ACR148 - Family Physician Week.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 148 CHAPTER 44 Relative to Family Physician Week. [ Filed with Secretary of State April 21, 2026. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 148, Addis. Family Physician Week. This measure would designate the week of March 15, 2026, to March 21, 2026, inclusive, as Family Physician Week, recognize the invaluable contributions of family physicians to California’s health care system, and encourage continued investment in primary care to strengthen the family medicine workforce. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, California family physicians have historically demonstrated their dedication to the health and well-being of Californians by emphasizing coordinated care, better health outcomes and patient experience, and health equity; and WHEREAS, Family physicians have studied for a minimum of seven years from medical school through residency and have received specialized training to provide continuous preventive and primary medical care from birth to end of life for the people of our state; and WHEREAS, Family physicians provide continuity of care throughout each member of the family’s life as well as intergenerational care; and WHEREAS, Family physicians receive extensive training in behavioral health, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, and geriatric care; and WHEREAS, Family physician care is based on knowledge of the whole person in the context of the family and the community and is not limited by age, sex, or type of health condition, and their broad skill set is particularly valuable in communities or geographical areas where certain specialists and subspecialists may not be available; and WHEREAS, In the United States, nearly one-half of all visits to physicians’ offices in rural areas are to family physician offices and family physicians are the usual source of care for about one in five children; and WHEREAS, Family physicians provide high-quality care and reduce costs to the health care system through leadership, collaboration, and innovation; and WHEREAS, Studies have shown that every $1 increase in primary care expenditures resulted in $13 in savings in other services, such as specialty care, emergency department visits, and in-patient care; and WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 pandemic, family physicians worked on the front lines to provide testing, vaccinations, and critical care to patients, ensuring their health, safety, and well-being; and WHEREAS, Family physicians are essential in addressing social determinants of health, advancing health equity, and improving access to care in medically underserved communities; and WHEREAS, The California Academy of Family Physicians is a physician organization with more than 10,000 family physicians, residents, and medical students dedicated to promoting the highest standards of the profession of family medicine, fostering excellence through continuing medical education, and serving as an advocate for family physicians and their patients; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the week of March 15, 2026, to March 21, 2026, inclusive, as Family Physician Week; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes the invaluable contributions of family physicians to California’s health care system and encourages continued investment in primary care to strengthen the family medicine workforce; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.