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Shaping the Future of Academic Health Centers: The Potential Contributions of Departments of Family Medicine

¹ William B. Aycock Professor and Chair, Department of Family Medicine; Adjunct Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
² Department of Famiy Medicine, University of North Carollina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Warren P. Newton, MD, MPH Department of Family Medicine University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine CB#7595 William B. Aycock Bldg Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7595 Warren_Newton{at}med.unc.edu

Academic health centers (AHCs) must change dramatically to meet the changing needs of patients and society, but how to do this remains unclear. The purpose of this supplement is to describe ways in which departments of family medicine can play leadership roles in helping AHCs evolve. This overview provides background for case studies and commentaries about the contribution of departments of family medicine in 5 areas: (1) ambulatory and primary care, (2) indigent care, (3) education in community and international settings, (4) workforce policy and practice, and (5) translational research.

The common theme is a revitalization of the relationship between AHCs and the communities they serve across all missions. Family medicine leadership can provide dramatic organizational improvement in primary and ambulatory care networks and foster opportunities for leadership by AHCs in improving the health of the population. Departments of family medicine can also play a leading role in developing new partnerships with community-based organizations, managing the care of the indigent, and developing new curricula in community and international settings. Finally, family medicine departments and their faculty have a central role in helping AHCs respond to workforce needs and in developing translational research that emphasizes the health of the population and effectiveness of care.

AHCs are a public good that must now evolve substantially to meet the needs of patients and society. By pushing for substantial change, by helping to reinvigorate the relationship between AHCs and the communities they serve, and by emphasizing fundamental innovation in clinical care, teaching, and research, family medicine can help lead the renewal of the AHC.

Key Words: Academic health centers • finances • family medicine • family physicians • workforce • indigent care • community-based education • translational research • ambulatory care

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