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Recognizing the importance of leadership in family medicine, MU’s Department of Family and Community Medicine developed an annual three-day workshop for new family medicine chairs. The primary goal of these workshops has been to prepare new chairs for the challenges, expectations, and responsibilities of their role.

2023 workshop participants
L-R: Jack Colwill, MD, University of Missouri; Kendall Campbell, MD, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX; Harry Strothers III, MD, MMM, Mercer University, Macon, GA; David Baltierra, MD, West Virginia University, Martinsburg, WV; Julie Phillips, MD, MPH, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Kristen Rundell, MD, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Amanda Weidner, MPH, Association of Departments of Family Medicine; Steve Zweig, MD, MSPH, University of Missouri; Samuel Sandowski, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Stacy Brungardt, MA, CAE, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine; Bennett Shenker, MD, MS, MSPH, Rowan University, Camden, NJ; Brookshield Laurent, DO, New York Institute of Technology at Arkansas State University, Jonesboro; Krishnan Narasimhan, MD, Stamford Health, CT/Howard University, Washington DC; Mike LeFevre, MD, MSPH, University of Missouri; Deanna Willis, MD, MBA, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN.


MU has hosted more than 100 new chairs at this workshop, which was initially held from 1991 and 1998, and then reinstituted in 2012. The Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM), the national organization of academic family medicine departments has partnered with MU in this second iteration making it an even more valuable professional development experience for new family medicine leaders. Its success is based on the group work of 8-10 new chairs with a supportive group of mentors.

The New Chairs workshop was described in the 2012 issue of the Annals of Family Medicine, University of Missouri’s “Reincarnated” Workshop for New Chairs of Departments of Family Medicine, and evaluated three years later in an ADFM Commentary also in the Annals.

Comments from past workshop participants include:

  • Tremendously helpful, lots of resources, well-organized.
  • Being with such wonderful people, both the participants and faculty. The atmosphere of honesty and engagement, and discussions.
  • The workshop helped me to think about small changes in many areas, rather than one big change.
  • Best workshop I have been to in years! I loved the small size and hands-on approach of the faculty. I felt taken care of, challenged and inspired. Great to hear what people in other roles want from chairs. I was impressed by the transparency of host program (including sharing the budget). I loved meeting new peers and working on problems together. I would recommend this to a colleague at the drop of a hat, it’s a “must” for all new FM chairs!
  • I was so impressed by their level of engagement, it set a great tone and inspired us (the participants) to be equally engaged.
  • Networking with experienced faculty in a strong department and also to meet and develop relationships with other new chairs.

For more information, please contact:

Michael LeFevre, MD, MSPH
Department Chair, University of Missouri Family and Community Medicine
573-882-1758
lefevrem@missouri.edu

Amanda Weidner
Executive Director, Association of Departments of Family Medicine
aweidner@adfm.org