TWO WEEKS until Spring Conference—have you registered yet?!

MAFP’s Spring Conference is the perfect opportunity to learn, connect, and engage with fellow family physicians! Kick off your weekend with dynamic CME sessions and explore a variety of exhibits on Saturday. Then, wrap up your experience with more informative CME on Sunday morning before heading out around lunchtime.

Residents and students won’t want to miss the MAFPF Spring Fling, a fun and interactive event held alongside the conference, offering valuable networking and mentorship opportunities.



Don’t wait—early bird pricing ends April 1! Register now to secure your spot at this can’t-miss event.

One of our favorite and highest rated speakers, Dr. John Norton from the Mississippi State Hospital Psychiatry Residency Program, will be joining us again for Spring Conference to present "Navigating Neurology: Movement Disorders Every Family Doctor Should Know."

By the end of this session, attendees will know how to:

• Recognize the various presentations of parkinsonism and generate a differential diagnosis
• Be aware of the different other forms of movement disorders, such as chorea, dystonia, and tremors
• Recognize the neuro degenerative disorders that affect the basal ganglia and their treatment
• Recognize the presentation of essential tremor, restless leg syndrome, and other periodic movement disorders

Dr. John Norton is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State Hospital. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. John W. Norton has expertise in treating anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, non-Alzheimer's dementia, among other conditions.

CME TOPICS & SPEAKERS

Recurrent UTI - Update on Diagnoses, Management, and Treatment

Ayesha Khalid, MD

What's New in Cardiology and Stroke Update

Barry Bertolet, MD

Syphilis Update

Jennifer Gholson, MD

Navigating Neurology: Movement Disorders Every Family Doctor Should Know

John Norton, MD

Top Journal Articles in Primary Care

Richard Calderone, DO

Overcoming Obesity: A PCP's Guide to Comprehensive Obesity Care

Keisha Mansfield-Harvey, MD

Resident and Student Research Poster Presentations

Procedural Workshops

Ultrasound

Dr. Ryan Anderson, Director of Ultrasound at WCUCOM, in conjunction with Butterfly, Inc., has developed a revolutionary ultrasound certification platform certifying over 750 medical students and residents on Point-Of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS). He will be hosting two ultrasound workshops at the MAFP Spring Conference, Echocardiogram and Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (eFAST). These ultrasound workshops are not certification workshops, but introductory workshops focusing on proper techniques for accurate bedside diagnosis.

Splinting and Casting

Join us for a hands-on Splinting & Casting Workshop! This interactive session will provide essential training on proper techniques for stabilizing fractures, sprains, and other injuries. Learn from Dr. Jeremy Wells and gain practical skills to enhance your patient's care.

Medical Buzz Session

Last year's roundtable session was such a hit that we are bringing it back this year! If you have a topic that you can lead the discussion on, you can indicate on your registration form or you can email Caley. Last year's topics include:

• Collaboration Tips
• Credentialing Tips
• Documenting
• Rural Medicine
• How to Reduce Risks

Battle of the White Coats Trivia

Saturday evening, after all CME sessions and procedural workshops are over, we invite you to stay for a rooftop dinner and cocktail hour complete with our Battle of the White Coats Trivia Night. Trivia will consist of teams of four, so grab your friends and lock in your team early!

Family medicine continues to grow, with residency programs offering a record number of positions for the 16th consecutive year. This year’s NRMP Main Residency Match filled 4,574 positions across more than 800 programs, with final numbers expected to surpass last year’s record after the SOAP process. While unfilled positions increased compared to 2024, experts anticipate most will be filled before the new residency class begins on July 1. AAFP leaders remain confident in the specialty’s continued expansion. Click below to read more about the latest Match results and what they mean for the future of family medicine.

We are thrilled to welcome the 62 new residents who have matched into one of eight Mississippi family medicine residency programs through the ERAS match! These future physicians are stepping into a specialty that is the foundation of healthcare, providing comprehensive, lifelong care to patients and communities across our state.

Family medicine is more than a career—it’s a calling. As primary care providers, these residents will build lasting relationships with patients, promote preventive care, and address a wide range of health concerns. Their work will have a profound impact, particularly in rural and underserved areas where family physicians play a critical role.

We can’t wait to see the difference they will make in Mississippi and beyond. Welcome to the family!

As the 2025 legislative session nears its end, several key healthcare-related bills are moving forward. The much-discussed Medicaid Tech Bill (SB 2867) has passed the Legislature and awaits Governor Reeves’ approval. This bill introduces important updates, including extending Medicaid benefits for foster children until age 26, expanding access to eyeglasses and medications, and streamlining certain medical approvals.

Additionally, HB 662, which revises Medicaid eligibility criteria for pregnant women to align with federal regulations, is also awaiting the governor’s signature. While Medicaid expansion was a major topic last year, lawmakers have largely set it aside this session, citing federal uncertainty.



Stay tuned for more updates as the session concludes. Read the full Capitol Report below.

The Robert Graham Center, in collaboration with Sanofi and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), is conducting a research project to explore vaccination barriers. This study aims to understand how these barriers vary across different populations and identify potential solutions.

Mississippi family physicians are invited to participate in this important research. There are two ways to get involved:

• Interviews – A one-hour Microsoft Teams interview to discuss vaccination challenges and experiences.
• Review Panel – Reviewing materials developed from interview findings, which will take approximately one hour and can be done remotely.

Participation is completely voluntary, and eligible physicians must currently provide vaccinations.

If you are interested in participating in this, please email Caley Dawkins at publicawareness@msafp.org for further details.

The American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) Women's Health Center is conducting a crucial environmental scan to assess how medical practices nationwide deliver fourth-trimester postpartum care—the vital period spanning 12 weeks to one year after childbirth.

Why Participate?

Engaging in this initiative offers practices the opportunity to:

• Evaluate Current Strategies: Reflect on and assess your existing postpartum care approaches.
• Identify Areas for Improvement: Pinpoint gaps and implement enhancements to better support new mothers.
• Contribute to National Standards: Help shape the future of postpartum care practices across the country.

Focus Areas:

The environmental scan, developed and delivered by family physician subject matter experts, will address:

• Maternal Mental Health: Given that maternal mental health is a leading contributor to maternal mortality beyond the initial 12-week postpartum period, this topic will be a primary focus.
• Other Perinatal Conditions: The scan will also assess various conditions affecting perinatal patients during the extended postpartum period.



Make a Difference:

Your involvement will have a meaningful impact on advancing postpartum care nationwide, ensuring that new mothers receive comprehensive and effective support during this critical time.