Welcome to our new and improved KAFP News . We hope your enjoy this new look and format. In addition to the new design, KAFP News will now be distributed every other Wednesday. The e-newsletter is a great way to stay current on family medicine news happening in Kansas, KAFP activities, educational opportunities and resources from our partners. During the legislative session, it will also include legislative updates to keep members informed about legislative activity affecting family medicine. If you have questions or would like to contribute a news item, email the editor .

Resolutions are the official means by which you as a member have input into the AAFP’s governance and political process. You are encouraged to submit a resolution if you have a topic you are interested in addressing. KAFP can help guide you through the process of writing your resolution. A resolution writing worksheet is available here along with important dates.

Family physicians and other primary care physicians remain a critical part of our nation’s response to COVID-19, yet the virus has exposed critical shortcomings in our primary care safety net across the country. Last week, the AAFP called on congressional leaders to prioritize the needs of the primary care workforce and patients and take “bold steps” to address this pandemic.  The  April 13 letter   urges Congress to stabilize our primary care system and increase patient protections during this uncertain time. Join us in telling Congress that relief to family physicians is essential for any comprehensive COVID-19 response action plan. Use this pre-written letter to speak out now !  

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted new gaps and opportunities in employer efforts to promote and protect worker safety and health. Recognizing these unique challenges, the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and WorkWell KS is pleased to collaborate with the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest, the Nebraska Safety Council and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition to develop a new Total Worker Health® Employer Guide: COVID-19 Edition.

DATE: Wednesday, April 29

TIME: 3:00 p.m.

CONTACT PERSON: Elizabeth Ablah, 316-293-2627, eablah@kumc.edu

Registration Link

Receive a first look at this new tool and to learn more about best practices and resources to support employee well-being, address remote and essential worker hazards, and plan for return-to-work strategies during the pandemic. Case studies from Midwest employers will also demonstrate innovative approaches and lessons learned among industry leaders.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is alerting providers and clinical laboratories to use caution when interpreting serology results for SARS-CoV2. Under a new policy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing manufacturers to sell serology test kits as long as the manufacturers state that the assays have been validated. These newly available tests to identify antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 are of uncertain reliability and are inadequate in diagnosing acute COVID-19 infection. In general, serology tests often cross-react with similar viruses. For example, a serology test for SARS-CoV2 may be positive because it has identified a common human coronavirus. Therefore, all symptomatic patients that are IgM positive for SARS-CoV2 should be tested via PCR for confirmation. At this time COVID-19, serology tests should not be the only diagnostic test used for clinical diagnosis. Read more .

The KAFP continues to update the COVID-19 web page for you to easily find all resources in one location. We hope you will find it useful. Bookmark https://kafponline.org/COVID-19

Be sure and tune in each week to these opportunities:

KDHE has valuable resources for you in their Resource Center for:

- Handouts/FAQ’s for patients

- Guidance on PPE

- Resources in Spanish

- Isolation and Quarantine guidance

- Strategies for optimizing PPE

- Resource for Local Health Departments

In addition, there are Healthcare Provider Resources .