PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) celebrates National Family Medicine Week through October 5. It thanks the family physicians, residents and medical students in Pennsylvania for their commitment to improving access to primary care for all.

National Family Medicine Week honors the accomplishments of family physicians in Pennsylvania and is a reminder of the urgent need for sustained investment in primary care.

“Pennsylvania has emerged as a top producer of physicians for the state, country and world with our 10 medical schools and 55 family medicine residency programs,” said Brent Ennis, CEO and executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. “We honor our family medicine heroes who do so much for the health of the people of our communities, and as an academy we commit to advocating for transformative advances in our health care system.” 

Family physicians make up most of the primary care physician workforce and closely mirror the geographic distribution of the U.S. population. They often practice 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.

“The depth and breadth of our training as family physicians is unmatched,” said Theresa Metanchuk, D.O., president of the PAFP. “We treat a diverse range of patients from all walks of life, communities and backgrounds. We provide care from birth to end-of-life and everything in between.”

“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, M.D., president of the 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.

“We experience such joy in being family physicians,” concluded Dr. Metanchuk. “We need to bring that joy to our medical learners early in their career, show them the versatility of our great specialty, and own our narrative of what family medicine is all about in order to ensure the next generations of family physicians."

The Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and its Foundation support its 5,500+ members through advocacy and education to ensure physician-led, personalized, and comprehensive health care for every Pennsylvanian. The Academy and its Foundation are the leading influential resource among family physicians and physicians in training in Pennsylvania; a primary voice on health care issues with state legislative and administrative branches of government, media and professional health organizations; and a leader on health care issues in our communities. Learn more: www.pafp.com.