PAFP Issues Press Release Ahead of National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) is encouraging everyone, especially parents of school-aged students, to make sure they are up to date on their immunizations and flu vaccination. Read the press release here.

CPBJ: PA joins health care compacts to expand provider access
Starting July 7, Pennsylvania will join three interstate health care compacts, easing licensing for doctors, nurses, and therapists to boost care access and reduce red tape. The Commonwealth's participation in the compacts will provide further flexibility for qualified medical professionals to provide care to patients in dozens of states. Read the full article here.

PAFP President Op/Ed: Putting patients first — the value of a physician-led health care team

An op/ed by PAFP President, Heather Beauparlant, DO, on the importance of keeping the physician-led team intact, was published in the Chester County Times on Monday, June 9. In the article, Dr. Beauparlant explains the difference in education and training between physicians and nurse practitioners and expresses the PAFP's concerns with expanding nurse practitioner independent practice. Read the Op/Ed here. 

Hands-on workshops - September 13, 2025, Primary Care Procedures Day Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Hospital

Click here for more information and to register.

Fall FM Essentials CME Summit, October 25 at the Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh.  Make plans to join us to get your mandated Child Protection, Opioid/Pain Management and Patient Safety CME. Click here for more information and to register.

PAFP and Dept. of Health Embark on Grant Program to Strengthen Family Medicine in Pennsylvania 
In 2024, the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) was awarded record-level funding by the Commonwealth to advance family physician workforce development programs, focusing on increasing the family physician pipeline, as well as recruitment and retention efforts. Partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), the PAFP has developed five strategic, groundbreaking family medicine recruitment and retention projects to add to its existing Family Medicine Residency Expansion Program, with an emphasis on medical school engagement to grow production of family medicine physicians. Read details here.

PAFP Responds to Gov. Shapiro's Call for CRNP Independent Practice

On Tuesday, Feb. 4, Gov. Josh Shapiro gave his budget address for the 2025-26 fiscal year. To the PAFP's surprise and disappointment, it included a call to lawmakers to pass legislation allowing nurse practitioners to practice independently. The PAFP issued a swift response expressing disappoint with the governor's position and reiterating the importance of a physician-led health care team. The PAFP will continue to work with the administration and legislators to find solutions to health care access issues that prioritize patient safety. Read the PAFP's response here. 

Support the PAFP's Political Action Committee

PAFP’s advocacy efforts include a combination of lobbying, grassroots advocacy, and political engagement. PAFP-PAC is the bipartisan political action committee for family medicine in Pennsylvania, funded through individual contributions from our members. PAFP-PAC supports candidates running for the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives who understand and sympathize with the issues impacting family physicians and their patients. Will you support PAFP-PAC’s mission and help us reach our goal of 25% participation in 2025? Contribute today!