History of AAGP
The American Academy of General Physicians (AAGP) is a national academic professional association of general practitioners which was founded in 1995.
On the weekend of April 19, 1996, the first annual meeting of the members of the AAGP was held. Susan Black, M.D., Brian Childs, Ph.D. and Bruce Jacobs, M.B.A. were some of the speakers at this meeting. Dr. Black was on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Childs was the Clinical Ethicist at Georgia Baptist Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Jacobs was the Executive Vice President of Managed Care of Allegiant Physicians Services. Dr. Black’s topic was on the need for a general practice organization. Dr. Childs’ topic was on the role of ethics in medicine. Mr. Jacobs’ topic was on managed care.
On October 30 through November 1, 1997, the 1997 General Conference and the Second Annual Meeting of the Members of the AAGP was held in Long Beach, Califronia. The theme of this conference was “Shaping Our Role in Tomorrow’s Healthcare”. Approximately 300 physicians attended this meeting. Some of the corporate exhibitors and sponsors who were also present included: Burdick, Inc., Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., John Hancock Financial Services, Merck & Company, Mosby, Williams & Wilkins, Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, Novus Services, Inc., Pharmacia & UpJohn Company, Roche Laboratories, SmithKline Beecham, WB Saunders Co., and Whitehall-Robins Healthcare. At this meeting, the AAGP elected its Board of Advisors and the following committees: Legislative Affairs Committee, Professional Liability Committee, Biomedical Ethics and Professional Standards Commetti, Long Range Planning Committee, External Liason Committee, Public Relations Committee, Education Committee, Physicians’ Health and Effectiveness Committee, Membership Committee, Medical Affairs Committee, and Organized Medical Staff Committee.
At the 1997 General Conference, Brian Childs, Ph.D., Bruce Jacobs, M.B.A., Ellen Lewis, R.N., M.S.N. and Robert M. Resnick, Ph.D. were some of our main speakers. Dr. Childs’ topic was on the role of the general practitioner in biomedical ethics and the NCBE. Mr. Jacob’s topic was on managed care today and tomorrow. Ms. Lewis’ topic was on clinically evaluating the general practitioner. Dr. Resnick’s topic was on the role of general practitioners in patient advocacy.
As a result of requests from the members for changes in the board certification process of the American Board of General Practice, the AAGP held a Board Certification Planning Conference and Special Meeting of the Members on March 28, 1998 in Dallas, Texas. Over 100 physicians attended this planning conference. Some of the corporate exhibitors and sponsors of this meeting included Banyan International Corporation, Burdick, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Pharmacia & UpJohn. At this meeting, consensus of the members was reached on a process for board certification. The plan of this process was presented to the Board of Certifiers of the American Board of General Practice and was subsequently adopted by that board as its current requirements for board certification.
At this Board Certification Planning Conference and Special Meeting of the Members, the general members of the AAGP adopted, as opinions of the AAGP, 13 opinions (opinions 1 – 13). Opinions 1 – 13 have been subsequently re-adopted at other AAGP meetings. (Additional opinions – opinions 14 through 25 – were adopted at the 1999 General Conference and Fourth Annual Meeting of the Members.)
On October 23, 1998, AAGP Officials met with Mr. David Porter, who is the Director of Specialty Society Relations of the American Medical Association. The meeting occurred at the AMA headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. A number of things were discussed as it pertains to general practitioners. Mr. Porter was receptive to our efforts and we look forward to future meetings with officials of the American Medical Association.
On October 24, 1998, the AAGP held its 1998 General Conference and Third Annual Meeting of the Members in Chicago, Illinois. This meeting was a great success. The majority of the attendees were members of AAGP Committees and they came to work and start the process of beginning our role in tomorrow’s healthcare. Chairpersons of the committees were elected by the members of each committee and each committee organized itself for the purpose of fulfilling its specific tasks. The general members also adopted the development of three endowment funds: the Educational Endowment Fund, the Litigation Endowment Fund and the Organizational Endowment Fund.
Subsequent to the Third Annual Meeting of the Members, the AAGP established two additional endowment funds. These funds are the Perpetual Endowment Fund and the Membership Endowment Fund.
On November 19 through 20, 1999, the AAGP held its 1999 General Conference and Fourth Annual Meeting of the Members in Las Vegas, Nevada. Attendees of this meeting reported that this was the best meeting the AAGP ever had. The officials of this meeting were: Robert M. Webster, M.D. who was the Chairperson, Steven Herbets, M.D. who was the Moderator and Vice Chairperson, Patrick Stodola, M.D., J.D. who was the Parliamentarian and Harry D. Watkins, Jr., M.D. who was the Secretary. Approximately one hundred AAGP members attended the meeting. The first day of the meeting was composed primarily of committee meetings and a meeting of the AAGP Board of Advisors. Each committee met for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. All committees discussed various matters pertaining to their prescribed functions and presented reports of what was discussed the following day at the general session. The Board of Advisors prepared a motion which was submitted to the members for adoption at the general session. The presentations presented at the 1999 General Conference included the following topics and speakers: a new way to finance healthcare which was presented by Ed Carels (who is a former executive of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association); general practice and general practitioners which was presented by Patrick Stodola, M.D., J.D. (this presentation included the history of general practice in England and the United States – Dr. Stodola’s presentation was a modification of a presentation which had been previously made by Harry D. Watkins, Jr., M.D. at The College of William and Mary to its undergraduate students); the formal affiliation between the American College of General Medicine and The College of William and Mary which was presented by Randolph Coleman, Ph.D. (who is a faculty member and the pre-med advisor at The College of William and Mary); the current state of managed care and the new Physicians Network of America which was presented by Bruce Jacobs, M.B.A. (who is a managing principal of Physicians Network of America and previously the C.E.O. of Healthpoint, a managed care organization in Indiana); and the planned membership recruitment activities of the AAGP which was presented by Susan Burkhart, M.D., M.S.P.H. (who is the Chairperson of the AAGP Membership Committee). During this meeting Jim Taudte, C.P.A., who is the AAGP general accountant, presented to the AAGP members the annual financial report and the report of the annual independent accountant’s review. Opinions fourteen through twenty-five of the current Opinions of the General Members were adopted at this meeting. The second AAGP President and the second AAGP Board of Trustees were also elected at this meeting.
The AAGP has formally recognized and accredited the American Board of General Practice. The American Board of General Practice has a board of certifiers which monitors and approves the standards of certification. Each certificate issued by the American Board of General Practice is executed by all the physicians who sit on the Board of Certifiers. C. Jan Dyke, M.D. is one are of the prominent physicians who are members of the Board of Certifiers.