Over the past year, the AAFP Board of Directors has taken a thoughtful and deliberate approach to understanding the current state of rural family medicine and the role our Academy must play in supporting physicians and communities across rural America. Through research, dialogue, and engagement with rural members, we heard clearly that rural practice environments are diverse, complex, and deeply shaped by local realities.
In response, the Board has approved the formation of a time-limited Rural Health Advisory Committee to guide the development, prioritization, and evaluation of AAFP’s rural health strategy. This represents an important step forward in our commitment to ensure rural physicians have a meaningful and sustained voice in shaping our work.
Our Commitment to Rural Voices
We are committed to building an advisory committee that reflects the diversity of rural family medicine across the country. The Board has emphasized the importance of elevating perspectives from a range of practice and training environments, geographic regions, and career stages. To support this, the application process asks a series of questions about practice setting, scope, and experience to help ensure a broad and representative group of voices.
Advisory Committee Scope and Purpose
The Rural Health Advisory Committee will provide member-informed guidance to the Board and AAFP staff. Its work will focus on helping shape strategy by identifying priorities, offering recommendations, and evaluating progress related to rural health initiatives.
Term and Meeting Expectations
Term: August 1, 2026 – December 31, 2028
Meeting cadence: Approximately 3-5 times per year with in-person and virtual meetings
In-person engagement: Advisory committee meetings will align with existing AAFP convenings. *For FMX, the committee will meet for one to two days during the conference week, with exact dates finalized based on room and staff availability.
FMX 2026: October 22–23, 2026 (Nashville)
Winter Cluster 2027: January 22–25, 2027 (Kansas City)
FMX 2027*: September 19–24, 2027 (San Diego)
Winter Cluster 2028: January 21–23, 2028 (Kansas City)
FMX 2028*: October 9 – 14, 2028 in Indianapolis
Call for Applications
We invite interested Active members to apply to serve on this advisory committee. The application is open now and will close on June 12, 2026. All applicants are encouraged to complete the entire application but only the first 15 questions are required.
Serving on this advisory committee is an opportunity to directly influence the future of rural family medicine and ensure that the lived experiences of rural physicians meaningfully inform AAFP’s strategy and actions.
Thank you for your continued commitment to rural health and to the patients and communities you serve. We look forward to engaging many of you in this important work.