING RESIDENTS Karly Gardner, DO Round Valley Clinic, Park City, UT, Intermountain Health Natalia Garcia-Stoddard, MD Green Valley Clinic, Green Valley, AZ, Banner Health Nadia Holladay, DO Copper Hills Clinic, West Jordan, UT, Intermountain Health Jordan Nelson, MD Sunset Clinic, St. George, UT, Intermountain Health Scott Tingey, DO Saratoga Springs Clinic, Saratoga Springs, UT, Intermountain Health Cayla Van Alstine, MD Family Medicine Specialists, Peachtree City, GA David Waterman, MD St. Alphonsus Medical Center, Nampa, ID Chaseton Womack, DO Tanner Clinic, Layton, UT INCOMING INTERNS Luke Brockband, MD Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine Mark Conley, DO University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Sara Kayser, DO Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine Madison Marquette, MD Louisiana State University School of Medicine Shreveport Anson Nebeker, DO Rocky Vista University Dylan Pierce, MD Medical College of Wisconsin Cesar Prague, DO Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Jaxon Savage, DO Rocky Vista University Utah Family Medicine Match Results Scan the QR code to read this online-only article. https://uafp-journal.thenewslinkgroup.org/utah-familymedicine-match-results-2026/ 17
Passing the Torch From One Dr. Pernick to Another By Rachel Pernick, MS3 In the summer of 2024, after my first year of medical school, I had the opportunity to attend the AAFP National Conference (now called FUTURE) in Kansas City, Missouri. My mother, originally from Missouri, had just retired from a career in family medicine. So, when I learned I had received a scholarship to travel to Kansas City to attend the conference, I called my mother to see if she might like to come, too, for old time’s sake. My mother grew up in Columbia, Missouri, two hours east of Kansas City. She moved around a lot. From the time she turned 12 until graduating high school, she attended eight different schools. She eventually moved to Iowa, where she went to college and, later, medical school. She worked part-time through college as a stablehand at a horse stable outside of town. She drove a beat-up pickup truck and pulled a four-horse trailer to horse shows across the Midwest; it never crossed her mind to tell her boss that she didn’t have a driver’s license. During college, my mother took a job as a ward clerk in the emergency department at the county hospital. There, she recalled working one night when a patient arrived at the ED with a large entourage. He had been performing a concert nearby when a fan threw a live bat onstage, and the patient, thinking it was plastic, bit off the animal’s head. Upon learning that it was, in fact, a live bat which he had just decapitated with his teeth, he was rushed to the county hospital where my mother worked for rabies treatment. The patient was, of course, Ozzy Osbourne. Stories like these were classics of my childhood, bedtime stories we’d heard so many times we could recite them by heart. For a long time, I imagined that all doctors were like my mother — bringing home canisters of liquid nitrogen to freeze off our warts at the kitchen table, with a drawer full of school pictures of other people’s children, given to her by patients over the years. My mother frequently gave out our home phone number to her patients and kept a landline plugged in next to her bed. I remember her receiving calls in the middle of the night, or during dinner when we had company over, and answering with exquisite patience and care, “Hello, this is Dr. Pernick.” Even as a child, I knew that when my mother left the dinner table to answer the phone, it was for a good reason; one of her patients needed her, and she was the person who knew them best. She was their doctor, after all. In applying to medical school, I craved that same longitudinality that characterized my mother’s decades-long practice. So that summer at the AAFP National Conference, just hours from where my mother grew up, surrounded by brand-new family doctors and family doctors-to-be, my mother couldn’t help but reflect on her career in family medicine and on how much had changed over the past 40 Dr. Rebecca White, formerly Rebecca Pernick, attends FUTURE alongside the future Dr. Rachel Pernick (MS3) Young Rachel preparing for her future profession while trick-or-treating Rebecca “horsing around” while working as a stablehand 18
years. She had only just recently retired, most of her career spent working at a single clinic. She bore witness to demographic change and innovations in medical practice and watched her pediatric patients grow up to become parents themselves. She recalled caring for patients with AIDS-defining illnesses during her residency — how staff would refuse to draw these patients’ blood for fear of contagion and how it was up to the residents to care for these patients as they died, often alone. “They always died,” my mother reflected soberly. “There was no real treatment yet, and everybody died.” Just a few years later, with the arrival of antiretroviral therapy, suddenly, HIV was no longer a death sentence. My mother still remembers the first patient she saw after the advent of AZT. The patient had previously declined testing, but then he became really sick with a lung infection, diarrhea and thrush. He finally agreed to be tested and was quickly started on therapy. Thirty years later, he was still alive: the first of her patients to not die from the virus. There, in Kansas City, so close to where she grew up, my mother reflected on her long career as a family doctor. She told me about her patients, their children and then their children’s children — sometimes three generations of the same family. Her career epitomized what I thought all doctors did: They came to know their patients, through sickness and through health, from the very beginning until the very end. The timing of my mother’s career sometimes feels uncanny, as she retired just as I was accepted to medical school. I can’t help but feel that she was handing off the baton to me just as she finished her final lap, one Dr. Pernick making way for another. “It was a good career,” she told me. “It really was … you’ll see.” Rachel and her mother enjoying the photo booth at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art Empowering Families With Simple Tools for Healthy Early Childhood Development In the first few years of life, more than one million new neural connections are formed every second, according to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard. The human brain doubles to 70% of adult size during the first year of life, 80% of adult size by age three and 90% by age five. During these critical stages when their brains are developing most rapidly, the stimulation children receive through everyday interactions has a significant impact on their brain architecture and can have lifelong effects on their social, emotional and intellectual well-being. It’s important for children to have safe, supportive developmental environments starting from birth — that’s where The Basics comes in. The Basics is a national network of communities dedicated to ensuring infants, toddlers and preschoolers of all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds are on track to achieve their full potential. By sharing and reinforcing The Basics Principles, health care providers can help families understand brain development in a clear and By Jenna Fischer Promise Partnership Utah 19
straightforward way, empower families to implement simple strategies into their everyday routines, and strengthen the parent-child bond. The Basics offers community partners, family physicians and healthcare providers simple, effective tools for promoting brain development that they can easily share with parents and caregivers. What Are The Basics Principles? Maximize Love, Manage Stress Talk, Sing, and Point Explore Through Movement and Play Count, Group, and Compare Read and Discuss Stories TheBasics.org The Basics strategy is based on the understanding that school readiness begins long before preschool, and that families are a child’s first and most important teachers. Centered around five core principles, The Basics provides evidence-based, culturally flexible strategies that align with a baby or toddler’s social, emotional and cognitive development from 0-12 months, 12-36 months and 36-60 months. The Basics Principles were developed by scientists and early childhood experts at The Achievement Gap Initiative (AGI) at Harvard University based on decades of research. Each principle emphasizes a different aspect of development, including social-emotional, language and literacy, cognition and general knowledge, physical development and well-being, and receptive approaches to learning. The Basics Principles aren’t new strategies parents have never heard of; rather, they name and provide shared language for what parents are already doing or can easily do more intentionally once they understand why it matters. MAXIMIZE LOVE, MANAGE STRESS Staying emotionally present for your child increases their happiness, strengthens their emotional health and builds self-control skills. Infants and toddlers thrive when their environment feels loving, safe and predictable. Families create this environment by expressing love through simple things like holding, kissing and cuddling their child, and offering frequent words of encouragement. This principle also emphasizes the importance of parents taking care of themselves to best show up for their child. Parenting can be stressful and overwhelming, and parents’ emotions impact those of the child. Maximize Love, Manage Stress provides strategies for adults to help cope with stress to stay calm and patient with their children. Modeling this behavior can help children learn how to deal with and overcome moments of stress themselves. TALK, SING AND POINT Boost your child’s language skills and knowledge of the world. Children begin to learn language very early by paying attention to our sounds and expressions when we interact with them. Talk, Sing and Point focuses on nurturing children’s communication development using strategies such as maintaining eye contact, taking turns and responding to the child’s sounds with words and facial expressions. Engaging in simple activities like naming body parts and objects, talking through the steps involved in your daily tasks, and asking and answering questions about things that interest them teaches children about the world and helps lay the foundation for critical language and communication skills later in life. COUNT, GROUP AND COMPARE Help your child make sense of the numbers and categories all around them. It’s never too early for families to introduce simple math concepts to babies and toddlers, such as noticing amounts and patterns, and comparing sizes and shapes. Count, Group and Compare emphasizes the ways children can learn math as they play and talk during everyday moments, building on their natural skills and boosting their confidence. Simple activities like counting and wiggling each of their toes, filling a container with water in the bathtub and dumping it out again, and stacking blocks all help children begin to make sense of the world and build the foundation for math long before they enter school. EXPLORE THROUGH MOVEMENT AND PLAY Encourage curiosity, discovery, and a healthy body. Children benefit from spending time playing with others and time playing alone, figuring things out independently (with parents nearby). Explore Through Movement and Play emphasizes building coordination and strength while exploring and learning about the world. Families can help their children explore the five senses by providing objects with different colors, shapes, sounds and textures. Engaging in different types of play, such as imaginative and pretend play, creative activities such as drawing, and physical play, such as crawling or rolling a ball, helps children build on their curiosity and excitement to learn about the world around them. 20
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