Inside Family Medicine

In this CME On the Go episode, our hosts discuss evaluating and managing dementia-related concerns in primary care using a common scenario: an older patient brought in by an adult child concerned about Alzheimer's disease and  possible nursing  home placement. They emphasize that these visits are time intensive and require history from both the patient and family, distinguishing normal aging from...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, we hear from Norman Chenven, MD, founding CEO of Austin Regional Clinic (ARC), and AAFP Director of Career and Practice ,  Tracey Allen-Ehrhart. They discuss family physician compensation, common income myths, and tools for evaluating job offers. Chenven explains why he chose family medicine and outlines how compensation varies by geography, practice type...

In this episode of  Fighting for Family Medicine , David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, reviews June advocacy  efforts , including the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit, where more than 300 physicians advocated for  policies to improve access to care .   He  also  highlights AAFP positions on H-1B physician policy, Medicaid work requirements, ACA marketplace changes, rural  trai...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, James Bigham, MD, MPH, and Sanjay  Batish , MD, discuss the family physician's role in preventing firearm injuries and addressing gun violence through relationship-based, upstream care. Bigham describes training clinicians in culturally aware counseling, secure  fire arm  storage and collaboration with gun shop owners through   and the nonprofit  SAFE , ...

In this re-released episode of CME on the Go, originally published on 12/1/2025, our hosts discuss the complexities of diagnosing and treating headaches in primary care. They cover  common challenges  faced by family physicians, such as differentiating between primary and secondary headaches, the importance of taking thorough patient histories, and the  appropriate use  of diagnostic tests like MR...

AAFP Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Education, Inclusiveness and Physician Well-Being Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, welcomes back Jeffrey Quinlan, MD, FAAFP, a family physician and University of Iowa department leader with a 28-year US Navy career, to discuss his AAFP work on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD s ) and substance use in pregnancy.  He emphasizes that al cohol...

In this re-released episode of CME on the Go, originally published on 9/2/2025,  our hosts  delve into menopause, providing family physicians with essential insights, treatment options, and the latest research findings. While discussing hormone replacement therapy, non-hormonal treatments, and the interpretation of the Women's Health Initiative, the hosts emphasize patient-centered care and the na...

In this episode of  Fighting for Family Medicine , David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, previews recent AAFP advocacy updates and interviews  Dom e nic  Casablanca, MD,  FAAFP  at FMX about the Family Medicine Political Action Comm ittee ( Fa mMedPAC ).    Highlights include urging HHS to preserve family medicine representation on the  United States Preventive Services Task Fo...

I n this episode of  Inside Family  Medicine   Andrew  Bazemore, MD, MPH, and Beth Polk, MD, FAAFP  join us  to discuss whole health in primary care.  Dr.  Bazemore distinguishes whole health (physical, behavioral,  spiritual  and socioeconomic well-being across individuals,  families  and communities) from whole health care (how care is organized), emphasizing a shift from "What's the matter with...

    In this episode of CME On the Go, our hosts discuss how family physicians can take a comprehensive, sensitive sexual history. They highlight common discomfort and bias in asking "Are you sexually active?" and emphasize using respectful, gender-inclusive language, humility, trauma-informed care  and clear medical  purpose  to avoid voyeurism, with supportive EHR documentation when possible. The...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine ,  Shannon Connolly ,  MD, FAAFP ,  a ssociate  m edical  d irector at  the  Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties,   discusses family  physicians' crucial role as the first   and sometimes only   point of contact for mental  health   care , especially in underserved settings.  She  explains how psychosocial and behavioral factors underl...

In this  special edition  of  Inside Family Medicine ,  sponsored by Roche Diagnostics,  h ost Darren Sextro talks with brain health experts Deanna Willis,  MD, MBA,  a board-certified family physician, and Jared Brosch,  MD,  board-certified neurologist, on the use of blood-based biomarkers (BBBMs) in primary care settings for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Their discussion explores h...

    In this episode of CME On the Go, Jason Marker ,  MD, MPA,  FAAFP  and Lauren Brown-Berchtold ,  MD, FAAFP,  discuss how private practice in family medicine is evolving and how physicians can evaluate different models in 2026. They review trends showing a shift from 50/50 self-owned vs. other-owned practices in 2016 to about 75% other-owned and 25% private practice today, note rural workforce...

David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, recaps the AAFP's April 2026 advocacy efforts.    AAFP led a coalition letter urging  the Departments of Homeland Security and  State to  speed visa and immigration processing for international medical graduates, citing delays with J-1 waivers, H-1B extensions, and green cards that disrupt care in rural and underserved areas.    AAFP warned...

In this  episode of CME On the GO,  the hosts  discuss a practical approach to hypothyroidism, using a case of a 50-year-old woman with nonspecific symptoms (weight gain, fatigue, edema, constipation). They emphasize thorough history and physical  exam , then outline key thyroid testing: TSH as the  initial  screening test (often with reflex free T4), free T4 for confirmation and special situation...

    David Tully , AAFP vice president of government relations ,   speaks with   U.S. Rep.   Mike Kennedy , MD , a family physician and former Utah  state  legislator,  about   why he chose  family medicine,  how  having  more clinicians  in public  office  c an lead to bipartisan physician collaboration on  health   care policy and  the need for  greater professional autonomy.  We also hear from  ...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, MS, discusses maternal health care and the role of family physicians in providing consistent care  from preconception through  pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. Curry-Winchell shares why she chose family medicine and her nontraditional path from  a Certified Nursing  Assistant to   Physicians  Assistant to  physician, including the ri...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine,  host Emily Holwick speaks with  Calin  Kirk ,  MD ,  family physician at the Cherokee Nation's Sam Hider Health Center in Jay, Oklahoma , and Sarah Gerrish ,   MD,  full-spectrum family physician  a nd   a ssistant  p rofessor  at the University of Washington School of Medicine ,  to discuss advancing health equity in rural and tribal communities. They s...

In this episode of  CME On the Go , the hosts discuss sickle cell disease (SCD) and the role of family medicine in recognizing, screening, and preventing complications. They review SCD as an autosomal recessive hemoglobin disorder distinct from sickle cell trait and highlight major complications such as anemia, infection risk, pain crises, and acute chest syndrome. The episode emphasizes global pr...

In this episode of  Inside Family Medicine , host Michael Monroe speaks with AAFP Vaccine Science fellows  Anne  Schneider, DO, FAAFP, and Mina   Saleem   Khan, MD, FAAFP, about why mRNA vaccines matter and how family physicians can address patient questions and misinformation. They explain mRNA basics, review COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, address common myths, and share practical communic...

David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, recaps  the  AAFP's March 2026 advocacy efforts .  Academy EVP and  CEO Shawn Martin testified before Congress on how underinvestment fuels workforce shortages, longer waits  and practice closures.  Chronic disease drives 90% of the  $4.9 trillion  the US spends on health care each year, but  primary care receives less than 5% of th ose fun...

In this episode of Inside Family Medicine ,  we hear from Dr. Ariel Cole, a family and geriatric medicine physician and fellowship/residency leader at AdventHealth Orlando, about the family physician's role in cognitive aging ,  Alzheimer's  disease  and related dementias . Dr. Cole describes her experience caring for patients across the cognitive decline spectrum and emphasizes prevention. The co...

In this episode of CME on The Go, our hosts discuss a postpartum patient with painful breastfeeding and concerns about milk supply. They emphasize listening, cultural context, and early breastfeeding discussions. The episode reviews baby‑friendly hospital practices, noting risks when taken too far, and affirms that formula supplementation may b e  appropria te . Practical guidance includes assessi...

Guest host Karen Johnson ,  PhD,  VP of Practice Advancement for the AAFP,  talks with Dr. Tina Philip,  DO, a solo family physician in Round Rock, Texas, and AAFP CEO, S haw n Martin, about payer downcoding, where insurers reduce billed evaluation and management levels (e.g., 99214 to 99213), lowering payment and adding administrative burden. Dr. Philip describes how downcoding most often affects...

Host Michael Monroe interviews Dr. Brianna  Wynn e , a board-certified geriatric medicine  physician , about how family physicians can support prevention, screening, and early detection of cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease. Dr.  Wynn e  distinguishes normal aging (slower processing speed) from mild cognitive impairment (objective test deficits with preserved function) and dementia as a spect...