Organizational Support for Family Medicine Residency Training in Colorado
Colorado has nine Family Medicine residencies that collaborate through a trio of organizations which provide ongoing benefits and opportunities well beyond even idyllic expectations of an individual residency.
Commission on Family Medicine (COFM)
- Mission Statement: Address the health care needs of the people of Colorado through the education of Family Physicians and the promotion of patient centered primary care.
- Established by the state legislature in 1977 to craft a structure for Colorado’s Family Medicine residencies to collaborate in the recruitment, training and retention of residents to help meet the state’s recognized need for primary care physicians, especially in rural and underserved areas of the state.
- Allocates state funding to the state’s Family Medicine residencies.
- Statutory members are: Family Medicine residency directors, consumers of healthcare appointed by the Governor from Colorado’s seven congressional districts, a representative from the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, and the Dean of University of Colorado School of Medicine.
- Coordinates the required rural rotation experienced in one of seven select communities.
- Advises legislature on meeting the primary healthcare needs of the people of Colorado.
- Testifies to the Joint Budget Committee and House and Senate Health & Human Services Committees in the state legislature on Family Medicine and primary care.
- Serves as a known, reputable source of information for individual legislators.
Colorado Association of Family Medicine Residencies (CAFMR): Organized with Full Lobbying Privileges
- Unites the academic leadership of Family Medicine in Colorado: Directors of the Family Medicine residencies and the Chair and Vice-Chair for education at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
- Provides a forum for personal support, advice, problem-solving and sharing best practices.
- Participates in collaborative recruiting through a Director of Recruitment, including participation in recruitment events thoughout the nation.
- Shares a large booth at the AAFP National Conference, which balances a collaborative environment with an opportunity for each of the nine residencies to promote their uniqueness in a non-competitive approach.
- Shared projects include: collaborative website, resident and faculty recruiting, faculty development, chief resident training, curriculum development, patient centered medical home (PCMH) implementation, collaboration with practice managers, behavior scientists and residency coordinators.
- Staff includes a Director of Healthcare Policy involved in community affairs, serves as lobbyist during the legislative session and provides a Politics in Medicine rotation for the residents.
- Mission Statement: Cool People doing fun things together!
Colorado Institute of Family Medicine (CIFM): Oganized to Expand Public Support for Family Medicine Residency Training
- Mission Statement: Support the implementation, development and improvement of a patient-centered primary care system through Colorado’s network of Family Medicine residencies and the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
- Recruits community leaders from business and other segments of the community to join with the COFM and CAFMR in promoting the understanding of and expanding financial support for Family Medicine residency training.
- Its IRS status as a “charitable” organization allows for active grant-writing to foundations to strengthen Family Medicine residency training in Colorado and develop innovative initiatives.
- Membership includes a representative from COFM, CAFMR and the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
Recently created but demonstrated early success in securing foundation funding for key, collaborative programs and projects promoting Family Medicine in Colorado.