2025 ADFM Annual Conference

In 2021, the Department of Family and Community Medicine added a Coaching Program to our new faculty onboarding approach. Each new faculty is assigned a designated coach from among experienced faculty. Over the course of 6 months, 15 hours of dedicated coaching time is blocked set aside for 1:1 coaching sessions. There is a short list of topics that are expected to be covered during these sessions. Most of the time is unstructured so that the new faculty can set the agenda to cover topics they perceive they need help with. This program has proven very successful and popular with new faculty.

Full time primary care is a lot of work. We need to create time and space for creativity and scholarship. Faculty Flow Funding allows faculty to apply for 5-10% FTE to work on their flow. Flow is the complete immersion with energized focus, bringing a sense of enjoyment. The task matches a skill level and encourages growth. This program creates funding to help faculty members work on their flow.

The University of Washington Family Medicine Residency (UWFMR) Research Track (ResT) is a pioneering initiative designed to enhance residents' research knowledge and productivity, introduce residents to the academic medicine structure at UW, and provide tools for launching a career as physician-scientists post-residency without extending the length of residency training – a crucial part of the larger pathway to physician-scientists critical to our specialty. It also aims to enhance the quality of scholarship within the UWFMR program and encourage cross-departmental collaborations with an emphasis on resident scholarship. This innovation session will provide an in-depth overview of how ResT operates within the UWFMR program. This includes details about longitudinal structured research time, mentorship, and financial support for national conference attendance. Attendees will learn about the impressive achievements of ResT residents, such as their conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications, and gain insight into the career trajectories of program alumni. We will also share key factors contributing to the program's success, such as robust support from department leadership, inter-departmental collaborations, and dedicated resources. Additionally, opportunities for improvement, such as enhancing designated research staff support and increasing funding, will be discussed alongside future plans for program expansion through regional pilot projects. This session will highlight ResT as a replicable model for other Family Medicine departments aiming to bolster resident scholarly activities and promote a culture of continuous learning and academic excellence in family medicine residency programs.

We will review the implementation process for medical abortion services (MAB) in an institution, including how we overcame regulatory barriers, system-related barriers, pharmacy issues, provider education and privileging challenges, and worked with team members who desired to opt-out of the program.

Career evolution and leadership development for physicians whose work is primarily clinical is a particular challenge for leaders. This is true across the entire career trajectory, but is particularly true for early and mid-career clinician-leaders. Without intentional guidance and support, many of these leaders will experiences professional dissatisfaction and even professional burnout. This "Innovation Showcase" will highlight a coach-based program in our department called the "Professional Fulfillment Process" designed to support these physicians and provide them a roadmap for the next stages of their careers.

In 2022, through the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative we embarked on a combined quality improvement/research project using iterative quality improvement to implement early detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment in 7 primary care clinics within our academic health system. Over the next 12 months, we completed 1,808 screening cognitive assessments out of 17,894 encounters; completed an embedded research trial offering blood-based biomarkers; and developed and implemented a Brain Health Navigator role to assist with reversible cause evaluation and to facilitate transition to specialty care services, community resources, and clinical trials. Two patients identified in the primary care early detection program are currently on Disease Modifying Therapy, and 43 patients were referred to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia research studies. Further innovations are in progress with implementation of passive digital markers and automated subjective cognitive concern assessments.

This presentation aims to focus on the family medicine physician's role while emphasizing innovation in healthcare delivery within correctional settings. Our Family Medicine department is structured uniquely to provide innovative learning opportunities. A key feature is the integration of daily clinical rotations at a county jail clinic, where both residents and faculty are actively involved to provide comprehensive acute and chronic care while also addressing the specific needs of obstetric patients. This setup allows our department to extend healthcare to marginalized populations while offering residents invaluable real-world experience. By engaging in these rotations, our department fosters a culture of hands-on learning, advocacy, and community service, preparing our residents to meet the diverse needs of patients in any clinical environment. Join us as we highlight the transformative impact of this program on residents, faculty and the community.

Multi-faceted approach to address burnout, coupling cultural, operational, and financial resources in combination.