FAFP Facts

 

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• There are nearly 218,208 practicing family physicians in the United States, comprising 30 percent of all physicians in direct patient care.

• The Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) is the only professional association in Florida that solely represents the family physician.

• The FAFP has more than 6,500 members, including practicing family physicians, family medicine residents and medical students from across the state.

• The mission of the FAFP is to support Florida’s family physicians.

• The FAFP is the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the national association of family doctors that represents more than 134,600 practicing family physicians, residents, and medical students across the country.

• The FAFP’s core purpose is to advance the specialty of family medicine in Florida to promote excellence in healthcare.  Through its association with the AAFP, the FAFP strives to:

  • promote and maintain high quality standards for Florida’s family physicians.

  • provide advocacy, representation, continuing education, and leadership opportunities for Florida’s family physicians.

  • promote respect, skill and teamwork in family medicine.

  • preserve and promote quality, cost-effective healthcare for all Floridians through responsible advocacy and education.

  • understands that continuing education is vital to the effectiveness of every physician. Consequently, every member is required to complete 150 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) every three years.

  • demonstrate that because the specialty of family medicine requires comprehensive training, in-depth medical knowledge, a wealth of clinical skills, and an understanding of psychological influences, the continuum of care provided by family physicians exists nowhere else.

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Family physicians diagnose and treat 90 percent of all patient problems, including biological and mental health concerns. Nearly one in four of all office visits are made to general and family physicians annually. In 2001, office visits to general and family physicians numbered more than 202,494 million—74 million more than to any other specialty (The Graham Center - Primary Care Chart Book 2021).

The FAFP also acts as the active voice for family medicine, advocating key issues among patients, the medical community, legislators and regulators, third-party payers, and the general public. The FAFP continually works to communicate, recognize and celebrate the issues of family medicine, while helping all Floridians to understand that having a family physician is vital to their health.