UNC Family Medicine

Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are right around the corner! Here are the holiday hours for The UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill, Carraway Village, Durham (Mayfair St.), & South Durham (Fayetteville Rd.). We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season!

Starring the one and only Ben Kaplan, MD, MPH, who's now faculty in our department!

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a contract to the University of North Carolina (UNC) to support health workforce training in community health centers. This initiative aims to improve access to care for Americans facing a shortage of physicians and dentists. Emily Hawes, PharmD, Professor of Family Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, is leading this effort. The HRSA’s Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program focuses on expanding primary care residency training in underserved areas. This program trains residents in various specialties to address workforce shortages in these communities. The contract will fund a new Technical Assistance Center (TAC) led by Hawes, providing support to THCGME grantees in residency program operations and sustainability. The TAC will help with accreditation, program governance, curricular innovation, student recruitment, and faculty development. This initiative aims to enhance existing residency programs and support new ones, ensuring they can meet the growing demand for healthcare providers in underserved areas. The TAC will also foster collaboration among grantees, promoting peer-to-peer learning and best practices sharing. “By establishing a Technical Assistance Center for the THCGME Program, we are not only supporting newly developed residency programs, but also enhancing the vitality of existing programs,” Hawes says. “This will allow us to better serve communities in rural and underserved areas and address the nation’s primary care workforce shortage.” Hawes, was also recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), and directs RuralGME.org, which serves as a resource for launching residencies nationally in rural and underserved areas. The program was launched in 2018 by Cristy Page, MD, MPH, in large part due to our partnership with Piedmont Health Services (PHS), a stellar Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) where our faculty and "FQHC Track" residents learn and care for patients. UNC currently provides overall leadership of RuralGME.org and houses its Eastern Hub. https://lnkd.in/eFhFEGER

It's #NationalRuralHealthDay, and we'd like to highlight our work in Rockingham County, NC. The UNC Department of Family Medicine is now collaborating with the newly formed Robert A. Ingram Institute for Equitable Health Access to realize the goals of its Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina-supported Rockingham Primary Care Initiative in rural Rockingham County. Funding (managed by Marni Holder, MSN, BN, Director of Community Health Initiatives at UNC Family Medicine) is supporting Program Manager Nicole Cornett’s on-the-ground collaboration with the Rockingham County Schools and the Rockingham Community College to enhance pathways to primary care careers for Rockingham County students starting in middle school. Cornett, Assistant Director of the UNC Office of Rural Initiatives, orchestrated Heal Day with the Heels, which brought 47 Rockingham county high school students from McMichael and Rockingham County High Schools, their teachers and chaperones, and Rockingham Community College Director of Nursing Anita Manning to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. At the daylong event, students learned about primary care workforce shortages in North Carolina and Rockingham County, toured campus, and took part in a multi-pronged patient simulation experience which helped them explore health professional fields including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, radiology, and clinical laboratory medicine. The Rockingham Primary Care Initiative is now one of many initiatives housed within the Rockingham County Health Collaborative (RCHC) which includes membership from multiple Rockingham County health and human service agencies and interested community members. The coalition has helped to assure that the programming supported by the Primary Care Initiative has the support and input of local partners, with a focus on health equity. Our department is heavily invested in caring for and training healthcare workers in rural and underserved communities - learn more at uncfamilymedicine.org.

Researchers from UNC Chapel Hill have joined forces with Emory University, the University of Minnesota, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, and the Alzheimer’s Association to create the State Alzheimer’s Research Support (StARS) Center. Funded by a $17 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, this initiative aims to develop and expand effective dementia care programs across the nation. The StARS Center will serve as a national resource, facilitating collaboration among researchers and creating a comprehensive data infrastructure to evaluate state and regional dementia care programs for effectiveness and equity. Key activities include partnering with regional entities, supporting pilot projects in up to 16 states, and sharing best practices. Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD, MSW (UNC School of Social Work), and UNC Family Medicine Professor Philip Sloane, MD, PhD, will lead efforts to establish partnerships and support pilot projects. “Our goal is to help states advance their dementia care plans and facilitate the sharing of innovative approaches,” says Zimmerman. Dr. Sloane will lead the function of supporting dementia-care pilot projects with Dr. Katherine Ornstein from Johns Hopkins University. This involves funding and support for up to 16 states to conduct pilot projects assessing the structure and outcomes of dementia care services. “By supporting these pilot projects, we’ll help states evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of their dementia care services, ensuring they meet the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers,” stated Sloane. This initiative is a significant leap forward for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers. Read more at: go.unc.edu/DementiaCare

Our featured physician this month is Taylor Pierce, MD! Dr. Pierce is an alumna of our Family Medicine Residency program and later completed a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Duke University and the Durham VA Medical Center. She now sees patients at The UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill, with interests in geriatric medicine, women’s health, newborn care, opiate use disorders, LGBTQ+ affirming care, and comprehensive primary care. Dr. Pierce states: "I have a deep passion for working with older adults, rooted in my close relationship with my grandmother and the health challenges my parents now face. Aging is a deeply personal journey, but it’s not just about the individual—it also affects their loved ones and caregivers. I believe in meeting each person where they are, respecting their unique experiences, and helping them navigate the complexities of aging with dignity and the best possible quality of life. Through my training in both family medicine and geriatrics, I’ve developed a holistic approach to care that recognizes the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and social well-being. My philosophy is to treat the whole person, considering their values, life history, and the broader context of their family and community. Ultimately, I strive to support my patients and their families in embracing the aging process with grace, compassion, and the tools they need to thrive." To make an appointment with Dr. Pierce, visit: https://lnkd.in/dWF-qunM

On Veteran's Day, we honor veterans and those who serve, acknowledging their sacrifice and selflessness in their service to our country. We are proud to share the work of Army veteran Shawn Kane, MD, FAAFP, FACSM. Dr. Kane is a retired Army officer with 27 years of service and is currently the Chief Medical Officer for Transforming Health and Resilience in Veterans (THRIVE). The UNC THRIVE Program is a comprehensive initiative dedicated to providing treatment for veterans and first responders afflicted with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), irrespective of their geographical location, insurance coverage, service branch, or discharge status. A recent article in The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)'s Health and Fitness Journal highlighted the program, which aims to enhance the evaluation and treatment of TBI through a triad of clinical practice, research, and education through a 3-day evaluation, a 3-week outpatient program, and a subsequent 12-month follow-up. The evaluation embodies a person-centered approach, aiming to "peel all those layers of the onion" to identify care needs. Some specialties offered to participants are behavioral health, nutrition, and physical therapy. Kane expressed the desire of the THRIVE team, which teams with Avalon Action Alliance (Avalon), a postrauma nonprofit organization. Kane states, “we are not competing with one another … we are always working together…” He continued, “I don't care if you get seen here in Chapel Hill, or in Jacksonville, or Tulane—I just want you to get the help you need.” THRIVE launched in 2022 as a collaboration with Dr. Kane, Kevin Guskiewicz, Ph.D., FACSM, chancellor emeritus of the UNC system, and Jason Mihalik, Ph.D., FACSM, director of the Matthew Gfeller Center. The program received funding from Avalon, and the resulting partnership has facilitated the program's ability to support eligible participants by covering all associated costs for the care they receive. We are honored to have Dr. Kane as a valued member of our department and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to him and all veterans for their service and sacrifices. Read the article (non-university paywall): go.unc.edu/ACSM-THRIVE

Dana Iglesias, MD, MPH, FAAFP, and UNC REACH Enhanced Primary Care were recently awarded 2024 UNC Health Leading with Equity Awards. Dr. Iglesias is a beacon of equity and service in the medical community. From one of her nominees: "As an educator in our residency program and the School of Medicine, with lived and learned experience, Dr. Iglesias brings an equity lens to every educational sphere she works and teaches in. She has been an indelible role model amongst our faculty of inclusive and equity-minded education, including creating psychologically safe learning spaces, calling one another in for bias and microaggressions, intervening as a bystander when microaggressions are witnessed, and always scrutinizing feedback with an equity lens. She has provided faculty development workshops on the important topic of equity-minded feedback through the UNC Faculty Development Fellowship, a national fellowship that recruits fellows to the Department of Family Medicine at UNC yearly. Further, she directs the Healers Art course for medical students, volunteering to role model and help medical students connect to their humanity. Similarly, she takes time out of her schedule each month to help facilitate group sessions for residents that are focused on Finding Meaning in Medicine. In both of these activities, she is consistently lauded by learners for her supportiveness, compassion, and intention to create psychologically safe learning and sharing environments. She is a sought-after mentor by many trainees across our Department." Iglesias sees a primary care panel and trains UNC Family Medicine residents at Piedmont Health Services Inc Siler City Community Health Center. She was the inaugural director of the UNC Health Chatham Hospital Maternity Care Center, and she is one of three caesarian-section-trained family medicine physicians (aka "unicorns") at the hospital (alongside Jesus Ruiz, MD, and Patrick Smith, MD, MPH). Additionally, our colleagues at UNC REACH Primary Enhanced Care, which our faculty help operate along with the UNC Department of Psychiatry and is a practice that serves the basic primary care needs of people with Severe Mental Illness, were recognized for the "Clinic and Practice Impact" category, and received an award at the Carolina Cares Award ceremony last week. UNC REACH houses FIT Wellness, part of the NC Formerly Incarcerated Transition (NC FIT) Program. FIT Wellness supports justice-involved individuals by providing comprehensive behavioral health services and substance abuse treatment for patients with Severe Mental Illness (SMI). Pictured (2nd photo): UNC REACH's LaChrystal Williams and Aimee Kresica, MSW. Thanks to Dr. Iglesias and all at UNC REACH for your work making healthcare work for everyone.

Congratulations to Meghan Chewning, LCSW, CCM, and the UNC Family Medicine Centers at Durham and Carraway Village, who received Carolina Care Awards at a recent ceremony at The Blue Zone! Meghan Chewning, LCSW, CCM, a care manager at the UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill, received a Carolina Care "Moment of Caring" Award. Deeply embedded in UNC Health's patient care delivery model, "Moment of Caring" describes the department's commitment to building relationships with patients and colleagues. She was nominated for this award by her teammates, who value her positive presence, commitment to improvement, and contagious enthusiasm. Always willing to help, she fosters team engagement and is dependable for both her colleagues and patients, who frequently express their gratitude. To care for one another allows us to care for our patients to the best of our ability - Meghan's award serves as a reminder that a "Moment of Caring," while brief, can have a lasting impact. Chewning was cheered on by several members of our Care Management team, who had fans made with her picture! The UNC Family Medicine Centers at Durham and Carraway Village were recognized for achieving the Top 10 Carolina Care Excellence Award for their sites, recognizing the consistently high ratings patients provide for each clinic. First photo: Keith Compson (UNC FMC Admin Dir); Chrissy Caldwell (Carraway Village); Ron Paisant (Durham); Yvette McMiller (Manager at CV and Durham); Liza Straub (Carraway Village); & Care Managers Katie Cavagnini, LaTonya Harris, Meghan Chewning, Michael Goodling, and Sarah Grace Downs.

It's National Cat Day! A number of studies show that owning cats (as well as dogs and other pets) can lower stress levels, improve mental health, and increase overall wellness. With this in mind (well, and just because it's fun), we asked our folks at the UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill, Carraway Village, Durham, and South Durham, and UNC Chatham Hospital to send pictures of their cat friends--and they did not disappoint! Please enjoy scrolling through the sweet cats who bring so much joy, love, and entertainment!