FFFM | Primary Care at the Center of Fighting Chronic Disease

Yalda Jabbarpour, MD, of the AAFP's Robert Graham Center, interviews rural family physician Jennifer Bacani McKenney, MD, FAAFP, about the Robert Graham Center's report "Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy in America's Fight Against Chronic Disease," co-funded by the Milbank Memorial Fund and the Physicians Foundation. The report uses national data to show that having a usual source of primary care increases preventive services and screening, reduces emergency department visits and hospitalizations for people with chronic disease and lowers Medicare costs. The discussion highlights rural impacts, policy levers such as Medicare payment improvements and community health center funding, and how data supports advocacy and practice-level resource requests.

Topics by Timestamp

00:00 Introduction

01:20 Meet Dr. Bacani McKenney

01:51 Key findings snapshot

03:24 Rural practice stories

06:29 Scorecard to deep dive

09:13 Policy levers and payment

12:10 Using data for advocacy

19:31 Rural access and ER strain

24:19 Validation and takeaways

25:59 Closing and resources

Additional Resources

The Health of US Primary Care: 2026 Thematic Report

Robert Graham Center Maps, Data, and Tools

Jennifer Bacani McKenney, MD, FAAFP

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