NEWS RELEASE – TO LOCAL NEWS DESK

Steve Knight, MD being sworn into office by Tom Weida, MD	Steve Knight, MD and wife Brenda

HARRISBURG FAMILY PHYSICIAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE ILLINOIS ACADEMY OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS.

WEST FRANKFORT , Illinois – Steven D. Knight, M.D. of Harrisburg has been elected president of the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP).  His term officially begins today by taking the oath of office.  The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians is the professional membership society representing over 4,300 family physicians, residents and medical students across the state.  

Dr. Knight was installed as president by Thomas J. Weida, MD, Speaker of the Congress of Delegates for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) at a banquet at West Frankfort Country Club.  Knight has been on the IAFP Board of Directors since 2001, serving as a board member, vice president and president-elect over the past six years.   He has been very active through IAFP and other organizations in bringing attention to the needs of southern Illinois , including medical malpractice reform, access to care for the uninsured and advocating for higher and faster Medicaid payments from the state.  

Knight is a family physician and a partner at Primary Care Group in Harrisburg .  He is a Southern Illinois University product through and through, completing his undergraduate and medical degrees at SIU and completing family medicine residency training at SIU’s Family Medicine Residency Program in Quincy .   He also served 27 years in the U.S. military, retiring at the rank of Colonel and as Illinois State Air Surgeon.    

In an unusual twist, Dr. Knight is able to assume the presidency in his hometown in front of his colleagues, friends and family.  Typically the president is installed with the entire board of directors at the IAFP annual meeting, held in June or July each year.  However, with the American Academy of Family Physicians meeting scheduled for October in Chicago , the IAFP decided to forgo a summer meeting in the Chicago area and bring Dr. Knight’s big day to Southern Illinois .

“Most of us think that family medicine simply means providing medical care,” said Dr. Knight.  “During my presidency, I hope to focus on some other ways that family physicians can influence how we provide care to our patients. We have a great opportunity in the next year to ensure southern Illinois family physicians are represented in IAFP and AAFP, in Springfield and in Washington , DC .”

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