The Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians has provided emergency medical services to our senators since 1983. This program has enabled the NAFP to build an effective relationship with our senators; a relationship that should be maintained if our views and suggestions concerning health care are to be heard.

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The Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians exists to promote, support, and serve our members as they strive to improve the health of all Nebraskans. The total Nebraska membership includes just over 1300 family doctors, medical residents and students.

Founded in 1948, the Nebraska Academy is governed by policies and principles established by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors meets quarterly.

The Academy is the untiring advocate of the family physician, the medical specialty of family practice, and the people of Nebraska. It promotes excellence in health care along with the betterment of the health of the people of Nebraska. The Academy assumes this challenge because it recognizes that healthy people are the Academy's highest responsibility.

The Academy believes in access to quality, cost-effective care for all Nebraskans. The Academy strives to provide responsible advocacy for and education of patients and the public in all health-related matters. The Nebraska Academy works to ensure an optimal supply of well-trained Family Physicians; it promotes family practice as the most desired career choice for dedicated individuals who seek the rewards this caring profession offers. The Nebraska AFP encourages the provision of quality, innovative education for practicing physicians, residents, and medical students that embodies the art and science of medicine. And it supports the development of a defined knowledge base in family practice through ongoing research.

The Cornhusker Family Physician is the quarterly journal published by the Nebraska Academy. This is one way members can keep up with legislative events as well as activities of the NAFP.

In 1969, the American Board of Medical Specialties and the American Medical Association designated Family Medicine as this nations 20th major medical specialty. Its roots are in general practice, but Family Medicine is a medical specialty requiring a three-year residency. Unlike other specialists, Family Physicians are specialists whose training focuses on the whole person, not just body systems or specific diseases.

As with all specialties, Family Medicine has a specialty board, the American Board of Family Medicine. This is an independent, separate organization that conducts examinations to measure competence in Family Medicine. Physicians who pass and become certified by the Board are recognized as a diplomate. The Board requires that a diplomate achieve recertification by examination every seven years. In fact the American Board of Family Medicine was the first medical certifying board to require its diplomate to recertify by examination.

Realizing that the family doctor's effectiveness depends on up-to-date continuing medical education, the Academy requires its members to complete a minimum of 150 hours of approved continuing medical education every three years to retain membership.

Family physicians are the only specialists trained to treat 85% of all ailments, and to provide comprehensive, continuing health care for people of all ages and both genders. They receive training in six major medical areas -- pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, internal medicine, psychiatry/neurology, surgery and community medicine. They also receive instruction in many other areas such as: geriatrics, emergency medicine, ophthalmology, radiology, orthopedics, otolaryngology and urology. No other specialist is so well qualified to diagnose and treat the patient for a broad spectrum of illnesses.

Family Physicians are trained to treat most ailments, referring to specialists only when necessary. Family Physicians encourage their patients participation in achieving good health. They emphasize prevention of problems and teach patients to take more responsibility for staying well. These are two ways that Family Physicians can be an important factor in reducing America's health care costs.

With their combined extensive training and their ability to provide continuous health management, Family Physicians are able to deliver the ultimate in medically supervised judicious, cost-effective health care.