Primary Care Progress Engages Trainees in Transformation of Primary Care
Students, trainees and clinicians at academic medical centers across the country have launched a new national organization dedicated to engaging local communities to promote primary care, innovate in care delivery and prepare the next generation of leaders in primary care.
The nonprofit Primary Care Progress (PCP) is building a grassroots network of advocates who share the vision of a healthcare system built on a robust foundation of primary care. The organization's efforts focus on bringing trainees and clinicians together to work to redesign care delivery and education.
"Our healthcare system is at a critical crossroads, and we students and residents are hungry to get involved in its transformation," said David Gellis, an internal medicine first year resident at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and a PCP co-founder.
PCP grew out of the successful grassroots efforts of the primary care community at Harvard Medical School to advocate for a reshaping of primary care opportunities at the school. PCP was cited as having a critical role leading up to the launch of a new center for primary care education, research and delivery funded by a $30 million anonymous gift to the school.
"The primary care community here came together in an unprecedented fashion, across specialties and all levels of training," Gellis said. "Primary Care Progress is working to harness that power and the passions of students and trainees at institutions nationwide."
Primary Care Progress pairs medical students with clinical innovators to work together on improving practice, develops local speakers bureaus to promote primary care and encourages clinicians, trainees and patients to share their primary care successes others via its . The provides medical students with the resources to connect with other residents and clinicians innovators as well as opportunities to become involved in the organization locally by joining or forming a chapter.
"Primary Care Progress allows students to learn from and equally importantly, contribute to, a community of clinicians, trainees and other medical students involved in the exciting transformation of primary care," said Gellis.
The American College of Physicians continues to collaborate with and support the efforts of Primary Care Progress.