SAN ANTONIO -- A White House visit, Congressional battles, and reaffirming the core role of FPs in 21st century medical care were highlights of his presidential year John Meigs Jr., MD, told the American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates.
In an address at the opening session of the AAFP congress the outgoing president said he had actually visited the White House twice, but "No, I did not meet, him," Meigs said of President Trump.
But on those visits he did speak with Health and Human Services Secretary, Tom Price, MD, and both past and current administrators at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- Andy Slavitt and Seema Verma, respectively.
Meigs recalled his work alongside other major medical groups to help block the GOP's efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, in particular a verbal sparring session with one unnamed senator. The senator ducked and parried each suggestion Meigs made in defending the Affordable Care Act, but Meigs said he was able to use AAFP proposals and basic facts to get the better of the senator's arguments.
As players in Washington change, the AAFP's priorities remain firm. One such goal is reducing the burden on physicians. He continually tries to remind himself of a certain Bible passage: "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
"But God doesn't have to use an [electronic health record]," he quipped, or to ask insurers for prior approvals, when they think they are God.
This being the AAFP's 70 year anniversary, Meigs also took stock of the group's history.
"[T]he AAFP has been a leader, even a disruptive innovator, for our profession from the very beginning," he said, recalling that this group of family physicians -- formerly known as the American Academy of General Practice -- was the first physician group to require continuing medical education (CME).
While many physicians in other specialties object to maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements, recertification is a founding principle of the AAFP since was the first specialty to require it.
As Meigs explained, "the concepts of professionalism, continued professional development, commitment to lifelong learning and maintenance of certification are at their core principles that family medicine introduced and championed for our profession."
"We must continue to be the disruptive innovators of our profession."
He also recalled the COD's decision to hold an annual scientific meeting, March 7-9 1949. The New York Times seemed tickled by the scientific exhibits including a "male frog pregnancy test." That booth, noted the Times, "was crowded from morning until night."
Meigs also chastised the "arrogance of specialized medicine that I find difficult to understand." Some specialists view family doctors as nothing more than "routing clerks" or "traffic cops." But Meigs views them as quarterbacks on a very important team.
"Possibly the ultimate distinction between the family physician and members of the clinical specialties is the ability to relate the parts to the whole, the machinery to the purpose, the special talent to the basic task," Meigs said.
In closing, he said, "I am basically a very shy person, and an introvert. But I am also a family physician. My passion for who we are and what we do will frequently takeover for my basic shyness ... I have tried to be your bold champion this past year and carry the message of family medicine to every venue I was privileged to attend. It has been my great honor to represent you."