AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Texas Academy of Family Physicians celebrates National Family Medicine Week and thanks the family physicians, residents and medical students in Texas for their commitment to improving access to primary care for all.
“The comprehensive care family physicians provide is critical to the health of Texans and their communities,” said Tom Banning, CEO and Executive Vice President of TAFP. “Everyone should have a medical home and a primary care physician like a family doctor who knows and understands their health history.”
National Family Medicine Week is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of family physicians in Texas and a reminder of the urgent need for sustained investment in primary care.
Primary care serves as the bedrock of Texas’ health care system, providing the first point of contact for patients entering the health care delivery system. Nationally, primary care practices provide more than one in three health care visits and often serve as the only source of care for patients, including patients with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, or mental health needs
Family physicians make up most of the primary care physician workforce and closely mirror the geographic distribution of the U.S. population. Family physicians often serve in rural and underserved urban communities, treating a more diverse population of patients than any other medical specialty. As leaders in their communities, family physicians have an important role in raising awareness about health disparities, managing chronic and acute conditions, and improving health outcomes while lowering costs.
“This week and every week we celebrate the family physicians who are doing the difficult and rewarding work of improving our health care system for all,” said Jen Brull, MD, FAAFP, president, American Academy of Family Physicians. “Family physicians are teachers, coaches, connectors, and trailblazers. They create safe spaces for patients and their communities and are uniquely equipped to advocate for policies that deliver for patients and recognize the invaluable services primary care physicians provide.”
Amid a shifting health care landscape and increasing practice challenges, family physicians have continually risen to meet the health care needs of their patients and communities. That’s why it’s more important than ever for sustained investment in primary care.
The Texas Academy of Family Physicians is the premier membership organization dedicated to uniting the family doctors of Texas through advocacy, education, and member services, and empowering them to provide a medical home for patients of all ages. It has 33 local chapters and is a chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Visit www.tafp.org for more information.
