News
Did You Know? Federal Advocacy Updates from AAFP
The staff in the AAFP office in Washington, DC, works hard to advocate for family medicine and primary care in the halls of Congress and with federal agencies. And you can keep tabs on what they’re working on with monthly updates that are posted on WAFP’s website. The page is usually updated around the middle…
Read MoreDecember Vax Corner: Managing Needle Anxiety with Hack the Vax
By Maria Huang, MD, FAAPVaccines Committee Co-Chair, Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics When your child hurts, you hurt too. Needle anxiety among children is a major barrier to vaccine uptake as is the distress parents feel when their child experiences pain. Consider incorporating the following tips in your practice to help kids and…
Read MoreField Scholarship Fund Names 2024 Recipients
Paul Amoreno, Evangelina Olivera, Aly Vyhmeister, and Jeffrey Weyand, MD, are the 2024 winners of the Dr. Burr Field Scholarship. Amoreno and Olivera are currently students at the Osteopathic College of Medicine at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima. Vyhmeister is a current student at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, which…
Read MoreNominations Open for the 2025 Family Medicine Educator of the Year
Do you know a family medicine educator who has positively impacted their community, students, and residents? If an educator has inspired you, please consider nominating them! The WAFP Foundation celebrates educators who exhibit the highest standards of medical care, training, collaborative leadership, and professionalism in their work with residents, students, colleagues, and patients. Nominate someone here for…
Read MoreCelebrating Public Health Thank You Day
The Monday before Thanksgiving marks Public Health Thank You Day, a chance to express appreciation for those on the front lines of public health. Family medicine and public health are inextricably linked. Comprehensive care, including preventive care, is a key pillar of primary care. Likewise, preventive care, in the context of population health, is a…
Read MoreNov. 21 was National Rural Health Day
The Washington Academy of Family Physicians joins health care partners around the country to celebrate National Rural Health Day. Nearly a quarter of the US population lives in rural areas, so say thank you to the physicians and their teams who help keep rural Americans healthy. In conjunction with the celebration, the Washington State Department…
Read MoreNovember Vax Corner: Pertussis on the Rise
The Vax Corner column is written by Maria Huang, MD, one of the co-chairs of the Vaccine Committee for the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics: Whooping cough is spreading nationwide at the highest levels since 2014 with more than 19,000 cases1 so far this year. This is four times as many compared to…
Read MoreWAFP, WCAAP, Other Stakeholders Sign Letter on RSV Vaccines
WAFP President Carla Ainsworth, MD, MPH, and representatives from other medical and public health societies signed a letter to raise awareness of administering RSV vaccines for Washington’s youngest patients. Nirsevimab (trade name Beyfortus) can be administered for all infants under 8 months old who are born during or entering their first RSV season. It can…
Read MoreJoin a Study to Improve Adult Vaccination Rates
From the Washington State Department of Health: The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is partnering with Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on a nationwide study to develop an evidence-based Adult Immunization Quality Improvement Provider (IQIP) program. This is an exciting opportunity to improve the vaccination rates for adult patients…
Read MoreRegistration is Open for 2025 Family Medicine Advocacy Day!
We hope you will join us in Olympia on Feb. 3 for Family Medicine Advocacy Day, where WAFP members bring issues affecting primary care directly to state legislators. Registration is now open! The day typically features a large-group session in the morning, where attendees hear from elected officials, agency representatives, and policy experts with updates…
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