AAFP Names Stephanie Quinn as Senior Vice President, Advocacy, Practice Advancement and Policy

LEAWOOD, Kan., April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Family Physicians is pleased to announce that Stephanie Quinn, AAFP's director of government relations, will become senior vice president, advocacy, practice advancement and policy, effective June 1, 2020. Quinn succeeds Shawn Martin who will take over as the AAFP's next executive vice president and CEO on Aug.1.

"Stephanie joined the AAFP seven months ago, and in that short time she has demonstrated her passion for family medicine," said AAFP executive vice president and CEO Douglas E. Henley, MD. "She is a fierce advocate for reducing administrative burden for physicians, ensuring family physicians receive the necessary payment and support for their critical work, and providing everyone equal access to affordable health care."

Quinn brings more than 15 years of government relations and legislative experience in the health care industry, including with the AAFP, American Society of Radiation Oncology, and various Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations. In her new role, she will oversee the AAFP Divisions of Government Relations and Practice Advancement as well as the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care. She will direct legislative and private sector advocacy on issues such as value-based models of care and increasing health care access.

"Family physicians are the cornerstone of our health care system, and they play a key role in people's lives and in the health of local communities," said Quinn. "In the face of a pandemic, it is more important than ever before that we ensure they have the tools and resources they need to maintain their practices to care for patients and families. I look forward to further working with AAFP staff to continue to advance the specialty of family medicine."

Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 134,600 physicians and medical students nationwide, and it is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.

Family physicians conduct approximately one in five of the total medical office visits in the United States per year ? more than any other specialty. Family physicians provide comprehensive, evidence-based, and cost-effective care dedicated to improving the health of patients, families and communities. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing and personal patient-physician relationship where the family physician serves as the hub of each patient's integrated care team. More Americans depend on family physicians than on any other medical specialty.

To learn more about the AAFP and family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.

SOURCE American Academy of Family Physicians