Your Academy: Halfway through 2026, full speed ahead

The beginning of the year is always busy for the Academy between our own events and attending events and meetings held by other organizations. Check out this quick recap to find out what TAFP leaders and members have been up to.

Our first CME event of 2026, the C. Frank Webber Lectureship and Interim Session, was held in early April in Round Rock, as well as online for those who required a remote option. More than 325 attendees joined us for education, business meetings, leadership programs, and more. A new class of the Family Medicine Leadership Experience began their yearlong program, and the fourth cohort of the Resident Leadership Experience attended their last session and graduated. The RLE class of 20 were mentored all year by TAFP members Fozia Ali, MD, Jonnae Atkinson, MD, Kathy Nguyen, MD, Laura Nietfeld, MD, and Mary Shipman, DO. Additionally, attendees of the Member Assembly with Council Forums heard a TAFP update from President Ike Okwuwa, MD, MBA, a presentation from the Child Psychiatry Access Network and the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Network, and a discussion on downcoding from TAFP member Tina Philip, DO.

TAFP also supports and encourages family medicine involvement in the Texas Medical Association. At this spring’s TexMed conference we offered a 3-hour block of free clinical CME for attendees as well as a coffee break for networking. Three TAFP members were elected or remain in leadership positions with TMA — Dwane Broussard, MD, is now an alternate delegate to AMA; Greg Fuller, MD, retains his position on the TMA board as secretary and treasurer; and Rodney Young, MD, retains his position on the board as an at-large member. Family physicians are well suited to ensure that TMA policies stay focused on improving the health of patients and practices and TAFP is proud that the specialty has such great representation in TMA.

Also in April, Texas was represented well by TAFP members at AAFP’s National Conference of Constituency Leaders. Co-conveners Kenneth Barning, MD, and Joaquin Villegas, MD, MPH, planned and assisted in running the constituency caucuses throughout the meeting. They will also serve as member constituency delegates at AAFP’s Congress of Delegates meeting in October. Additionally, Astrud Villareal, MD, was elected as the women’s constituency co-convener and Carmella DeSerto, MD, was elected as the LGBTQ+ constituency co-convener. They will both serve as alternate delegates to AAFP’s Congress of Delegates.

Medical students are currently shadowing family docs around the state through the Texas Family Medicine Preceptorship Program, which TAFP has administered since 2011. The crucial workforce development initiative matches pre-clinical students with family physicians to expose them to the specialty. More than 200 students are matched this year. Thank you so much to our preceptors for volunteering their time this summer!

After receiving accreditation through the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians this year, for the first time ever TAFP offered CME approved by the American Osteopathic Association for AOA Category 1-A credits at the Texas Family Medicine Symposium. With three osteopathic medical schools in Texas, the percentage of TAFP members who are osteopaths continues to increase. Currently, 15% of active members and 33% of resident members trained at osteopathic medical schools. Like our other CME conferences, TFMS was offered in person as well as online, helping TAFP meet the needs of our members statewide.

Thank you for your continued membership — we couldn’t do what we do without your support. And be sure to follow TAFP on your favorite social media channel to stay up to date on all things Texas family medicine!