Medical Care of Developmentally Disabled Individuals Bridging the Coverage Gap Free Clinics Working to Keep Utahns Healthy
HUNTSMAN MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE CONSULTATION ACCESS LINK LINE TO UTAH PSYCHIATRY UTAH'S STATEWIDE PSYCHIATRIC CONSULATION SERVICE CALL-UP is a legislative funded program designed to address the limitednumber of psychiatric services in Utah and improve access to psychiatry consultations. The program serves primary care physicians throughout the state of Utah at no cost. HOW WE CAN HELP: • Consult on psychotropic medication questions • Optimize primary care providers’ ability and confidence to diagnose and treat mild to moderate mental health issues • Improve quality of care and health outcomes for patients by affording early interventions • Promote and improve behavioral health and physical health integration • Ensure appropriate referrals for individuals with serious health concerns CONSULT HOURS: 12:00 pm–4:30 pm, Monday through Friday (closed on holidays) 801.587.3636 UOFUHEALTH.ORG/CALL-UP SCHEDULE A CONSULT
Participation by advertisers does not constitute endorsement by the UAFP. CONTENTSIssue 1 2023 © 2023 Utah Academy of Family Physicians | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. UAFP Journal is published two times each year by The newsLINK Group, LLC for the UAFP, and it is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review and consideration. 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 specific 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. UAFP Journal is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of UAFP. While UAFP encourages a first-print policy, 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 permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at 855.747.4003. The mission of the Utah Academy of Family Physicians: To improve the health of all Utahns by advocating for and serving the professional needs of family physicians. 25 9 | 4
President’s Message 6 Executive Director’s Message 75 Years Young 7 2022/2023 Utah Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors 8 Member Spotlight: Dr. Erica Baiden 10 Resident Spotlight: Dave Braak, MD and Julia Nelson, MD 12 Student Spotlight: Alexa Fritsch 16 Graduating Residents and New Interns 18 Family Medicine Match Results 20 Student & Resident Awards 21 2023 Legislative Session 22 CME & Ski Conference 2023 24 Bridging the Coverage Gap Free Clinics Working to Keep Utahns Healthy 25 Medical Care of Developmentally Disabled Individuals 29 The American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative 34 Preparing Doctors to Be Fluent in Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine 38 27 Throughout 2022, we featured a different UAFP member nearly every week in our newsletter and on social media. Enough people have asked about it, so we are considering bringing the feature back soon. This collage features just a small sampling of the pictures we received during the year. Thank you for sharing a little bit of your story with us! Dr. Richard Ferguson Dr. Jennifer Leiser Dr. Andy Garrison Dr. Marlana Li Dr. Rich Allen Dr. Darlene Peterson Dr. Kyle Jones Dr. Heather Alden Dr. Gabriella Walsman Dr. Brinton Woods Dr. Anne Hutchinson Dr. Erin Helms Dr. Melinda Midgley Dr. Mark Wardle Dr. Tiffany Ho 5 |
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE My goal as President of the UAFP Board of Directors this year was to better connect us as family physicians by emulating the compassion we show our patients to support each other and encourage future generations of family physicians. One year was not long enough to do much with our busy schedules, but it was plenty of time to build a foundation and develop new relationships, and it was the beginning of what we can accomplish when we come together as a group. We started the year by making new friends, working with our colleagues at Black Physicians of Utah to create the UAFP Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. We gathered as physicians, residents, and medical students in our members’ homes to share our experiences and discovered the multitude of allies among us. We hope to continue getting to know our members and providing an avenue to hear underrepresented voices. We also hope to engage in community service activities with our members and your families, so please apprise us of any events or ideas to come together for a meaningful cause. We are fortunate to have in our CEO, Maryann Martindale, someone adept at interacting and negotiating with our lawmakers in the state legislature and able to skillfully represent the broad bipartisan interests of our members with admirable aptitude. Guided by the UAFP Legislative & Advocacy Committee, we were able to expand Medicaid coverage for adult preventative care visits and to extend post-partum care for up to a year. As lawmakers attempted to limit the rights and freedoms of our patients and physicians, we partnered with other medical specialty organizations to limit their interference into the trusted physician-patient relationship. While our CEO was engrossed with the legislative session, our Associate Director, Barbara Muñoz, worked tirelessly to produce an informative and engaging CME & Ski. With assistance from the CME & Ski Planning Committee made up of member physicians, she assembled expert speakers to provide an affordable educational and recreational opportunity. Participant surveys were quite complimentary of the event and set a new standard for future educational offerings. Our delegates and alternate delegates did an exceptional job representing the needs of Utah family physicians and our patients at the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Our new delegate Dr. Nikki Clark and alternate delegate Dr. Katharine Caldwell will continue this important work. Interested members can join the calls to discuss resolutions for the upcoming year or submit resolutions of their own that UAFP can take to AAFP Congress of Delegates in the fall. I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent you on the UAFP Board and am excited to see our organization move forward with President-Elect Dr. Michael Chen, who has been whole-heartedly engaged with the UAFP since his time in medical school and residency and brings with him a wealth of knowledge. We are continuously seeking new ways to broaden our scope and engage our members. Let us know how we can help you and your patients. UAFP hosted an EDIB social at the President of Black Physicians of Utah, Dr. Richard Ferguson’s house. Saphu Pradhan, MD, FAAFP | 6
Maryann Martindale, CEO/Executive Director 75 Years Young Tempus fugit. Time certainly flies when you are part of an organization working to improve the lives of family physicians and their patients. This year, we celebrate our 75th year and we couldn’t be prouder of all the accomplishments we’ve seen throughout those many years. Shortly after WWII, Salt Lake physicians Dr. L.E. Robinson and Chas W. Woodruff founded the Utah State Society of Physicians and Surgeons in General Practice — quite the mouthful — USSPSGP, perhaps? In 1948, the board voted to separate from the surgeons and became the Utah chapter of the newly formed American Academy of General Practice (AAGP), joining 31 other state chapters. AAGP got down to business quickly, holding their first Scientific Assembly in March of 1948 with 3,500 family physicians in attendance. Later that summer, the first Congress of Delegates was held with 26 chapters participating. While we don’t have any records to prove our participation, as Utahns, we are collaborative and communityoriented so it is highly likely we were early participants. In 1969, American Boards approved family medicine as a new specialty. In 1970, the first certification exam was offered. And in 1971, AAGP changed its name to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Since then, family medicine has paved the way for many healthcare and practice improvements. Family physicians are often the first line of care and, as such, are in a unique position to identify needs and gaps early, with a goal of continual improvement and advancement. Just as we represent Utah family physicians in advocacy and proactive healthcare efforts, AAFP works at the federal level, often on many of the same issues and needs from CME requirements, recruitment programs, and grant opportunities to advocacy for the ACA and Medicaid expansion, recruitment programs, loan repayment funding, and other opportunities for students and residents. A lot of change has happened over the last 75 years, but one constant remains: the dedication of UAFP and AAFP to furthering the practice of family medicine. Today, we honor all those who came before — the pioneers who recognized the value of organizing and meeting to further the work and raise the profile of family medicine — and we share your commitment for the next 75 years. 1948 at a Glance • Earl J. Glade was mayor of Salt Lake City. • Herbert B. Maw was the Utah State Governor. • President Harry S. Truman was re-elected United States President. • Geneva Steel and Hill Air Force Base were the two largest employers in the state. • 1948 started with a statewide blizzard that lasted for three straight days with snowdrifts as high as 10 feet in some areas, record low temperatures, closed schools, halted mail service and garbage pickup, and caused numerous deaths and injuries, including livestock that froze or starved to death. • Salt Lake Community College, then called The Salt Lake Area Vocational School, opened its doors in downtown Salt Lake City. • A new home averaged $7,700 and a new car was $800. • The average annual salary was $3,000. • Gas was 16¢ a gallon, a loaf of bread 14¢, and a gallon of milk was 80¢. • Cleveland beat Boston in the World Series 4–2. • U.S. Congress ratified the Marshall Plan, approving $17 billion in post-WWII aid to Europe. • Citation won the triple crown. • Velcro was invented and the game of Scrabble was introduced. • The World Health Organization was formed by the United Nations. • Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in India. • The State of Israel was created and admitted over 200,000 war refugees. • Summer Olympics were held in London. • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 7 |
Shannon Baker, MD Craig Batty, DO Marlin Christianson, MD Tiffany Ho, MD Matthew Johnston, MD, FAAFP Bernadette Kiraly, MD Marlana Li, MD, FAAFP David Miner, MD Jamie Montes, DO Isaac Noyes, MD Thea Sakata, MD Tyson Schwab, MD Heather Sojourner, MD, FAAFP Kirsten Stoesser, MD, FAAFP Sally Tran, MD Mark Wardle, DO, FAAFP AAFP Delegates and Alternates AAFP Delegate Nikki Clark, MD, FAAFP AAFP Delegate Thea Sakata, MD AAFP Alternate Delegate Katharine Caldwell, MD, MPH AAFP Alternate Delegate David Cope, MD, FAAFP Family Medicine Residency Representatives McKay-Dee Family Medicine Residency Representative Andrew Steinicke, DO St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Representative Skyler Nguyen, MD University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Representative Laura Yeater, MD Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency Representative Jessica Fullmer, MD Medical Student Representatives Rocky Vista University — Southern Utah Nicholas Longe University of Utah School of Medicine Mariah Richins Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Hannah Berhow Executive Committee At-Large Board Members Our Mission and Vision The mission of the Utah Academy of Family Physicians: To improve the health of all Utahns by advocating for and serving the professional needs of family physicians. The vision of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Utah Chapter: To transform health care to achieve optimal health for everyone. Thank you for your service to the UAFP Board! Interested in becoming a member of the UAFP Board in the future? Contact us at boardchair@utahafp.org for more information. Michael Chen, MD, FAAFP President-Elect Saphu Pradhan, MD, FAAFP President Chad Spain, MD, FAAFP Immediate Past President Lynsey Drew, DO, FAAFP Treasurer 2022/2023 Utah Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors | 8
For the past 30 years, we’ve proudly served physicians as Utah Medical Association Financial Services. Now, we’re excited to continue to do so as Physician Wealth Advisors. This new name better centers our unique purpose as a financial organization created by physicians, for physicians. While our name has evolved, nothing about our commitment to providing you the best possible financial planning services has changed. New name. Same great service. For the past 30 years, we’ve proudly served physicians as Utah Medical Association Financial Services. Now, we’re excited to continue to do so as Physician Wealth Advisors. This new name better centers our unique purpose as a financial organization created by physicians, for physicians. While our name has evolved, nothing about our commitment to providing you the best possible financial planning services has changed. Call 801-747-0800 or visit PWA.ORG
Dr. Erica Baiden Member Spotlight Dr. Erica Baiden immigrated from Ghana with her family when she was a young child and values the traditions of her ancestors. She was raised by her single, incredibly loving and resilient mom and by the support of loving multigenerational family members in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up, Dr. Baiden knew well the life of a latchkey kid but did not know of her mother’s silent suffering. After a series of life-shaping events, including witnessing the debilitating effects mental illness had on her mother, Dr. Baiden was forced to move to Ogden, Utah. She has since been motivated to serve marginalized, under‑resourced and vulnerable populations and treat them in ways that restore dignity and respect. Dr. Baiden is a proud alumna of Weber State University where she had the honor to be mentored by the late and beloved professor Kent Van de Graaff, PhD. His words, “If it is to be, it is up to me” instilled the confidence that allowed Dr. Baiden to matriculate at the University of Utah School of Medicine and, later, the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency program. Dr. Baiden worked at Granger Medical Clinic where she served as a primary care provider, Family Medicine Department Chair, piloted a Behavioral Health Collaborative, served as adjunct faculty with the University of Utah and sat on various boards. She has shared her voice of community advocacy and education through webinars, podcasts, panels and other events with Black Physicians of Utah. She now works in an interdisciplinary practice at the University of Utah Intensive Outpatient Clinic (IOC). Dr. Baiden regards family medicine as the backbone and pillar of medicine. The opportunity to foster special relationships with patients, engage in advocacy and policy change, and the expansive scope of practice are some of the aspects of family medicine that keep her motivated. The integrative model of the IOC embodies these values. This not-for-profit practice uses an interdisciplinary team approach to serve some of the most vulnerable people of the Salt Lake Valley and beyond. The IOC team creates an emotionally and physically safe space that protects patients from being further pathologized and marginalized for societal issues. And as a result, improved health outcomes are achieved. Dr. Baiden believes that representation is also important to improve health care outcomes. She believes that when a variety of persons enter medicine, family medicine specifically, unique and shared experiences question current standards and improve quality of care. The medical climate 20 years ago, when Dr. Baiden first entered medical school, was obviously different than it is today. However, the intersectionality of her experience is something that is still shared among other women and women of color in medicine. This demographic of current and future physicians faces internal and external obstacles of doubt; every move or thought is scrutinized | 10
and accomplishments are questioned. There is an everpresent awareness of bias against your gender or race and resultant internal and external pressure to work harder in order to disprove harmful tropes. This awareness may affect performance or be the driver of overcompensation in order to be taken seriously. This is especially prevalent in professional environments where there is little to no representation or mentorship. Where is the safe space or person to help challenge and reframe these narratives? How does one navigate the complexities of self-doubt vs. being made to feel as if your identity deems you insufficient to warrant your accomplishments and title? As mentioned prior, Dr. Baiden believes that family medicine is the backbone of medicine and a needed sounding board of community advocacy and population health. Fewer medical students are choosing family medicine and experienced physicians are retiring early. This shortage of family medicine physicians means limited access to care, worse health outcomes, and a less efficient healthcare system. This disproportionately affects marginalized communities. How do we address this silent and looming public health crisis? Dr. Baiden believes that legislative, payer, and academic bodies should recognize the rising expectations, administrative burden, and limited resources many FM physicians experience and increase support of FM physicians financially and beyond. This can include a multidisciplinary team approach to healthcare delivery, reducing the burden of paperwork, encouraging FM residents and FMIG students to engage in community mentorship opportunities, and increasing the number of BIPOC providers. This issue is complex and multifactorial and will take a collaborative effort to address. Nonetheless, Dr. Baiden finds the field of family medicine extremely rewarding and still finds time to spend outdoors hiking, glamping, cycling, gardening or climbing. But most of all, she enjoys karaoke dance parties at home with her son, her greatest teacher and joy. She has since been motivated to serve marginalized, underresourced and vulnerable populations and treat them in ways that restore dignity and respect. Though there has been a growing commitment to foster inclusivity and diversity in the workplace and academic centers, Dr. Baiden feels that there is more active work to be done. This includes changes in medical student and resident curricula and engaging allies. She also believes it important to be cautious not to further and unfairly task BIPOC and other marginalized professionals with educating and improving outcomes of systemic inequities they did not create. She has been grateful for the many allies she has met along the way who have helped establish a sense of belonging and acceptance. She credits this community for making Utah feel like home. Another group, Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU), has been instrumental in fostering community and fellowship for Dr. Baiden. BPOU was founded by Richard Ferguson, MD, MBA in 2021. Dr. Ferguson had the foresight to fill a desperately needed void in mentorship, advocacy, and access. Many BIPOC and marginalized people, professionals included, have experienced pressures to bear a mask of conformity. Part of BPOU’s mission is to create a safe space where self-censorship is not required and racialized health inequities are eliminated. Dr. Baiden looks forward to helping extend BPOU’s mission and vision into the broader under-resourced Utah community. Dr. Baiden and fellow members and supporters of Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU) at the annual MLK Day March and Rally at the University of Utah. 11 |
Dave Braak, MD and Julia Nelson, MD Resident Spotlight First, a Bit About Julia and Dave Julia: I was born and raised in eastern Tennessee, and then went to college in the mountains of South Carolina. I definitely had that desire to combine being away from home but wanted an easy/short drive back. I moved even farther when I went to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina at the beach in Charleston. I had a sister who was finishing her last year of radiology residency there, as well as several college friends in the area — again, kind of staying in that comfort zone of the familiar. Growing up in the eastern mountains, I had a huge love for the outdoors. My summers were full of camps, backpacking trips, hiking with family, etc. It was definitely something I missed when living at the beach, and I couldn’t wait to get back to the mountains for residency. Dave: I grew up in Pennsylvania about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. None of my family was in medicine; most of them are interested in theatre and art. I used to swim and run cross country when I was in high school, and I was a so-so student. I enlisted in the Army out of high school, and I served in Afghanistan from 2009–2010. After I came home, I went back to school at Temple University in Philadelphia where I majored in Psychology and Neuroscience. I’m pretty jealous of my spare time, but I don’t really spend it all that productively. I play video games and hike, and I like to pretend that I run sometimes. The Journey to Medical School and Family Medicine Julia: So, my family is full of doctors — mom, a pathologist; dad, a radiologist; older sister, also a radiologist; and cousin and grandfather in internal medicine. It was always an obvious option, so obvious that, for a while, I actually intentionally ignored it because I didn’t want to fall into that trap of the “family business.” But I was immediately drawn towards science, particularly chemistry, through high school and actually picked my college, Furman University, because of their superb chemistry program. But I ultimately realized I couldn’t see myself as a PhD, writing grants my whole life. A roommate of mine in college introduced me to plantbased diets and I started a huge investigation into what I now recognize as lifestyle medicine. It was this focus on nutrition and the benefits it could have for patients that finally drove me back toward medicine. I planned on taking a gap year after college and knew going into medical school that I wanted to be a primary care physician. At that point, I’m not sure I knew what family medicine was, but every time | 12
I described what kind of doctor I wanted to be, every advisor told me I should look into family medicine. I immediately joined the MUSC family medicine interest group, and the more I learned, the more it was the obvious choice for me. Dave: Originally, I went to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) on an MD/ PhD scholarship. I was really interested in research when I was an undergraduate. I was accepted into the program at MUSC at the beginning of my senior year in college and had every intention of studying for a PhD in neuroscience, specializing in neurology and just doing animal research for the rest of my career. But around the end of my senior year as an undergraduate, I started to become interested in public health, preventative health and healthcare systems. When I got to MUSC, I tried to start my PhD in public health, but after one year, I decided to leave the PhD program and go back to medical school. I decided that I was more interested in practicing medicine than research. I ended up getting really lucky and I had family medicine early in my third-year rotations. At MUSC, family medicine is a rural rotation, and I stayed in Chester, South Carolina, for a month with an awesome family medicine doctor who inspired me to go into FM. Working with him really gave me the confidence for the rest of medical school, and by the time applications came around, I knew exactly what I wanted to do in terms of specialty. Continuing Their Journey as a Couple Julia: Dave and I started in the same class in medical school. We were friends for over a year before we started dating. He was enrolled in the MD/PhD program, with an interest in epidemiology. So initially, I realized we were going to have very different looking career paths. Dave had a famously big bushy black beard during medical school. One day out of nowhere, he completely shaved it. I was so taken aback I had to talk with him after class one day. We continued that conversation in messages, and long story short … we’re married now. He still loves to shave his beard to surprise/scare people. Dave entered his first year of research as I went into clinicals in my third year of medical school, but he realized quickly how much he missed interacting with Together for: © 2023 Constellation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. We believe what’s good for care teams is good for business. Learn more at ConstellationMutual.com 13 |
patients. He left the PhD program after completing that year, and I think that realization greatly influenced his desire to become a family medicine doctor. Dave: We started out in the same class. I had taken a test that the AAMC puts out that tells you what specialties in medicine you might be interested in, and family medicine was one of them, so I joined the family medicine interest group (FMIG). I think maybe some of the first times we talked, it was in the FMIG. But the truth is we were friends before we started dating. About halfway through second year, we started dating, and then I left at the end of second year for a year of research with the PhD program. I knew pretty quickly that I didn’t want to stay in research, so I left. It did mean that Julia was now a year ahead of me, so we had to figure out a creative solution to that. The Process of Matching as a Couple Julia: Since Dave and I were separated by a year, that got tricky. I considered several different “solutions” to see if we could eventually couples match together. I considered an MPH, a research year, but ultimately decided to pursue a Transitional Year Residency and was lucky to match nearby in Myrtle Beach, SC. Dave proposed just a few weeks before my first Match Day (I happy cried). It was a big priority for us to match in the same location, and I’m so glad I took that extra year. Dave is my best friend and my biggest support. Being in the same residency has been an amazing experience. Our faculty and co-residents are really supportive. I developed a strong interest in OB while in medical school, so knew I wanted that to be a strong component of my residency. That alone increased our desire to move out West, where programs felt more well-rounded and full-spectrum. At this point in my life, I was also ready for a bigger change, and my family had been traveling out West for vacation for years; it felt like the place I wanted to establish my career. What better time to move than in training? We looked broadly across the entire Mountain West and Pacific Northwest. Utah Valley was initially just an appealing curriculum on a website. Easily checked the boxes we were looking for. It ironically was the only interview we did where we both interviewed the same day (all virtual for us). The residency felt so unique, everyone seemed so happy, and the curriculum stood out, even after interview season, as the best fit for us. Neither of us had any family in Utah, and neither of us had ever set foot in Provo, but we were ready for adventure! Dave: Matching as a couple is a lot like matching by yourself, but with an extra layer of complexity. Instead of just ranking your own preferences, you are ranking iterations of preferences. So, you end up with rank lists that are like 100 points long. I think at one point, I calculated that if we wanted to rank everywhere that we interviewed in every possible combination, we’d have something like 350 ranks. That cost extra money, so we decided not to do that. In some ways, we had an advantage because we were both looking at family medicine. I think where it really starts to get tough is | 14
Managing your medical practice just got a lot easier. Our expert HR Services and Payroll can help you focus on what’s really important … your patients. 801-270-6851 wtapeo.com when you’re trying to match in two different specialties. It took some negotiations together to decide stuff like, do we want to be in the same program, or different? Academic, or community? Location? Etc. When we were early in fourth year, we decided to attend AAFP’s National Conference in Kansas City. It was virtual that year, but it was an opportunity to explore programs across the country. I don’t think we talked to Utah Valley at the time, but we talked to someone at the University of Utah, and his passion for Utah really inspired us to start looking at programs out here. When we interviewed, we both just loved everything about the program: the atmosphere, the faculty, the co-residents. It was a no-brainer. And we’ve loved it here so far. We live about five minutes from work, the skiing has been awesome, the hiking, the parks, just everything. Their Hopes for the Future Julia: Dave is hoping to pursue a career as a hospitalist, and I would like to work primarily in the clinic/outpatient setting with a strong focus in OB. I’m planning to apply to family medicine OB fellowships this summer. We really want to prioritize staying the mountain west and see ourselves settling in Utah or Colorado. I’m also interested in teaching and could even see myself joining a residency as faculty if I’m lucky enough to get the opportunity! Dave: That’s tough to say right now. I’m interested in careers with a more inpatient focus. We’d love to stay around here, but we’re having to negotiate a few factors, not least of which is how few OB fellowships there are. I suppose, in terms of where we see ourselves in practice, I think we could make a really good team for a community, eventually. Julia practicing outpatient and OB, while I practice more inpatient. If you could go back in time and give yourself some advice either as a medical student or new intern, what would you tell your younger self? Do you have any advice for those looking at pursuing a couple’s match? Julia: Talk to other couples when you match. It always helps to hear from those who’ve been through it. Make sure you pick the program that works for you, not just your partner. It’s OK to support each other as individuals as well as a couple. I would tell my younger self to get excited. It’s more fun and more rewarding than I could have imagined. And going through it with your best friend is even better. Dave: I guess the only advice I’d give myself is to just keep my head down, keep studying and moving forward. It’s a marathon from undergraduate through residency, and there’s really nothing you can, or should, do to speed it up. 15 |
Alexa Fritsch Student Spotlight What led you to attend Rocky Vista University Southern Utah? When deciding on a medical school, I really wanted to feel respected and welcomed, not only on campus but also within the community. Having an amazing outdoor playground and a place to call home was just a bonus. Rocky Vista University in Southern Utah hit all these requirements out of the park, and I am so happy I landed right where I did. the human body and skeleton, scribbling my interpretation with graphite onto paper. The opposition of science (the knowledge and logic) and emotion (the interactions and relationships forged between individuals) is what really drew me to medicine. I love learning about people and listening to their stories. This melding of rigid rationale with the fluidity of the human psyche is such an art and one that I wish to continually hone throughout my life. My family and I lived in a tiny village, if you will, called Chili in Wisconsin, where our closest neighborhood friends were Amish. However, I worked and went to school in a town nearby called Marshfield. Some of my most cherished memories involve growing up with a pack of hooligans (whom I am still very close with today), attending football games, making our own scavenger hunts, and having game nights. Additionally, I enjoyed participating in sports: cross country, gymnastics, and my favorite, track and field. The 800m, 4x400m relay, and 4x200m relay were my best events. Although my track days have passed, you can usually find me lifting weights, trail running, hiking, camping, paddleboarding, snowboarding, traveling, conversing with friends over homemade meals, and hosting game nights in my free time. What was your journey to medical school? Marshfield’s main attraction is its clinic — everyone in my hometown was affiliated with it in some way, shape, or form, but it was really my dad who got me into the sciences, albeit indirectly. As a family, we would go on nature walks and stop to look at trees, dried-up leaves, etc., and he’d always ask, “What do you think that is?” or “How do you think it came to be?” It impacted me in a big way, and I learned to love the sciences, especially biology. It wasn’t until I went to college that I really found my passion for medicine. After working as a CNA and taking courses such as anatomy, physiology, and medical mycology, I decided to pursue a career as a physician. During this time, I had many mentors and supporters — my biggest being my mom and dad, along with my friends and a handful of undergraduate professors, namely Dr. Tom Volk and Dr. Rebecca Werren. I completed my undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse where I competed on the track team my first year while pursuing a major in biology and a minor in art. I loved the sciences and digging into the minute details of molecular biology! When not studying in the corners of Cowley Hall, I found peace in the art studio — visually analyzing | 16
The family physician is afforded the great privilege of providing a safe place for others to be vulnerable: creating an open, honest space that leads to exceptional medical care tailored towards the patient. Alexa and her partner, Alex Fishburn Making snow angels in the Swiss Alps Congratulations on matching to McKay Dee! What led you to apply there? What are you most looking forward to about residency? Thank you so much for the congratulatory wishes! I applied to McKay-Dee for a myriad of reasons. Some of the biggest included its well-rounded, exceptional training, beautiful outdoor recreational opportunities, its proximity to my partner and family, and an overwhelming feeling of community and support from McKay-Dee’s staff, faculty, and residents. Why family medicine as a specialty? I love that, as a family physician, you wear all the hats. You are the communicator between your patient and specialists, the cheerleader, the advocate, the realist, the empathizer, the teacher, the researcher, and the interpreter of medical information. The family physician is afforded the great privilege of providing a safe place for others to be vulnerable: creating an open, honest space that leads to exceptional medical care tailored towards the patient. This, along with increased continuity of care with a variety of people and an assortment of cases makes for a thrilling, yet humbling adventure — one that I am so eager and grateful to continue. Now that you are nearing the end of your med school journey, what advice would you give those trying to get into med school or just starting out? I would encourage you to never give up on something you are truly passionate about. Just be you and do your thing — good things will come your way. Lastly, trust the process (easier said than done) — you will end up exactly where you are meant to be. Anything else you would like to add? I would like to say a very gracious thank you to some of my biggest supporters during medical school and throughout my life. I would most certainly not be where I am today without these wonderful humans: my dad (Tom Heinzen), my mom (Michelle Weidner), my partner (Alex Fishburn), my closest friends (Kim Clausen, Dr. Kyle Barkdull, Capt. Alyssa Brenner, and Sarah Wolff), and my most prominent mentors (Dr. Dale Woodbury and Dr. Nena Mason). 17 |
Graduating Residents and New Interns Congratulations to the graduating family medicine residents of 2023! We wish you all the best in your career as a family medicine physician. McKay Dee Family Medicine Residency Travis Clark, DO Kaysville Intermountain Clinic, Kaysville, UT Alexis Gunderson, MD Palliative Care Fellowship, Grand Rapids, MI Josh Hansen, MD Sports Medicine Fellowship, Tulsa, OK Adam Henrie, MD Bountiful Intermountain Clinic, Bountiful, UT Mike Ivan, DO Intermountain Health Clinic, Richfield, UT Shayla Jenkins, MD HaysMed, Hays, KS Monica Rodgers, MD Durango, CO St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Bryanna Cordeiro, MD Outpatient FM, Ennis, MT Adam James, MD Outpatient FM, TN Robert Jones, DO Outpatient FM, Phoenix, AZ Skyler Nguyen, MD Outpatient FM, Salt Lake City, UT University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Matt DeMarco, MD Roper St. Francis Primary Care, Charleston, SC Misha Fotoohi, MD Hospitalist at Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians (HMFP) at Beth Israel Lahey Health, Boston, MA Collin Lash, MD St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Faculty, Salt Lake City, UT Emily Miro, MD Sports Medicine Fellow at University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Blake McConnell, MD Salem Health, Salem, OR Katie Myrick, MD University of Utah Redwood Health Center, Salt Lake City, UT Marta Schenck, MD Kaiser at the Interstate Clinic, Portland, OR Lyly Tran, MD Undecided as of time of print Rich Wolferz, MD University of Utah Redstone Clinic, Salt Lake City, UT Laura Yeater, MD Ashland Ohio University Hospitals, Ashland, OH | 18
WELCOME NEW INTERNS! We are also excited to welcome the new class of family medicine interns — many of whom are new to Utah! St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency Nicholas Gajkowski, MD Ohio State University College of Medicine Natasha Greene, MD Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Carline Powell, DO Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University Ellie Zurbuchen, MD Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah McKay Dee Family Medicine Residency Claire Baumgartner, MD University of Minnesota Savanna Cox, MD University of Kansas Alexa Fritsch, DO Rocky Vista University Morgan Greene, DO Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk COM Rachael Haines, DO University of North Texas HS Center Texas COM Mariah Richins, MD University of Utah Sydney Schmidt, MD University of Wisconsin University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Tracy Hunter, MD Mercer University Erik Josue Maradiaga Guevara, MD Howard University Shannon McKim, DO Rocky Vista University Southern Utah Kaite McLeod, MD Vanderbilt University Hanh Ngo, MD University of Missouri-Columbia Lauren Pham, DO University of the Incarnate Word Blaine Spivey, MD Medical College of Georgia Hendrik Stegall, MD Ohio State University Jennifer Sullivan, MD UMass Chan Patrick Taylor, MD UNC Chapel Hill Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency Karly Castellaw, DO Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Natalie Garcia, MD University of Utah Nadia Holladay, DO New York Institute of Technology Jordan Nelson, MD University of Central Florida Scott Tingey, DO Kansas City University Cayla Van Alstine, MD University of South Alabama David Waterman, MD University of Washington Chaseton Womack, DO Des Moines University Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency Matias A. Calquin, MD Mountainlands Community Health Center, Provo, UT Linsey A. Christensen, DO Bear River Clinic, Tremonton, UT Jessica V. Fullmer, MD South Jordan Health Center, South Jordan, UT Brady M. Hansen, DO Severe Family Clinic, Richfield, UT Sean A. Kiesel, DO Mesa View Medical Group, Mesquite, NV Tessa R. Lee, MD Jordan River Family Medicine, South Jordan, UT Andrew R. Smith, MD Billings Clinic, Billings, MT Cameron G. Smith, DO Mountainlands Community Health Center, Provo, UT 19 |
Family Medicine Match Results 2023 saw the largest class of incoming family medicine residents in history with 4,530 medical students and graduates matching into family medicine residency programs. According to AAFP, family medicine offered 5,107 residency positions, 172 more than in 2022, totaling 13.6% of positions offered in all specialties with more programs offering positions than any other specialty. UAFP congratulates all those who matched into family medicine this year! University of Utah School of Medicine Anna Brandes, MD — Providence Hospital, Providence, AK Jeff Cardon, MD — Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, Caldwell, ID Natalia Garcia, MD — Utah Valley Hospital, Provo, UT Kaden Jordan, MD — IU Health Ball Memorial, Muncie, IN Elliot Nielson, MD — University of California, Irvine, CA Mariah Richins, MD — McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden, UT Stephen Ward, MD — Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Bremerton, WA Joaquin Zetina, MD — Rush University Medical Center, Chicago IL Ellie Zurbuchen, MD — St. Mark’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Rylan Anderson, DO —Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID Yuri Anderson, DO — Dignity Methodist Hospital, Sacramento, CA Macarena Basanes, DO - Ventura County Medical Center, Ventura, CA Emily Chanak, DO — University of California San Francisco, Fresno, CA Kathryn Chen, DO — PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Vancouver, WA Joseph Christensen, DO — Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach, FL Payton Christensen, DO — East Tennessee State University, Bristol, TN Andrew Collyer, DO — Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, TX Reese Cooper, DO — David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, CA Kristen Dorazio, DO — Mike O’Callaghan Federal Hospital, Las Vegas, NV Alexa Fritsch, DO — McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden, UT Talon Harris, DO — Skagit Regional Health, Mount Vernon, WA Tyler Howlett, DO — McLaren Health Care Corp, Bay City, MI Carl Ketcham, DO — Kirk Kerkorian, UNLV, Las Vegas, NV Ryan Lofthouse, DO — Centura Health Corporation, Pueblo, CO Megan Maar, DO — New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, NC Shannon McKim, DO — University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Jenny Nguyen, DO — University of Illinois, Peoria, IL Samuel Pollock, DO — Montana Family Medicine, Billings, MT Sameer Reddy, DO — Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA Stefan Root, DO — Sunrise Health Graduate Medical Education Consortium, Las Vegas, NV Ria Sandhu, DO — University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK Parker Schouten, DO — Deaconess Hospital, Evansville, IN Devan Sheffield, DO — University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Tyler, TX Kyle Shepherd, DO — Kirk Kerkorian, UNLV, Las Vegas, NV Christian Smith, DO — University of Wyoming, Cheyenne, WY Craig Smith, DO — Providence Hospital, Anchorage, AK Landon Stevenson, DO — Montana Family Medicine, Billings, MT Nathan Stoneking, DO — Deaconess Hospital, Evansville, IN Tyler Wall, DO — Creighton University of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ Megan Wang, DO — AnMed Health, Anderson, SC Spencer Wilhelm, DO — Full Circle Health, Boise, ID Nicole Wojcik, DO — Ascension St. Joseph Illinois, Chicago, IL Paul Yang, DO — Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA Kristen Zachariah, DO — USAF Regional Hospital, Eglin Air Force Base, FL Michelle Zhang, DO — Ocean University Medical Center, Brick, NJ | 20
Student & Resident Awards Each year, UAFP recognizes an outstanding graduating medical student from Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine — Southern Utah and the University of Utah School of Medicine who have matched into family medicine. At the University of Utah, the F. Marian Bishop Award was awarded to Mariah Richins, who will be starting her residency with McKay Dee Family Medicine Residency in Ogden, Utah later this summer. The Outstanding Senior Award at RVUSU was given to Alexa Fritsch, who has also matched at McKay Dee Family Medicine Residency. Both of these outstanding 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. UAFP established a Resident Leadership Award in 2021 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 Rich Wolferz from the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency! One of three nominations submitted for Dr. Wolferz stated, “Dr. Rich Wolferz has shown fantastic leadership skills, communication, organization, and team-player skills as one of our Residency Chiefs. But he has gone so far above the expectations as Chief Resident this year. Rich has worked holidays, weekends, nights and even 26-hour days to help his fellow residents. Dr. Wolferz took over the scheduling chief call nights on several occasions when it was needed. Even at the last minute. Dr. Wolferz has shown incredible leadership skills and amazing acts of selflessness to support the residency this year.” UAFP CEO and Executive Director, Maryann Martindale and Associate Director, Barbara Muñoz presenting Mariah Richins with the F. Marian Bishop Award CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU ON YOUR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS! Rocky Vista University — Southern Utah Outstanding Senior, Alexa Fritsch 2023 Resident Leadership Award Winner Rich Wolferz, MD with Maryann Martindale and Kirsten Stoesser, MD, FAAFP University of Utah Family Medicine Residency Program Director 21 |
2023 Legislative Session By Maryann Martindale, UAFP CEO/Executive Director The 2023 Legislative Session came in like a lion and went out like a ... lion. If I summed up this session in just a few words, I would call it frustratingly successful. There were some really tough outcomes, but there were also some pretty significant wins. I realize, as I have looked back over previous legislative reports, this seems to be a somewhat consistent theme — great bills, horrible bills, good debates, frustrating debates, legislators I love working with, and legislators I don’t. It really is just a microcosm of our national policy debates with all the tribalism, messiness, hard work, and cautious optimism. Each year, we reorganize our Legislative and Advocacy Committee, inviting statewide members to join our weekly calls and share their insights and expertise, as we review bills and determine our positions. The 2023 session had 929 bills introduced and 575 passed, in addition to countless more bill files opened that were never released. Of the total bills passed, a whopping 363 passed in the final week of the session. With only 45 days in the session, you can imagine how quickly things can move. Adam Brown, an Associate Professor of Political Science at BYU, maintains legislative statistics and found the average time spent on bills was 10 minutes. If you’re a policy nerd like me, you should scan the QR code and definitely check out Brown’s annually updated Guide to the Utah Legislature. https://adambrown.info/p/research/utah_legislature We were in the thick of it from day one as I presented our appropriation request for Medicaid well-care visits. Thanks to our incoming President, Dr. Michael Chen, we learned that despite expanding Medicaid, Utah never approved the codes for an annual well-care visit for adults. As we all know, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and providing these important annual visits has the potential to save significant money as well as save lives. Whether it be diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, heart disease, or cancer, early detection will always be critical for effective treatment and hopefully prevention. The codes come with a surprisingly low cost — if every single adult Utahn on Medicaid got an annual well-care visit, the total cost would be less than $250,000. While that may sound like a lot to a personal budget, when you have an annual state budget of $29.4 billion, that’s tantamount to checking the couch cushions for change. Fortunately, with a combination of naivete and hutzpah, we were able to get the request included in the Governor’s budget, meaning the process was a bit less cumbersome and didn’t require a separate bill file, just a champion who we found in Representative Marcia Judkins. It took some frantic penultimate day-of-the-session lobbying to get sufficient funds, but beginning July 1st, you will be able to provide well-care visits to your adult patients on Medicaid. Thanks, Dr. Chen! Another big priority bill was postpartum extension, SB133 which will extend postpartum coverage to most women who qualify for Medicaid to 12 months. Under current Medicaid provisions, a woman giving birth is covered for only 60 days. Data shows that the majority of complications and maternal mortalities occur between 45 and 365 days. Passing this bill was a very heavy lift, but through great collaborative efforts between us, Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH), Utah Public Health Association (UPHA), and the American Heart Association Utah Chapter, the bill succeeded with full funding and will go into effect this summer. We supported a total of 40 bills — some passed, some didn’t — and we prioritized our focus on those bills we believed would make the biggest impact and had the UAFP CEO Maryann Martindale joins Governor Spencer Cox, Lt. Governor Henderson, several legislators, leadership from DHHS, and fellow advocates from AUCH, UPHA, and American Heart Association for a bill signing for SB133 Modifications to Medicaid Coverage which extends postpartum coverage for many women on Medicaid to 12 months. | 22
greatest chance of success. But we would be remiss if we didn’t discuss a couple of disappointments. The legislature continues its erosion of women’s reproductive autonomy and also weighed in this year with a pause in genderaffirming care. The legislature moved pretty quickly on several of these bills, leaving those of us working on behalf of the medical community frustrated with the lack of time to counter misconceptions and inaccuracies and to truly present and debate the science. These are definitely hot-button issues and we recognize that our members do not all hold the same position on these procedures. However, our priority is not the specific procedure, but rather to preserve the physician/ patient relationship, to protect the discussions you have with patients over various treatments — regardless of the procedure — and to ensure physicians are not under threat of licensure or legal impacts for providing safe, scientifically-sound care. Our hope is to continue these important discussions with legislators and work to ensure that physicians and their patients are able to make critical healthcare decisions outside the realm of political and societal influences. As we continue our advocacy work, we welcome input from our members on issues they would like us to address, gaps or areas that could be improved or fixed, etc. As my early example of well-care visits shows, input from members, such as Dr. Chen, is vital for us to be effective in our advocacy. If you would like to get more involved, please consider joining our Advocacy Committee. You can sign up using the QR Code below. https://utahafp.regfox.com/join-a-uafp-committee To see our final bill tracker, go to https://utahafp.org/utleg2023 Family Medicine Day on the Hill Each year during the legislative session, UAFP hosts a Day-on-the-Hill. It is an opportunity for our members to learn about the legislative process and meet with legislators to discuss various bills. This year we hosted the Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU). We began the day with “Legislature 101” — a presentation outlining how the Utah Legislature works, what is entailed in passing legislation, information about the makeup, and general advocacy information. We worked closely with Dr. Richard Ferguson, the founder and President of BPOU, to discuss ways for physicians of color to advocate, the critical need for diversity, and presented several bills that were of specific interest to the group. We invited legislators to join us and present some of their bills, and this year we had an outstanding showing, including numerous representatives and senators, many representing those in attendance. We also were fortunate to have a special visit from Lt. Governor Deirdre Henderson. She spoke of the importance of healthcare to the Governor, the need for more primary care physicians and especially the need for diversification of the healthcare workforce. The event was informative and gave attendees a good insight into the legislative process and showed them how to be active participants in health care advocacy. Huge thanks to Dr. Ferguson for joining us and bringing this important perspective to our advocacy work. Mark January 29, 2024 on your calendars to attend next year’s event. We’ll be joined by the Association for Utah Community Health (AUCH) and Utah Public Health Association (UPHA) for Primary Care Day on the Hill. UAFP hosted Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU) for a Day-on-the-Hill, and we were joined by several legislators and even had a special visit from Lt. Governor Diedre Henderson. 23 |
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