Registration has just been opened for our Spring Conference, to be held April 17-19 at the Hilton, Jackson. The event will kick off with a Friday night Crawfish Boil at Reservoir Pointe in Ridgeland, and continue with CME sessions Saturday and Sunday. For those interested, Dine Arounds will be arranged for Saturday night. Attendees can expect to receive approximately 11 CME hours for the conference. This event will be held jointly with the Future in Family Medicine Spring Fling for residents and students.

Only 87 members still need to pay their dues to renew for 2020. That means more than 85% of MAFP active members have already paid. We mailed reminders to the other 15% this past week.  Renew by  paying online or call AAFP at 1-800-274-2237 to pay by phone today.

The MAFP Future in Family Medicine Spring Fling is celebrating its 8th anniversary this year and we are planning for the biggest crowd yet. Our goal is to raise $5,000 to help offset overnight accommodations, meals and registration for more than 100 residents and students to attend the event, which is free to all medical students and residents.

We were thrilled to raise $1,800 in one short week during our social media promotion, but we want to continue it through the month of February. Won't you give to the Foundation today?

You still have a chance to serve as Doctor of the Day like these family physicians have done this year! Clockwise from top left are Drs. John Mitchell, Paul Pavlov, John Vanderloo and Anthony Cloy during their service.

Use the link below to sign up for Legislative Doctor of the Day at the State Capitol during this legislative session. You must be a MSMA member as they administer the program. Sign up here. Dates still available as of today include:

• Feb. 27, 28
• March 20
• April 3, 8, 10, 13, 14, 22, 28, 29, 30
• May 5, 4, 5, 6

MAFP has just released the room reservation forms for the MAFP Annual Meeting, and reservations can be made now. The Annual Meeting is scheduled for July 18-22, 2020 at the Baytowne Conference Center in Sandestin, FL. 

Click on the link below to see the MAFP room rates on different types of rooms. Just use the code on the form to reserve your room by phone, or use a credit card and reserve by fax.

• Physician Room Form

MAFP signed on with 48 other states to a February 10  AAFP letter to Members of Congress that asked for long-term funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program (THCGME). 

"Your positive action in the next few weeks will create stability in these important programs and avoid any further disruptions caused by lingering uncertainties associated with future program funding," the Academy's latest letter said.

Among the disruptions already looming: the Feb. 26 deadline for medical school resident applicants to submit their rank order lists to the National Resident Matching Program Main Residency Match. Future physicians making a pivotal career decision must now weigh the historic success of the THCGME program against the possibility that centers challenged by short-term funding patches could close.

One education program in our state is paying close attention to this issue. Mississippi's EC HealthNet Family Medicine Residency Program depends on funding from this federal program in order to operate.

MAFP member Dr. Timothy Quinn of Jackson appeared Thursday on WJTV in Jackson to discuss the need for children to have routine physicals.