National Leadership Conference Gives Voice to Underrepresented Member Groups PDF Print Email
Latest News
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 10:52 PM

National Leadership Conference Gives Voice to Underrepresented Member Groups 

Michigan Academy of Family Physicians members and staff attended American Academy of Family Physicians' National Conference of Constituency Leaders (NCCL) and Academy Chapter Leader Forum (ACLF), held congruently April 18-20, in Kansas City, MO. These annual conferences are flagship leadership events, where family physicians shape Academy policies and positions on issues impacting the practice of family medicine. 

Constituency Delegates 

Five member constituency delegates represented MAFP by introducing, discussing, and voting on resolutions (proposals for change) through the lens of their constituency: 

  • International Medical Graduate: Tahera Azharuddin, MD, FAAFP (Troy)

  • LGBTQIA+ Physician Ally: Kari Beth Watts, DO (Kalamazoo)  

  • Minority: Frank Animikwam, MD (Petoskey)

  • New Physician: Aisha Harris, MD (Flint)   

  • Woman: Victoria Dooley, MD, FAAFP (Northville)   

“I have gone to the NCCL conference for multiple years as the New Physicians Delegate, and each year is different, which highlights the diversity within family medicine and the evolution of health in the United States," said Dr. Aisha Harris, sharing her experience as a delegate. "NCCL brings the heart of the problems within family medicine to the table, upfront and unapologetically, because we need and want to provide quality care for our patients and better health experiences for family medicine doctors." 

Also attending NCCL from Michigan was Delicia Pruitt, MD, MPH, FAAFP (Saginaw), who was elected as the 2025 NCCL Convener. Delegates also have a key duty of electing national leaders, and they have the option of running for positions as well. Frank Animikwam, MD was elected as the Minority Caucus Co-convener and as a Member Constituency Alternate Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates.  

Attending ACLF on behalf of MAFP were: 

  • Beena Nagappala, MD, MPH, FAAFP (Troy), President 

  • Rachel Klamo, DO, MS, FAAFP (Oxford), President-elect 

  • Karlene Ketola, MSA, CAE, Chief Executive Officer 

  • Sarah Pinder, Director of Member Engagement 

  • Scott Walsh, Director of Workforce and Communications 

  • Grant Meade, Director of Government Relations 

Looking Ahead 

AAFP’s 2025 National Conference of Constituency Leaders and Academy Chapter Leader Forum will be held April 23-26 in Kansas City, MO. Michigan Delegates — one per member constituency — will be appointed by the MAFP Executive Committee. Active family physician members of MAFP are eligible to apply.   

< Prev   Next >