The Division of Family Medicine has changed its name to the Division of Family and Community Medicine (FCM) under the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM).
The decision to update the division’s name was guided by growth within the division and the merging of Family Medicine and the Community Physicians Group (CPG).
Department leadership including Interim Department Chair John Barrett, MD, and Family and Community Medicine Division Chief Bernadette Kiraly, MD believe the new name accurately represents the division’s comprehensive range of services, including a thriving urgent care system and medical specialties beyond family medicine such as internists, pediatricians, med/peds, podiatry and gastroenterology.
“We know health is influenced by several community factors," said Dr. Barrett. “This name change broadens our commitment to address health issues at both family and community levels. We’re dedicated to a more integrated approach to healthcare, which will have significant implications for our practice, education, research, and community engagement.”
The department has delivered exceptional patient care through family medicine clinics and inpatient services since the early seventies. The Division of Family Medicine itself was organized in 2008 when the School of Medicine leadership established the four divisions that then made up the department.
Recently, the integration of CPG into the division has further extended the department’s ability to provide comprehensive care at community clinic health centers across the Wasatch Front region.
In addition to clinical services, the division will continue its educational mission via the outstanding Family Medicine Residency Program, medical student placement for clinical educational opportunities, and community engagement. The Family Medicine Residency Program has been the primary educational effort of the division and has trained hundreds of physicians since its inception in 1971.
Furthermore, the division’s contribution to the department’s research program, currently ranked third nationally among Family Medicine departments by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR), is poised to become even more robust under the new identity.
“We are thrilled to have these groups come together under the Division of Family and Community Medicine,” said Dr. Kiraly. “This collaboration will allow us to discover new partnership opportunities and to make more impactful contributions in our community.”