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Newsroom
Do you have news about an IAFP member? Are you a member willing to field media requests?
For media inquiries or questions, please contact Ginnie Flynn (773.754.1185), Vice President of Communications and Member Engagement, or fill out the media relations sign-up form by clicking the button below.
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Statement attributed to Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP - IAFP President
January 28, 2026
The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) joins the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American Medical Association (AMA) and other physician organizations in opposing immigration enforcement activity in health care settings. Physicians must practice in environments that ensure safety, dignity, and trust, not fear. We extend our deepest condolences to those impacted by the pain and trauma unfolding in Minnesota, and we stand in solidarity with our colleagues at the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians during this profoundly difficult time. Family physicians across Illinois are witnessing the real and devastating consequences of fear. Patients are delaying or avoiding care, even when they are sick or injured, because they are afraid to seek help. This climate also deeply affects family physicians practicing on visas, physicians who are essential to our health care infrastructure, who now fear indiscriminate enforcement actions that threaten their safety and ability to serve patients. We believe health care is a human right. No person should fear apprehension while seeking medical care or education. The duty to treat is sacred, and all health care workers must be able to provide care, including emergency care without interference.
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Impact of Cuts to Federal Medicaid Funding Evelyn Figueroa, MD was featured in July 1 Block Club Chicago story to illuminate the impact the cuts to Medicaid and food programs will have on health and food insecurity on the community she serves in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
Explaining and Advocating when Illinois issued their own Seasonal Vaccine Guidance Dr. Kiran Joshi appeared live on the WBEZ Chicago Public Radio "In the Loop" show on Sept. 24 about the seasonal vaccines for all ages, including Covid vaccines. The state's Vaccine Advisory Committee recommendations largely mirrored the expert guidance of physician organizations such as AAFP, AAFP and ACOG.
AAFP Statement to ACIP September 12 IAFP Board members also submitted similar supporting comments via the federal register for the ACIP meeting September 18-19.
Board member Rebecca Maddrell, MD was included in a Chicago Sun-Times September 11 story about the Covid vaccine availability and confusion created by policies announced by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. That same story also posted on WBEZ – Chicago public radio. IAFP past president Michael Hanak, MD appeared in the Chicago Tribune, plus the Decatur Herald & Review and Bloomington Pantagraph on the same topic of Covid vaccines and confusion over access and eligibility.
AAFP Responds to Removal of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Members
Statement issued June 10, 2025
• Outreach to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kennedy to protest the dismissal of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members and to raise concerns about the transparency and process for developing vaccine recommendations.
• Direct advocacy with members of Congress to urge increased oversight of HHS;
IAFP Opposes HHS decision to not recommend COVID vaccine for children and pregnant people. IAFP President Elect Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP was interviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times with our reaction and concerns generated by this ruling.
Federal Spending Bill Sparks Major Concern for Cook County Mark Loafman, MD Chair of Family and Community Medicine at Cook County Health appears in this May 23 WBEZ story investigating the threats to County Care with the proposed federal bill that will cut billions from Medicaid funding to states and also programs in Cook County.
Celebrating the Match: Carl Lambert, Jr., MD, and past IAFP student board member Haley Bylina from the Rush Family Medicine Leadership program were featured on the WGN-TV 5pm news on March 21 with Match Day celebrations. Watch it here.
Our IAFP Letter to the Editor from President Kate Rowland supporting the residents and urging ownership to provide the financial support needed for them to continue their training ran in the Oak Park Weds Journal and Austin Weekly News.
Thomas Huggett, MD was featured by the University of Chicago on March 14 as one of their graduates making a difference through Street Medicine and health care for those experiencing homelessness.
Joyce Johnson, MD was included in a WIFR-TV Rockford March 17 story reflecting on how the community came together back at the start of the COVID outbreak five years ago.
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Newcomb Named ISMS Physician Leader of the Year
The IAFP Class of 2025 board member, Aaron Newcomb, DO, received the 2025 ISMS Physician Leader of the Year award, which honors physicians demonstrating exceptional leadership in healthcare delivery, advocacy, and community engagement. Dr. Newcomb has played a key role in tackling the opioid epidemic—pioneering the use of buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder in Southern Illinois, providing continuing medical education on controlled substance prescribing at local, state, and national levels, publishing advocacy articles in national peer-reviewed journals, and working tirelessly to reduce stigma through partnerships with organizations like ISMS to promote healthcare reform. Dr. Newcomb’s service extends far beyond Shawnee Health Services, a rural Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), where he has practiced for many years and serves as the medical director of the Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program. He is also IAFP’s subject-matter expert in addiction medicine and the lead faculty member for our Safe Opioid Prescribing, which meets state licensing requirements.
Click on the photo above for the press release from Shawnee Health.
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PBS Documentary includes an IAFP Member
Carl E Lambert, Jr., MD, FAAFP – the 2020 IAFP Family Medicine Teacher of the Year contributed to a PBS/NOVA featured documentary called “Critical Condition: Black Health Care in America,” where he spoke about the historical and socioeconomic factors that continue to perpetuate inequities in health access and outcomes in Chicago and nationwide. As director of the Rush Medical College Family Medicine Leadership Program, he is a leading voice and champion for increasing the number of physicians of color in the profession. The film debuted on PBS on April 30, 2025.
Click on the photo above to watch the full video.
2025 Summer Externship student and Rosalind Franklin University - Chicago Medical School student Lucia Cho shares the service learning side of her sum… More...
Featuring our own Illinois home care expert and AAFP interest group chair, Dr. Thomas Cornwell to help caregivers feel comfortable with medical tasks More...
Loyola MacNeal Family Medicine Residency hosts a monthly Walk with a Doc. We went for a walk with them.
Check out the 2-minute video!
