The Show-Me-State Update is your source for the latest news and information impacting the medical community. Time-sensitive information and requests related to healthcare, advocacy issues, and professional development opportunities from MAFP are included.

July 2025 – MAFP News & Events

AAFP Defends Science-Based Vaccine Policy

Recent decisions by the Secretary of Health and Human Services have undermined trust in our nation’s vaccine infrastructure and placed public health at risk. In response, the AAFP is leading efforts to defend the integrity of immunization policy and calling on Congress to act.

Here’s what AAFP is doing:
Asking members to urge their members of Congress to publicly support vaccine safety and science-based recommendations, oppose efforts that dismantle trusted public health institutions, and champion initiatives to combat vaccine misinformation. 

• Led a resolution adopted at the AMA House of Delegates with support from 30+ medical groups, calling for an end to political interference in vaccine policy. 

• Urged payers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines remain available and affordable for pregnant patients. 

• Issued a strong letter to the HHS Secretary opposing the removal of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). 

• Reaffirmed the critical role of vaccines in protecting vulnerable populations, especially in light of proposed changes to the immunization schedule. 

• Endorsed the Family Vaccine Protection Act (H.R. 3701) to protect the role and integrity of ACIP and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). 

• Joined other physician groups in urging HHS to return to a transparent, science-based vaccine recommendation process. 

Midwest Obesity Symposium: Where Prevention Meets Practice

Join us September 12–13, 2025, in scenic Hermann, Missouri for a collaborative, solutions-focused event designed for today’s family physicians.

From clinical updates to real-world strategies, the Midwest Obesity Symposium offers meaningful education in a relaxed, welcoming setting—perfect for reconnecting with your purpose and your peers.

What to expect:

• Evidence-based tools
• Engaging sessions
• Enjoy a relaxed setting in Missouri wine country

Let’s tackle one of the biggest health challenges together—with purpose and community.

Reserve your spot today!

Let’s Get Clinical… and a Little Classic!

Join us November 7–8, 2025, at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza for MAFP’s Annual Fall Conference—where timeless style meets today’s top clinical CME sessions. Whether you’re early in your career or bringing decades of wisdom, this conference delivers something for everyone: expert-led CME sessions, advocacy insights, peer networking, and our can’t-miss Roaring 20s Awards Banquet.

What to expect:

• Learn. Connect. Celebrate. Repeat.
• Interact with fellow Missouri family physicians
• Dress to impress for a Roaring night to remember

Sign up and save your spot today!

Your Voice. Your Experience. Your Impact.

No matter your stage in practice, your voice matters—and we want to hear from you!

The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians is looking for article submissions for upcoming magazine issues. Share your knowledge and expertise in an area that can benefit, inform, or inspire your fellow family medicine physicians—whether it’s a new topic, clinical insight, emerging trend in your specialty, or unique experience from the field.

Use the Article Submission Form to submit your article for consideration. Upcoming submission deadline: September 1, 2025.

Medical students and residents are encouraged to submit scholarly articles with physician collaboration. Subspecialist physician colleagues are also invited to contribute content that supports family medicine.

For more info, contact Andrea Holloway, Member Engagement Manager, at aholloway@mo-afp.org.

Let’s build something meaningful—together.

Family Medicine Mixers – MAFP Regional Meetings

All members and prospective members are invited to join us for MAFP’s Regional Family Medicine Mixers! These gatherings offer an opportunity to get out, have fun, and connect with fellow family physicians in your community. Whether you’re within the region or beyond, you’re welcome to attend any of these events.

• Kansas City – August 21 at 6:00 pm: Enjoy dinner and friendly competition with fellow family physicians at Chicken N Pickle at 1761 Burlington, North Kansas City! Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Alcohol will be available for purchase.
• Columbia – August 28 at 6:00 pm: Join fellow Family Physicians for a cooking class led by Chef Ashley Nichols at Back2Basics. Registration is limited to 20 due to space constraints.
• St. Louis – September 4 at 6:30 pm: Trek through adventure at the St. Louis Zoo! Before the hike, we’ll gather for light snacks at a central location outside the zoo. If you are bringing children, please email Andrea Holloway, MAFP Member Experience Manager, at aholloway@mo-afp.org for additional details. Registration is limited to 20 due to zoo requirements.
• Springfield – Details Coming Soon!

Members and prospective members are welcome to attend at no cost. Guests are invited to attend for a $50 fee.

Register at https://moafp.formstack.com/forms/regional_meetings_2025.

Student & Resident Leadership Opportunities

The American Academy of Family Physicians highly values the contributions made by family medicine residents and medical students and recognizes the importance of training future leaders of medicine. It is one of the few specialty organizations to actively enlist resident and student members in leadership roles.

• AAFP Leadership Opportunities for Medical Students
• AAFP Leadership Opportunities for Residents

Student Essay Contest

Submissions Due: August 31, 2025

The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and Family Health Foundation of Missouri are sponsoring a Family Medicine Student Essay Contest for MAFP student members with an interest in family medicine. The theme of this year’s essay is Beyond the Clinic: Understanding the Barriers Patients Face and the Call to Advocate. Submissions will be identified and judged by a selected panel of expert judges.

First, second, and third place prizes of $300, $200, and $100, respectively, will be awarded. The top 3 essays will be published in the Missouri Family Physician quarterly magazine. Additionally, winners will be invited guests of the MAFP Annual Fall Conference, November 7-8, 2025, at InterContinental on the Plaza in Kansas City, with lodging and conference registration sponsored by the Family Health Foundation of Missouri. Additionally, winners will be invited to present their paper at the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians Annual Fall Conference.

Learn more at www.mo-afp.org/join/residents-students/essay/.

Winners Selected for FUTURE 2025 Poster Presentations

FUTURE (formerly National Conference of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students) provides one of the largest forums for medical students and family medicine residents to display research initiatives and special projects. 

Fifty posters have been selected for display during the conference. Of those, the top 12 research poster authors have been invited to give a brief presentation for peer review. A list of authors and poster titles is now available.

Congratulations to Bayley Stewart from Kansas City University for having The Effect of CHAMPS Coaching on Medical Student Confidence Counseling Healthy Lifestyle Modifications (Educational Program) selected!

Posters will be displayed on-site during FUTURE, July 31–August 2, in Kansas City, MO.

2025 AAFP Residency Census is Now Open

The 2025 AAFP Residency Census is now open on the AAFP Residency Portal. The census is open through July 18. 

Residency program participation helps provide insights on how the AAFP can best support residency programs and residents, and it gives programs an opportunity to support their residents with AAFP membership for the coming academic year. Membership gives your residents access to MAFP and AAFP support and popular resources, including board review prep, career tools, and contract negotiation advice.  

Thank you in advance for your participation. If you have any questions, contact the AAFP at residencycensus@aafp.org.

2026 Nikitas J. Zervanos Outstanding Program Director Nominations

Nomination Deadline: July 26, 2025

​​Nominations for the 2026 Nikitas J. Zervanos Outstanding Program Director Award are now being accepted. The award recognizes a family medicine residency director who has demonstrated leadership and advancement of the specialty, served as a mentor to residents and medical students, and contributed to the community they serve.

​The award recipient will be honored at the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) Annual Meeting during the Residency Leadership Summit in March 2026.

Additional information, including eligibility criteria, can be found on the AFMRD website.

MAFP Awards Nominations Open

Extraordinary efforts in support of family medicine are the heart of the organization’s success. These awards are a way to recognize individuals who go above and beyond in support of family medicine, their colleagues, patients, and communities.

Members are encouraged to nominate someone who deserves recognition for providing exemplary care, is actively involved in their community, or is a leader in their field of practice.

The deadline for all nominations is August 30, 2025.

• Distinguished Service Award given for significant contributions to Missouri Family Medicine over multiple years. Nominations can be submitted at https://moafp.formstack.com/forms/distinguished_service.
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Family Medicine given for significant contributions to Missouri Family Medicine in the previous year. Nominations can be submitted at https://moafp.formstack.com/forms/presidential_award.
• Resident of the Year Award given for significant contributions to Missouri Family Medicine while in residency. Nominations can be submitted at https://moafp.formstack.com/forms/resident_of_the_year.

FP Essentials Call for Authors

Submission Deadline TODAY: July 1, 2025

Earn honorarium and publication credit by writing for AAFP’s FP Essentials

The editors of FP Essentials are seeking proposals from potential authors through July 1, 2025. Author groups receive a $4,000 honorarium for preparing a manuscript and seeing it through to publication.

FP Essentials is a monthly monograph series that features comprehensive, up-to-date reviews of clinical topics important in family medicine. FP Essentials is indexed in PubMed/Medline and is one of the AAFP’s most popular CME activities.

Proposals are being solicited for these topics:

• Common Male Genitourinary Issues
• Hepatitis Overview
• Seizure Disorders in Adults
• Viral Respiratory Infections

Click here to access submission requirements and other important information. The due date for submissions is July 1, 2025.

Chapters are invited to share this opportunity with members and may contact John Moessner with questions.

AAFP Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Board of Trustees

Application Deadline: August 31, 2025

The AAFP Foundation serves as the philanthropic arm of the AAFP supporting programs each year aimed at improving the health of all people and advancing the practice of family medicine. The AAFP Foundation’s efforts are made possible through the generosity of family physicians, corporations and others who provide voluntary financial support for the Foundation.

The mission of the AAFP Foundation is to advance family medicine through philanthropy using humanitarian, educational and scientific programming to improve health. To help guide this mission, the AAFP Foundation recruits candidates interested in serving on the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees. Candidates must possess leadership skills, a dedication to the specialty of family medicine and the desire to provide their time, expertise, and financial support to the best of their ability.

This year, the Foundation is seeking the following for three-year renewable terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026:

Physician Trustee(s)
Must be members in active and good standing of the AAFP. It is also important that the family physicians who serve as Trustees embody the rich diversity of the specialty and the patients served. This diversity includes but is not limited to geography, gender, sexual orientation, experience, race/ethnicity and practice setting. In addition to a completed application and curriculum vitae/resume, Physician Trustees will also need two letters of support/recommendation, one of which must show support from your current state chapter. *Please note there are two incumbents who have the option to continue serving. Traditionally, unless there is an unexpected change in ability to serve due to employment, bandwidth or choice, these individuals have been allowed to continue serving.Additionally, we are seeking (1) Physician Trustee for a one-year renewable term beginning January 1, 2026.

The deadline for submitting application materials is 11:59 p.m. CT on August 31, 2025.  Interviews begin Sept. 1. The election takes place in November, and individuals elected to serve will be notified in December.

We hope that you will consider joining the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees or nominating a colleague and we look forward to answering any questions you might have.

Learn more and apply today by visiting https://www.aafpfoundation.org/get-involved/volunteer/board-committee.html.

For more information, please contact Kesha Whitley.

2025 Dues Invoice Cancellation

2025 membership dues invoices will be voided on July 28, 2025. Member Operations staff will cancel all unpaid membership dues invoices prior to creating the 2026 dues renewal invoices for the next billing cycle. If a member wishes to reinstate after this date, they will need to call the Member Resource Center at (800) 274-2237.  

If a member reinstates their membership between March and October:

• The physician must pay the current year’s dues in full or sign up for the installment payment plan.
• All unpaid dues from prior years dues must be paid in full at the time of reinstatement.
• Members will be required to report appropriate CME related to their current re-election cycle to be eligible for reinstatement. For example, if a member was due for re-election on Dec. 31, 2024, they also need to have reported sufficient CME to meet the re-election requirement in addition to paying dues to be reinstated after Jan. 1, 2025.

Members can find more information on how to reinstate on aafp.org.

Free Online CME: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs is a leading cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the United States.

The AAFP has created an impactful, free webinar to hone your knowledge and practical skills for identifying and managing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Participation in this webinar will enable you to implement evidence-based practices and enhance your ability to deliver high-quality care, stay updated with current guidelines, and improve patient outcomes.

Take advantage of this free online activity and earn 1 CME credit.

Register now at www.aafp.org/cme/all/child-adolescent-health/fasd.html.