It has never been a more important time to be a family physician. This week, Chicago welcomes thousands of family physicians and resident physicians to the American Academy of Family Physician’s annual Family Medicine Experience (FMX) conference. Family medicine’s leaders and learners are gathering to ensure that we have the expertise and resources to provide affordable, accessible care to Chicagoans, patients across Illinois, and communities nationwide.
We need our state and national policymakers to support the current physician workforce and prevent the predicted shortage of physicians that looms ahead. Nearly 8,000 family physicians left the workforce in 2022, in part due to burnout, inadequate reimbursement, and overwhelming administrative burden.
Congress can help avert the shortage by investing in federal programs such as the National Health Service Corps and teaching health centers. These programs mean more physicians practicing, and staying, in underserved areas where they are most needed.
Our nation’s health care leaders must enact policy that makes it easier for practices to transition to value-based payment and streamline prior authorizations so physicians can spend more time doing what they do best: taking care of patients. Putting patients over paperwork with appropriate payment will support today’s family physicians and create a strong pathway for more family physicians for the future.
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We’re looking forward to seeing the best and brightest of family medicine convene in Chicago to celebrate primary care physicians and renew our commitment to give our patients and communities better health through high-quality preventive care for everyone.
Dr. Emma Daisy, president-elect, Illinois Academy of Family Physicians
Dr. Steven P. Furr, FAAFP, president-elect, American Academy of Family Physicians.
Corrupt politicians should resign
The Chicago Sun-Times actually published an excellent article (“Illinois lawmakers banned campaign contributions from red-light camera companies — then accepted them”) on the corrupt and ethically challenged politicians in Illinois. The politicians that responded to CST should be embarrassed for the excuses they gave regarding campaign contributions they accepted after voting in favor to ban such contributions. These so-called representatives of the citizens of Illinois should resign.
Joe Revane, Lombard
Sports broadcasting in the name of greed
The story on baseball broadcasting in last Sunday’s Sun-Times (“Baseball broadcasting history includes Carlton Fisk and Chicago’s very own WGN”) reminded me that major league baseball has shot itself in the foot by parsing the post-season playoffs and World Series among several networks. We had to scroll through 237 channels Sunday to find the American League Game #6, all in the name of greed.
While talking sports, I was amused that the so-called talent brain trust of the National Football League was flummoxed when the Bears were led to victory by an unknown quarterback from a second-rate college who got the starting job despite the Chicago motto that, “We don’t want nobody nobody sent.”
Bob Manewith, West Ridge
