Inauguration Speech - Emma Daisy, MD

October 27, 2023

When I look out today at the IAFP, I am so inspired by all the faces I see.  You are such an incredibly accomplished and passionate body.  I see residency faculty and directors, full-spectrum OB providers, medical directors and department heads, solo physicians, direct primary care physicians, researchers, hospitalists and urgent care providers.  My current practice does not include those aspects of family medicine, and I am so impressed by all of you.  Please, give yourselves a round of applause!

As I stand here in front of you, and marvel at your accomplishments, I am so proud to have the honor of representing you.  Along with the differences in practice settings I just listed, we also have many more things in common.  We have all shared the joy of a happy prognosis, a wanted pregnancy, a much-anticipated pediatric milestone, or a patient’s success in bringing their diabetes under control with lifestyle changes. Likewise, we all have shared the sadness of breaking bad news to a patient. It’s not easy, but we’re here because it is worth it.   

We are the most diverse specialty in medicine.  We do it all.  We are beloved by our patients, by our students and residents, and I hope by our staff.  Our work is the backbone of primary care, and the scaffolding for helping our patients build healthier lives.  While I can’t claim to do it all, I am proud of what I do, and together, we all have the superpowers.

Allow me to share a little about myself.  I live in Evanston, with my husband of 13 years (Tim Daisy), our two kids (Lewis and Nina), and our one very alpha cat (Rizzo) who keeps us all on our toes.  Tim is a professional musician, highly regarded in the Chicago music scene, and the best dad in the universe.  I never would have gotten through medical school without his support. So I think we owe him credit for one more family physician in the ranks, and for my being here today.  The kids couldn’t be here because they are in school and daycare, but together they are the highlight of my life. 

Professionally, I am committed to a career in achieving health equity through my training and practice in the Federally Qualified Health Center system here in Chicago.  My residency was at Erie Family Health, and I currently practice at Tapestry 360 Health.

I did a geriatric fellowship at the University of Chicago, that included a clinic and nursing home practice in the medically underserved South Shore community.

My current practice is in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.  Rogers Park is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in this city, and its ethnic distribution most closely reflects that of the city overall.  I take care of patients from around the globe; many are recent immigrants and refugees.  

I also see lots of newborns, allowing me to counsel patients in breastfeeding medicine while taking care of the mother-baby pair.  On an average day, I might do a memory evaluation, a couple of well child exams (maybe in languages like Nepali or Amharic), a back pain evaluation (in Pashto) a pap (in Arabic), and of course half a dozen or more diabetes follow up visits in English and Spanish. 

While this may sound overwhelming, the variety of experience is also incredibly rewarding! The appreciation of my patients keeps me coming back day after day.  I love the medicine, but I also love the stories. An elderly Ethiopian patient’s memories of her early life in a rural village and the significance of her tribal tattoos, or a young Nigerian woman’s explanation that the string of beads around her waist is a cultural practice for birth control….

But… she would also like a Nexplanon because she doesn’t want to take any chances! 

Family Medicine is beautiful.  But is there anyone in the room who doesn’t feel overwhelmed sometimes?  If you’re not feeling overwhelmed, do you have any positions available?  I am practicing because I love my patients, and when I have a particularly complex or challenging patient encounter, I remind myself how privileged I am to be in this position. To have the education and experience, the economic privilege and family support, to be in that exam room, and to share their trust and their confidence when they are at their lowest.  In the words of another great Family Physician in this room today, “Feel the JOY in Family Medicine.”  (Thanks, Dr. David Hagan!)

The IAFP is strong because it is an organization with thousands of physicians who share that same commitment, fueled by the diversity of career paths we all lead.  We have strength in numbers, in our dedication, and in our own diversity. 

And we are all here to promote health, to support each other, and to better the lives of our patients.  

It should not surprise anyone in this room to know that every additional primary care physician per 10,000 population has been linked to 15 fewer deaths, 40 fewer hospitalizations, and an increase in life expectancy of approximately 52 days.  Can any other specialty make those claims?

Recently AAFP active members received their invoice for 2024 membership dues.  I ask you, when you have some down time over the course of FMX this weekend, to check your email and check that off your to-do list.  We have strength in numbers, but only if we maintain those numbers.  The stability in our organization’s funding allows us to deliver the support and services you need.  We are here to support YOU.

My work within the IAFP has focused on advocacy.  I have been a member of the Government Relations committee since residency, and I have co-chaired the Women in Leadership Member Interest Group.  I go to Springfield and Washington regularly to advocate for primary care priority legislation, to support access for our patients and improve the quality of primary care practice. I also meet with legislators locally when the need arises, like this past week in Evanston.  I want to increase the profile of our specialty and magnify the quality work that we do so that more young doctors will choose this path.  I also want it to flourish as a joyful and sustainable path and we all win when family doctors are supported. 

When I look at this room and see all the incredible mentors of mine with all their accomplishments, and the younger members on their upward trajectories, I celebrate Family Medicine, and what we mean for our communities.  Every one of you is the most important doctor in the eyes of your patients, and you are equally important to the IAFP. Together, we are an unstoppable force for primary care.  

It is a huge honor to be your President.  I will use this position to amplify your voices, and to improve the life and health of our communities.  Thank you all for your support.