Dr. Epperly, AAFP Featured in USA Today, NY Times, Wall Street Journal

AAFP President Ted Epperly, M.D., FAAFP, and AAFP were featured in November 18 articles in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

The USA Today article, "Primary Care Doctors in Short Supply" featured comments by Dr. Epperly on a survey demonstrating the current and growing shortage of primary care physicians. Dr. Epperly discussed the underlying factors -- including a health care environment that undervalues the role of primary care and high student debt -- that have contributed to the trend.

The Wall Street Journal Health blog picked up Dr. Epperly's quote in today's entry, " Doctors Feel Gloomy, Financially Strapped."

In addition, the Wall Street Journal featured Dr. Epperly in an article, "Workers Get Health Care at the Office," a story about larger employers offering onsite clinics to their workers. Here, Dr. Epperly emphasized the need for continuity of care for employees, noting that AAFP's guidelines for retail health clinics applied to these employer sites calling for solid communication between such clinics and the workers' primary care physicians.

Also today, a New York Times article, "Study Puts a Total on Diabetes Cost: $218 Billion," cited the AAFP as a leader in a national effort to educate patients at risk for diabetes.

We're pleased that leading news organizations recognize the expertise of family physicians in both clinical and policy making arenas. Such news coverage reflects the AAFP's ongoing and increasingly successful participation in collaboration and in public/private advocacy on behalf of family medicine and its members.