Following November’s election, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) officials offered some perspective drawing upon the concept of election cycles, calling 2016 a “change election” year and sharing their viewpoint based on decades of observation.
“Some of our members are ecstatic with the results of the presidential election, while others are appalled,” President Dr. John Meigs said on the AAFP website. “Still others are waiting for the dust to settle … (but) the sun still comes up and the earth still rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. Life goes on.”
Acknowledging that many younger Academy members have not witnessed such events before, Meigs suggested that family practitioners experiencing strong feelings about recent political events can take solace in the fact that AAFP practices inclusion, drawing members of all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, gender identities and sexual orientation, as well as differentiations in practice details.
“Family physicians are the physicians who care for our country,” Meigs said. “We treat all ages, all conditions and all people … the indigent and underserved as well as the privileged and affluent and everyone else.”
Within hours of official election results, AAFP drafted and delivered a message to the president-elect outlining the Academy’s priorities and offering to work with the new administration to improve the nation’s health care system.
“To all our members: know that you have value, you are respected, you have a voice and a place in the AAFP,” according to the president’s message to members. “We need you to continue to do the good work of caring for patients … Regardless of who they are, they need a family physician -- one just like you.”
