Real loss is only possible when you love something more than you love yourself

Robin Williams, as Sean Maguire in his Oscar-winning role in Good Will Hunting

We have a new fax number: 630-559-0739

JOIN US!  IAFP Annual Meeting - November 7-9

 Students have a place at the IAFP Annual Meeting!  Catch up with Academy business at the Assembly, celebrate the specialty at the Awards banquet, and spend some fun time in the pool with your family and friends!  That's right, we're heading to Key Lime Cove resort in Gurnee!

Find more information (and online registration) on our annual meeting web page

New this year, a student and resident track, including opportunities to present in 2 Slides, 2 Minutes, 2 Questions.

Chicago kicks of Smoking Cessation Awareness Week

August 18-22

The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians is proud to partner with the Chicago Department of Public Health's Healthy Chicago project in a wide-spread Smoking Cessation Awareness week.  The goal of Quit Week is to help decrease the city's smoking rate, and ultimately reduce tobacco-related illnesses and deaths. IAFP has been a strong advocate on smoking reduction efforts and policies as a cornerstone of primary care.  

All our Chicago members are urged to download and print the 8.5 x 11" poster and post it prominently in your practices as soon as possible. And then talk to each and every patient next week about how you can help them join thousands in Chicago taking steps to quit.  

Details on the campaign, and the participating partner organizations are on this flyer.  

Patient resources are available at www.MyTimeToQuit.com. 

The Illinois Tobacco Quitline toll-free number is 800-784-8937 (QUIT-YES)

AAFP's Ask and Act program is designed for tobacco cessation in the office setting

 Social Media Masters:  Use #ChicagoQuits to share success stories on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

Be sure to look out for news coverage of the official launch on Monday starting with a press conference at City Hall on Monday, August 18 at 9:30 a.m. Look for awareness messages throughout the City next week.  

Illinois students and residents turned out for the summer's largest student and resident education and recruiting event.  Your state delegates are resident John Trimberger, MD from West Suburban Family Medicine Residency in Oak Park and student Karena Rounsaville from Rush Medical College.  They were tasked with evaluating resolutions in the Congress session and casting the Illinois votes in the Congress general sessions.  They also provided Illinois' votes for the students and residents running for national positions. 

Deb Clements, MD and Abblas Hyderi, MD

Friday morning's opening session panel included IAFP board member Abbas Hyderi, MD from the University of Illinois at Chicago. The panel was moderated by Northwestern Lake Forest Program Director Deb Clements, MD and featured four family physicians in a variety of practice settings fielding the tough questions about choosing family medicine and why they love what they do.  They also shared their optimism for family medicine's future. 

Mustafa Alavi

 Illinois also had two candidates on the ballot.  Student member Mustafa Alavi ran for Student representative to STFM and was elected by the Student Congress delegates. Mustafa served as the AAFP National FMIG coordinator this year and our Region 2 FMIG coordinator before that.  Resident member Charity Lehn from McGaw Northwestern family medicine residency in Chicago ran for the Resident Alternate Delegate to the AAFP and was the last candidate eliminated in a tight runoff election that began with six candidates.

Up in the residency fair, our state was well represented by 18 out of 27 programs who spent time sharing the unique opportunities available through their training programs.  These same programs combined resources to host a Friday night reception at the Midland Theatre to continue their conversations with students in a less formal setting.

You can view the photos on our Facebook Page.  Check out the Highlights and the Reception Albums

Get ready for our region's premiere family medicine collaborative event.  Find your family medicine future and have some great fun in a wonderful Midwestern city - Minneapolis, MN. 

Our residency fair is filling up fast, with 44 programs from across the Midwest.  Check out list of residency programs and employers!  Learn more at www.iafp.com/fmm and then make your plans to be there!

Apply online for a scholarship

Federal Update

AAFP Summary of CMS rules for Medicare Payment 2015 Schedule

AAFP condenses hundreds of pages into this handy 12-page summary.  

AAFP launches Medicaid parity call to action on Speak Out

On July 30, Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced S. 2694, which would extend the Medicaid payment hike for two more years.  AAFP supports the bill to continue enhanced Medicaid payments and work towards a permanent solution.  Please use the simple Speak Out template letter to urge Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk to support the bill. 

If you have a news item to share, email it to Ginnie Flynn at gflynn@iafp.com.

Congratulations to Illinois members earning the degree of Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) in July.

Michael Kevin Rakotz, MD, FAAFP

Deborah L Winiger, MD, FAAFP

Tim Ott, DO of Quincy was interviewed on tape Friday Aug, 1 and live on WGEM-TV morning show on Monday Aug. 4 discussing the predicted primary care physician shortage, what can be done to avoid it and how SIU-Quincy Family Medicine Residency program trains and retains family physicians in the community.