MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

Family physicians and pediatricians from all over the state participated in a morning of activities highlighting family medicine on Tuesday, February 6.

Primary Care Day at the Capitol began with registration in the rotunda at the MAFP booth, where over 70 attendees – including 16 residents representing 5 of Mississippi’s family medicine residency programs – wore their 75 year strong stickers and gave bling rings to their legislators as MAFP kicked off their Diamond Legacy year.

MAFP visited with legislators and gave them information about the Academy. After being introduced in the Senate gallery, MAFP members then gathered for lunch to hear Speaker Jason White of West speak and hear updates on state issues.

Related organizations also taking part were:

• The MAFP Foundation was there to support a Smoke-Free Mississippi along with special guest Miss Mississippi Vivian O’Neal. Vivian travels the state on behalf of MAFP Foundation teaching 4^th and 5^th graders about the dangers of tobacco use.

• Students from the MS Rural Physician Scholarship Program were there showcasing the program, funded by the Mississippi Legislature since 2007. In 16 years, the program has awarded millions in scholarships to medical students who commit to practicing primary care medicine in Mississippi’s rural communities, after their medical training. Because of the program, there are now more than 66 new primary care physicians working in Mississippi’s neediest areas, and many more in training.

• Pediatrician members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Mississippi Chapter joined in the event along with family physicians.
• The Office of Mississippi Physician Workforce joined us as well.



Photos of the event can be found on our Facebook page as well as photos on the MAFP website.

We are excited to introduce the newest member of our team, Caley Dawkins, who joins us as our Public Awareness Director. In her role as Public Awareness Director, Caley will be responsible for managing our website, journal, member directory, and social media channels. Additionally, she will utilize her design expertise to create logos and promotional materials that effectively communicate our mission and values to the public.

Caley obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Marketing from Mississippi State University, providing her with a solid foundation in strategic communication and marketing principles. Her academic background, combined with her hands-on experience, uniquely positions her to drive our public awareness initiatives forward.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Caley is a creative individual who enjoys painting and designing handcrafted earrings in her free time. When she's not busy in the office or pursuing her creative interests, Caley loves spending time with her family and soaking up the sun at the beach whenever possible.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Caley Dawkins. We look forward to the exciting journey ahead with Caley as a valued member of our team.

Each Wednesday in February we have celebrated our “why” with #WhyWednesday on social media by sharing why our members choose to belong to MAFP. This Wednesday we heard from Dr. Emily Landrum:

To be featured on #WhyWednesday, email Caley Dawkins at publicawareness@msafp.org with why you belong to MAFP.  

MAFP was on the move this week. On February 14th, Outreach Coordinator, Sharon Holmes, and Physician Workforce Chair, Dr. Hollman visited with our residents family medicine residents at Baptist Memorial Hospital - Desoto. While there, Jonathan Hontzas, DNP-NP-C, Director ACT Center, delivered his tobacco cessation presentation to the group. Sharon and Dr. Hollman encouraged residents to get involved in MAFP through running for board positions, attending events, and applying for scholarships.

To commemorate the global fight against HPV and HPV cancers, the first "International HPV Awareness Day" was recognized on March 4, 2018. Three years later, in 2021, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program was launched with goals of reducing HPV cancer deaths locally and nationally by increasing HPV vaccination coverage in the United States.

In collaboration with partners and thought leaders also engaged in HPV cancer prevention efforts, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program annually recognizes International HPV Awareness Day on March 4.

In celebration of the seventh annual International HPV Awareness Day on March 4, 2024, the St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program is hosting a series of five virtual seminars that will focus on HPV vaccination priorities in the Southeast, rural communities, and school-based settings; the future of cervical cancer elimination across the globe; and challenges associated with HPV vaccination in childhood cancer survivors.

All seminars will be recorded and posted on our website after March 5.

Register for one seminar or the entire series at stjude.org/IHAD2024. 

Please email PreventHPV@stjude.org with any questions.

Mississippi is launching its first fellowship program for family physicians to provide prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care in rural and underserved areas, aiming to address the shortage of OB-GYNs.

With over half of the state's counties lacking maternity care services, this initiative aims to train two to three family physicians annually in obstetrics. Challenges such as the scarcity of training programs and high malpractice insurance costs hinder family physicians from practicing obstetrics.

Currently, only two hospitals in the state employ family physicians for maternal care, while most pregnancies are managed by a limited number of OB-GYNs, predominantly based in urban regions.

Dr. Melissa Stephens and Dr. James Lee Valentine are working together to design the new one-year training program to focus on increasing access to rural maternal care.

“The fellowship will train family physicians to be able to go into some of our rural, underserved communities, and provide obstetric care for these women close to home, who may have limited access and are facing challenges,” Stephens said.

Applications are currently being accepted for Mississippi's first Rural Maternal Health Fellowship for the summer of 2024. For more information, please email echealthnet@gmail.com.

We are excited about this year's annual meeting and are working hard to sell out our exhibit hall. Please invite organizations that you come in contact with to help us Celebrate 75 Years of MAFP: A Diamond Legacy. As you know, the exhibitor fees help us enhance the meeting with t-shirts, swag, activities for spouses, kids, and family members. We don't want to increase fees so help us pack the exhibit hall.

You can either ask them to visit our website, the application and room information is all there, or we can contact them by sending their information to publicawareness@msafp.org or call Caley at 601-853-3302.

We already have a good start, but if you see someone missing from the list, invite them to attend.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals

American Board of Family Medicine

Amgen

Jackson Heart Clinic, PA

JHCFMR

MACM

MAFP Foundation

Magnolia Health

Moderna

MS Physicians Care Network

Otsuka Pharmaceuticals

St. Luke Home Health & Hospice