Professional Development

This year’s meeting theme is Family Physicians: The Original Superheroes. Be sure to register early so we can plan for an outstanding meeting.

Need More CME? Join This Webinar on June 3rd!

Early detection saves lives. Join the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians for a FREE 1-hour CME webinar focused on advancing evidence-based lung cancer screening practices through low-dose CT.

This educational session will help primary care providers:

• Identify eligible patients for low-dose CT screening

• Recognize barriers preventing wider screening adoption

• Improve screening access for underserved populations

• Communicate the importance of lung cancer screening to patients

Mississippi State Extension invites you to participate in the “Agricultural and Rural Friendly Training Designation”. This program features five self-paced online modules that tackle challenges rural families face, including farm safety, stress, and healthcare access.

Designed for medical team providers, this course earns continuing education credits upon completion. Program must be completed by June 26th, to receive continuing education credit. USE CODE "AFTDFREE" to participate!

Visit the program webpage below to learn more and register today!

Upcoming Opportunity to Be Conferred as a Fellow

The Degree of Fellow recognizes American Academy of Family Physicians members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities, by their service to family medicine, by their advancement of health care to the American people, and by their professional development through medical education and research. Fellows to the AAFP are recognized as champions of family medicine. They are the physicians who make family medicine the premier specialty in service to their community and profession. From a personal perspective, being a Fellow signifies not only ‘tenure’ but one’s additional work in your community, within organized medicine, within teaching, and a greater commitment to continuing professional development and/or research.

Have you met the requirements and applied to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians? Have you not yet been formally recognized by your peers as a Fellow? If yes, we encourage you to attend our Annual Meeting to take part in the Fellow Convocation Ceremony during the MAFP Membership Meeting on Tuesday, July 21.

If you would like to participate in the convocation or have questions, please contact Beth Embry at 601.853.3302 or by email at beth@msafp.org.

Interested in becoming a Fellow, but unsure if you've met all the requirements? Visit this link for more information.

Sandestin Room Block Ends June 16th!

Reminder to book your rooms for our Annual Scientific Assembly early as our group block will be cut off after June 16th. Take advantage of the discounted MAFP rates and secure your spots now. Click the link to book! 

Academy

We're excited to welcome these new members and transfer members to the MAFP. If you notice someone in your area, reach out and give them a big MAFP Welcome!

New Members

Nikki Debord, MD, Meridian

Lily Guastella, MD, Lexington

Michelle Wheeler, MD, Laurel

Chapter Transfers to MAFP

Ryan Nguyen Doan, MD, D'Iberville

Minh Nguyen, MD, Gulfport

Victoria Nutting, DO, Diamondhead

Robert Pallay, MD, FAAFP, Amory

Frederick Ragan, MD, Natchez

Rupesh Timilsina, MD, Gulfport

OpenEvidence Expands Access to AAFP’s Evidence-Based Family Medicine Guidance at the Point of Care

OpenEvidence has partnered with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to integrate the Academy’s flagship publications, American Family Physician and FPM, into the OpenEvidence platform. This collaboration will allow clinicians to quickly access trusted, evidence-based guidance from these leading family medicine resources using natural-language search. AFP and FPM are widely recognized for providing peer-reviewed, practice-focused content on preventive care, diagnosis, and the management of acute and chronic conditions.

By combining AAFP content with OpenEvidence’s AI-powered search capabilities, clinicians can surface relevant clinical answers within seconds and apply them more efficiently at the point of care. The partnership aims to help physicians stay current and navigate the growing volume of medical information with greater speed and confidence.

Advocacy

Is there a family medicine issue that concerns you? Do you have a colleague who needs recognition? Consider writing a resolution!

All Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians members are invited to write and submit resolutions for consideration at the MAFP Business Meeting held on the Tuesday during the MAFP Annual Scientific Assembly. Submissions are due June 15th.

Writing and presenting resolutions is a great opportunity to direct MAFP policy and address issues of interest or concern to family physicians and family medicine. In addition, resolutions can honor outstanding achievement or memorialize deceased family physician leaders.

Public Awareness

2026 David G. Hall, MD Scholarship Winners

The Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Foundation proudly congratulates this year’s recipients of the David G. Hall Memorial Scholarship. Awarded annually to fourth-year medical students enrolled in a Mississippi medical school who plan to pursue a career in Family Medicine, the scholarship honors the legacy of Dr. David G. Hall and his lifelong commitment to mentoring future family physicians and strengthening primary care across Mississippi.

This year’s scholarship winners exemplify the values Dr. Hall championed throughout his career, including a passion for Family Medicine, academic excellence, leadership, community service, and a dedication to sharing knowledge with peers and patients. The MAFP Foundation is honored to support these future family physicians as they continue their medical journeys and prepare to serve communities across the state.

Jacklyn Cummins was the recipient of the David G. Hall, MD Scholarship Award from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Jacklyn is from Petal, MS and will attend Forrest General Family Medicine Residency. Dr. Carlos Latorre was in attendance to present this award.

Congratulations to Madison Klim for being the recipient from UMMC. Madison will attend Lee Health Family Medicine Residency in Fort Myers, Florida. Madison Klim was also UMMC Class of 2026 President and was awarded Medical Student of the year. MAFP Member, Dr. Susan Chiarito was on hand at the UMMC Honors Day to present this award.

MAFP Academy Awards

Nominate A Colleague Today!

Each year the MAFP gives out awards based on a member’s dedication and contribution to family medicine. There are 5 Awards that can be awarded each year. They are:



• Family Physician of the Year
• Military Service Award
• Humanitarian Award
• New Physician of the Year
• Katie Patterson Award

To nominate a member, please review the criteria for each award here and complete the nomination form online. The deadline for nominations is June 1.

Link Your Kroger Rewards to Support the MAFP Foundation

The more members who link their rewards and shop, the more money we will earn! Use the easy to follow instructions below! For any questions or issues, please email Beth Wilson at foundation@msafp.org .