Thomas Bugbee, MD, of Blue Hill Family Medicine has been appointed to serve as a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) Commission for Continuing Professional Development. The Commission is one of seven that direct AAFP policies and programs.
Dr. Bugbee has practiced medicine in Blue Hill since 1991. He is currently employed as a physician with Blue Hill Family Medicine, the largest physician practice of Blue Hill Memorial Hospital. Since January, Dr. Bugbee and his colleagues have cared for local families during more than 17,800 patient visits.
“Our hospital is as strong as its physicians,” says Greg Roraff, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital’s CEO. “Those of us who live in rural settings are especially grateful to providers like Dr. Bugbee who are committed to professional development. Medicine is not a field that stands still and continuing professional development is an essential part of helping us provide outstanding care, close to home.”
Roraff also notes that recruitment of primary care providers remains a challenge for rural areas. “We are fortunate to be able to recruit and retain physicians like Dr. Bugbee,” he says. “Many are attracted to the quality of life on the Blue Hill peninsula, as well as the services that Blue Hill Memorial Hospital and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems can provide. Such services allow providers to focus on their patients.”
Founded in 1947, the American Academy of Family Physicians represents 94,700 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care. According to the AAFP, approximately one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 228 million office visits each year – nearly 84 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.