SCR 37: Family Physician Week.

WHEREAS, California family physicians have historically demonstrated their dedication to the health and well-being of Californians by emphasizing coordinated care, better health outcomes and patient experience, and health equity; and

WHEREAS, Family physicians have studied for a minimum of seven years from medical school through residency and have received specialized training to provide continuous preventive and primary medical care from birth to end of life for the people of our state; and

WHEREAS, Family physicians provide continuity of care throughout each member of the family’s life as well as intergenerational care; and

WHEREAS, Family physicians receive extensive training in behavioral health, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, and geriatric care; and

WHEREAS, Family physician care is based on knowledge of the whole person in the context of the family and the community and is not limited by age, sex, or type of health condition, and their broad skill set is particularly valuable in communities or geographical areas where certain specialists and subspecialists may not be available; and

WHEREAS, In the United States, nearly one-half of all visits to physicians’ offices in rural areas are to family physician offices and family physicians are the usual source of care for about one in five children; and

WHEREAS, Family physicians provide high-quality care and reduce costs to the health care system through leadership, collaboration, and innovation; and

WHEREAS, Studies have shown that every $1 increase in primary care expenditures resulted in $13 in savings in other services, such as specialty care, emergency department visits, and in-patient care; and

WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 pandemic, family physicians worked on the front lines to provide testing, vaccinations, and critical care to patients, ensuring their health, safety, and well-being; and

WHEREAS, Family physicians are essential in addressing social determinants of health, advancing health equity, and improving access to care in medically underserved communities; and

WHEREAS, The California Academy of Family Physicians is a physician organization with more than 10,000 family physicians, residents, and medical students dedicated to promoting the highest standards of the profession of family medicine, fostering excellence through continuing medical education, and serving as an advocate for family physicians and their patients; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes the invaluable contributions of family physicians to California’s health care system and encourages continued investment in primary care to strengthen the family medicine workforce; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature hereby designates the week of March 16, 2025, to March 22, 2025, inclusive, as Family Physician Week; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.