Listen Well — Ad Astra per Aspera

The year of campaigning is over, success found at this particular finish line. Now the work begins: a new team to meet, a culture to understand, a treasure trove of history to assimilate. And oh-so-much I don’t yet know! Fun jobs, all of them. I am looking forward to serving on the American Academy of Family Physicians board of directors.

This past week permitted time for reflection, something that comes too rarely in this busy world. I took the week off for the meeting and the campaign. In this newly virtual world, the meeting is not in Chicago; I am attending from home. There are no travel inefficiencies, no time spent connecting for dinner or catching someone in the hall and staying to talk. Instead, I can finish my morning run as I listen to opening speeches, put in a load of laundry during the 10 minute break, have dinner with my family…and generally have more time to ponder life.

In this week, I’ve spent several hours answering questions from my peers: what do I think of a particular issue? how would I handle a member concern? what are my goals as a member of the AAFP board? It has been an enriching experience to consider each question and share my thoughts. My favorite question of the week: what strengths will you bring?

I am a business owner and a regional medical director for a group of geographically disparate primary care accountable care organizations; the combined role of practicing physician and ACO leader makes me a strong partner for my colleagues implementing value based care. I am an advocate for family medicine and fearlessly go to bat on important issues. I am a team builder and improvement guru, continuously striving for better outcomes. While those things certainly describe my accomplishments, they don’t truly capture the strengths I hope to share with the board.

I want to bring my best self to this new role. I want to do my best for my fellow family physicians across the country. For this incredible opportunity, beginning at such a unique time in history, I promise to bring two strengths: the desire to learn much and the ability to listen well.