Dr. Ted Epperly, the AAFP President and Program Director of Family Medicine Residency in Idaho, spoke eloquently about health care reform at this specific time. He called our current health care system the “perfect storm:” 20 million uninsured, businesses that can’t afford to provide employees health care any more. He believes that the current economic crisis and President Obama will come together to create change in our health care system! For example, the first law that President Obama signed into law on becoming President was S-CHIP providing health care to uninsured children.
Ted Epperly, MD, FAAFP, AAFP President addressing students and residents
He explained things that are being presented in Washington DC currently. President Obama has been engaging different groups stating that:
- The status quo is not acceptable
- Each group must give at least a bit in their position.
- We must have reform this year!
He said that President Obama believes strongly in family medicine and primary care. He recounted a recent town hall meeting on health care reform where he was the only person called on by name by President Obama, not as an individual but as a representative of family physicians and primary care doctors. Dr. Epperly reiterated to the President that reform cannot happen unless we have a primary care backbone to that reform. He argued that “Fixing primary care is fixing the health care system.”
The current system is failing the American public. Medical schools are producing 90% specialists and 10% primary care doctors. We need 50-50 to serve the American people. Medical schools don’t get it: they are producing doctors to function in specialty hospitals and academic centers. The public needs primary care doctors who will serve in the community and serve the people.
The World Health Organization stated this year that each good health care system must be founded on a good primary care system! This was pushed by the American contingency led by the HHS Secretary.
The AAFP is playing a key role in these health care reforms. If the AAFP is not at the table then they are on the menu! The health care reform is changing not by the day but by the hour! We have a great advocate for Family Medicine in President Obama!
This is an exciting time to be a part of family medicine and primary care given all the health care reform - throughout the conference, we will be finding out about more opportunities to get involved with this health care reform in this exciting time in health care reform history!
Student asks question of Ted Epperly, MD, FAAFP
*Read our earlier post on Dr. Epperly's contribution to the White House Health Care Summit back in March 2009.
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