January 2021 E-Newsletter

Mark Your Calendar

• Student and Resident Retreat (Jan. 30 – 31): Sponsored by the Foundation and developed by and for medical students and family medicine residents, this event offers practical clinical skill-building workshops and broadens participants’ knowledge of issues and opportunities in a family medicine specialty. Through a virtual program, speakers will interact with attendees throughout the weekend and will share their personal experiences as a family physician. Register for the 2021 Student and Resident Retreat
• Family Medicine Advocacy Day (Feb. 1): Join other family physicians for Family Medicine Advocacy Day (FMAD), traditionally held in Olympia but going virtual for 2021! Held during the first part of the legislative session, FMAD is an opportunity for family physicians to provide direct input to the legislative process. Attendees build advocacy skills, hear from key legislators, and are briefed on Academy priorities and pending legislation. Register here: Register for FMAD. 
• Continuing Medical Education (Feb. 20): WAFP will offer approximately five hours of CME on Saturday, Feb. 20, beginning at 8 a.m. In keeping with the WAFP’s focus on helping family physicians, this CME event is free to WAFP members. More information on topics, speakers, and registration will be available in the next couple of weeks.

Stay In The Know

• Quick COVID-19 Primary Care Survey Results:  Many WAFP members participated in The Larry A. Green Center Primary Care Surveys we distributed. Thank you!  The latest nationwide results were sent to the Biden COVID-19 Advisory Board, as well as the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate and included 500 personal clinician statements. Attached here is the summary from mid-December; we thought you would be interested. 
• Additional Information on COVID-19 Vaccines: As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed and administered, the CDC and DOH continue to advise health care personnel on vaccine safety. From a CDC webinar in December, officials noted that fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia are the most common symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination. Those symptoms mostly are mild to moderate, occur within three days of vaccination, and resolve within 1-2 days of onset. DOH maintains a regularly updated webpage on the vaccination application and distribution process.
• Increased Risk of Youth Suicide During COVID-19: The Washington State Department of Health asks health care providers to screen patients for suicide risk, especially children, teens, and young adults. DOH also asks providers to share relevant information with at-risk patients and their families. Converging factors, including the disillusionment phase, other aspects of the pandemic, and seasonal changes may lead to increased psychological distress among the state’s youth. More information, including screening tools and resources, is available from DOH.

Engage with WAFP

• Resident and Medical Student Trustees: WAFP resident and medical student members interested in serving as trustees on the WAFP Board of Directors are invited to reach out to alyssa@wafp.net and to review to the WAFP website for residents and medical students. The Foundation Board also offers a position for a medical student trustee. To be considered for a trustee position, the board will ask for the interested member’s CV, a letter of interest, and a letter of support from medical school faculty or residency program director. Contact alyssa@wafp.net to learn more.
• Pierce County Chapter Meeting with Dr. Anthony Chen: WAFP members in Pierce County are welcome to attend a meeting and Q&A session with Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department Director of Health Anthony Chen, MD, MPH, on Jan. 12 at noon. RSVP to brian@wafp.net. If you would like the WAFP to arrange a chapter-wide meeting with your local health officer, please email brian@wafp.net.

Take Advantage of Other Opportunities

• Infection Prevention Program: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is offering the CDC’s Project Firstline, an educational program aiming to reach every health care worker in the US. The 30-minute program will be offered at 7 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays in January, February, and March. Each session tackles a different topic within infection control. Learn more at WCAAP’s website.
• UW Dept. of Family Medicine Speaker Series (beginning Jan. 7): To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine, the department is offering a virtual speaker series beginning with Dr. Antonio Dajer on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m. Dr. Dajer will share lessons learned in Nicaragua and on the Navajo reservation, his ER shift in Lower Manhattan during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the front lines in New York City during the COVID pandemic. The lecture is open to all, but registration is required.
• AAFP Annual Awards: Over the next few weeks, there are opportunities for you to nominate your colleagues for AAFP awards. The list of AAFP Family Medicine Awards notes what each award celebrates and the process for nominations. Some require a vote of the WAFP Board of Directors, so don’t delay. Contact info@wafp.net for assistance submitting nominations for a vote.