CHRISTINE EDOMWANDE, MS-3, LSUHSC-New Orleans
Ms. Edomwande states in her nomination profile, “In 2022 year I served as the Alternate Delegate for both the AAFP National Conference and LAFP General Assembly. During National Conference, I stepped in for our Delegate at a few of the conference meetings. I believe the skills and leadership abilities I have acquired while serving these roles will be beneficial to the LAFP and have prepared me for this new position. I want to continue to increase interest and exposure to Family Medicine amongst my peers and other Louisiana medical students. The events and programs that I have participated in so far with the LAFP have been rewarding and I would be honored to continue to serve this organization as a student leader.”

KACY HENWOOD, MS-2, LSUHSC-New Orleans
Ms. Henwood includes in her profile, “I would like to serve on the LAFP Board of Directors so I can support the organization and physicians that have immensely helped me throughout medical school. All the Family Medicine physicians I have met have been extremely helpful, answering all my questions and allowing me to shadow them. On top of that, LAFP has provided wonderful speakers to the Family Medicine Interest group at LSUHSC in New Orleans. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to share information about the diverse ways people practice family medicine. Being on the Board of Directors for LAFP allows me to use my skills to help this organization that has poured their resources into my education. This position would allow me to learn about ways I can be more active in LAFP and also give me the opportunity to learn from clinicians and residents about how LAFP has impacted them. Working with the Board of Directors will allow me to learn about the ideas, and issues that current clinicians and residents have. This will help me learn what to expect in the future as a clinician but also help me develop skills and solutions to address current or future problems. I will also be able to express the medical student perspective. It will help me become an advocate for my peers now and in the future. Finally, I will be able to network and find mentors that can help me become the best physician I can be.

ABIGAIL MOHR, MS-2, Tulane School of Medicine
Ms. Mohr includes in her profile, “As a person who has been interested pursuing Family Medicine as a specialty since I first entered medical school, it was quite apparent that this field is not held in high esteem by many physicians or by medical academic institutions as a whole. This created a difficult environment to serve as the President of Tulane’s FMIG – it felt like an uphill battle to get students interested in this highly fascinating field of medicine. Additionally, there was not an upperclassman Tulane medical student to turn to for guidance or who encouraged interaction with the. Multiple leaders and physicians within the LAFP and the FM department reached out to me, but that is different than getting advice from a similar student that has once been in my shoes. That is why I would like to continue working with the LAFP now that I have transitioned out of FMIG leadership: my goal is to now be a liaison between younger students – both at Tulane and LSU – and the upper administration of the LAFP organization. I want to be able to distill information learned on the Board of Directors back to my fellow classmates and also encourage their participation in upper-level leadership once they graduate in the future from leading their FMIGs.”

CLAIRE ROMAINE, MS-3, Tulane School of Medicine
Ms. Romaine states in her profile, “I am a 3rd year Tulane MD/MPH student planning to pursue family medicine. Though I have primarily been exposed to academic medicine during my training, I fell in love with family medicine during a rotation at a private office in Raine, Louisiana. I see LAFP as the ideal opportunity to gain mentorship from leaders in community medicine and private practice. I don’t plan to be in academic medicine forever, and I hope that LAFP will teach me more about issues facing our profession at a broader level. Additionally, I see involvement in LAFP as a way to give back to the amazing people of Louisiana. My dad is from rural Vermillion parish, though the Romaines are now spread throughout the state. Training in New Orleans, where many Louisianans (including my family) travels to receive specialist care, I have seen that patients with a close relationship to a family physician near their home do SO MUCH better, regardless of what specialists may try.

CHRISTINE EDOMWANDE, MS-3, LSUHSC-New Orleans
Ms. Edomwande states in her profile, “I am currently the Student Government VP of Legacy and Communications at LSU in New Orleans in which I lead the creation and production of the school yearbook and currently manage the SGA social media. I was also Historian of the Student National Medical Association at my school and was responsible for creating flyers and managing the social media account. Other previous leadership positions include being a former president of FMIG and a Resident and Student Leadership Committee Co-chair. I also served as the 2022 Alternate Student Delegate to General Assembly. I would be honored to serve again.”

ABIGAIL MOHR, MS-2, Tulane School of Medicine
Ms. Mohr includes in her profile, “While I have a lot of experience in teaching, research, and working on the clinical side as a physician, I do not have as much experience in healthcare advocacy. I have always had an interest in public health and lessening the inequities one sees in the south, and I hope that this position will give me the tools to make a difference in these areas. Once given this help, I will be able to better represent Louisiana and its population as a whole, an in addition I hope to give a voice to the current medical students and residents wanting to better influence changes made in healthcare for this state.”

CHRISTINE EDOMWANDE, MS-3, LSUHSC-New Orleans
Ms. Edomwande states in her profile, “Experiencing the AAFP National Conference as the 2022 Alternate Delegate to National Conference shed light to the contribution I can make, even as a medical student. When it comes to proposing resolutions, I can be a positive influence in the AAFP future policies and programming. I stepped in for our Delegate at a few of the conference meetings and have experience regarding the Congress and how delegate meetings are conducted.”

ABIGAIL MOHR, MS-2, Tulane School of Medicine
Ms. Mohr states in her profile, “Students in this position need to have a good understanding of the patients they are representing in their state. I come from a working class, rural community that reflects that majority of this state. But I now also live in New Orleans and can see the different health needs necessitated by a larger city. I can use both experiences to best propose resolutions for medical students and residents within this state. Additionally, I served on the Student Clinic Council as a Clinic Leader for a local rehabilitation center. In this role, I learned how to work as a liaison between upper-level leadership and volunteers. Both roles are important but are going to have vastly different needs and desires within the organization. It was my place to work between the two, and I believe this would give me an edge when working with the AAFP at a national level in support of our more local needs and propositions unique to Louisiana. I grew up in the rural southeast, so I understand how imperative it is for students and physicians to advocate for a place in the national political sphere. Louisiana is a unique and fascinating state with diverse medical needs across both urban and rural landscapes, and it is my hope that I can use my own experiences in these spaces to represent this state in the best way I can as a student still in the beginning phase of her medical career.

SARAH POWELL, MS-4, American University of the Caribbean
Ms. Powell states in her profile, “Having attended the AAFP National Conference in 2022, including observing the Congress of Delegates, I believe I have experience that would benefit myself and the LAFP as the representative. I have held leadership positions previously, including Editor in Chief of the AUC student paper and Research Coordinator for the OBGYN interest group. I am extroverted and enjoy social situations like conferences. I am dedicated to the field of Family Medicine, as shown by my attendance to the National Conference previously and am invested in the practice of preventative medicine and women’s health. I know my passion will be an asset as well. I hope to gain a better understanding of the Academy and its actions from the local to national levels. As a future family physician, I want to become as involved and gain as much knowledge as possible in order to better serve and represent my patients and their interests, as well as the interests of my colleagues. I know I can contribute my experience as a leader and as a previous conference attendee. Above all, having grown up in Louisiana and seeking to practice here, I will contribute my passion for this community and its health.”

CLAIRE ROMAINE, MS-3, Tulane School of Medicine
In her profile she states, “Thanks to a strong undergraduate foundation in public health and bioethics at the University of Virginia, as well as professional experiences in healthcare technology and administration, I have close familiarity with many of the “things they don’t teach you in med school.” I believe that my knowledge in health policy and management will allow me to understand and contribute to LAFP/AAFP goals. Additionally, having previously completed a semester-long internship in Geneva, Switzerland, attending United Nations meetings, I have experience collaborating at large meetings and conferences. Prior to medical school, I worked as a project manager on Epic’s population health team. Among my many responsibilities including the setup of claims data dashboards and the design of SDOH functionality, I acted as liaison between hospital executives and computer programmers. I worked with c-suite physicians and public health experts in envisioning how EHR could better serve their organizations’ contributions to community health. In this role, I developed a confident knowledge base of many of today’s vital healthcare topics including electronic health record integration, value-based care, payer communication and relationships, and closed-loop referrals. All these topics are part of current AAFP policy goals. I also have interest and experience with LAFP-specific policy goals. I previously interned in the department of workforce management at University of Virginia Health System, so I understand the importance of supervision of mid-level care providers. I have completed a month-long trauma surgery rotation at UMC New Orleans, so I have witnessed the need to curb gun violence. I hope to provide obstetrical care as a rural provider, so I am excited to advocate for family medicine’s continued role in maternal/child health. My prior experiences will allow me to advocate for these and other important LAFP issues.”

KAITLYN BREAUX, MD, Incoming PGY-1- Baton Rouge General Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Breaux includes in her nomination profile, “As a native to Louisiana, I would like to serve on the LAFP Board of Directors because I strive to be a part of the further advances of the specialty of family medicine in Louisiana. I also would like to help resolve any issues that may arise through abiding by the core values of the LAFP. Serving as a Baton Rouge student site representative during medical school, I can contribute significant leadership skills and be able to assist planning the Student/Resident conference. I believe teamwork to be another vital component to this position, thus I would be able to utilize my previous experiences such as being involved with various interest groups to collaborate with other members of the LAFP. By being a Resident Delegate, I hope to help better the scope of family medicine in Louisiana for current and future residents. I also hope to give back to a community that has always been there for me as well as improve my leadership capabilities.”

ARDEN LAGRONE, MD, Incoming PGY-1-Lafayette Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. LaGrone states in her nomination profile, “I would like to serve on the LAFP Board of Directors because I believe that Family Medicine is a specialty that builds meaningful relationships with patients and is capable of making significant change in the health outcomes of people in Louisiana. An important way that will be accomplished is through the next generation of Family Physicians learning from those physicians that have come before them and building upon the foundation they have created. Through serving on either the LAFP Board of Directors, I will be able to learn from them things they have found to be successful in initiating change, and things that were not. By expanding my knowledge base, I will be able to propose new ideas for improving health outcomes in the state of Louisiana and inspire other rising family medicine physicians.”

NIKKI DEBORD, MD, PGY-2, Alexandria Family Medicine Residency Program
In her nomination profile Dr. Debord states, “I would like the opportunity to represent and support the Louisiana Academy of Family Phhysicians as I plan to make my career in Louisiana. As a year two resident in a rural residency focusing on rural health access, I am well versed in the workings of Louisiana family medicine physicians and able to communicate and connect with people easily. I hope to further cement and support my future and the future of Louisiana Family Medicine.”

DANIELLE PAWLICHUK, MD, PGY-2, Alexandria Family Medicine Program
This will be Dr. Pawlichuk’s second term serving as resident delegate to the LAFP Board of Directors. She states in her profile, “I truly enjoyed my time as the resident delegate to the LAFP Board of Directors because it allowed me to see the Family Medicine community from a different view. It was an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most distinguished physicians in the community on challenges facing family medicine. I also enjoyed getting to meet so many people from around the state and learn about their practices and how they approach different obstacles. As the Resident Delegate for LAFP, I can provide prospective regarding topics important to family medicine physicians in Louisiana. I can also provide perspective from a resident who primarily services and underserved community and shine light on the challenges we face in a more rural setting. Additionally, I'm a good listener, team-player, and have a desire to make a difference in the community.”

ALEX C ROBERTSON, MD, PGY-1 Kenner Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Robertson includes in his profile, “I hope to serve to be a voice for Family Medicine Residents to the LAFP Board of Directors. I would like to help listen to and advocate for Family Medicine students, residents, and physicians at the local, state, and national level. With a strong background of leadership and service with previous work, volunteer, and appointed committee positions, my skills and experiences will help me to contribute a diverse, focused, and committed attitude. I hope to gain more experience and knowledge about medical governmental advocacy while also being able to strengthen my ability to help better care and advocate for my patients now and in the future.”

WILLIAM ROSALES, MD, PGY-2, Monroe Family Medicine Residency Program
In Dr. Rosales’ profile he states, “Since early in my childhood, I have developed leadership skills, this in part, because I was a member of the scout association, and later, as a student representative in medical school. From my perspective, leadership is about understanding, delegation skills, proper organization and empathy. I want to be a leader, not only in my residency program, but also later in my professional career as a family physician. I am highly self-motivated, and this has allowed me to excel and go beyond in every leadership role I have been involved with. During my time in Chicago, I had the opportunity to take part in an association called “Chicago MOLA – Medical Organization of Latino advancement”, whose main goal was to promote the growth of the Latino-community healthcare providers through mentorship programs and educational advancement plans. I believe that many of these programs can be used as a blueprint for future initiatives in Louisiana. Mentorship programs provided by local community providers, primary healthcare fairs provided by residency programs, and, family medicine recruitment conferences in medical schools are among the initiatives I would like to propose in order to increase the diversity and scope of our practice.”

J. L. (JERRY) SEPULVADO, MD, PGY-2, Lake Charles Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Sepulvado states in his profile, “Family Medicine, as a specialty, is often overlooked as a non-essential part of medicine. In reality, Family Medicine is often more than treating illnesses. It's being a leader in a smaller community and making changes that benefit the community health wise and in other matters. It's a specialty that requires a broad spectrum of knowledge that can treat the whole family and also perform preventive medicine. By being on the Board of Directors, I will be able to contribute my diverse life experiences and passion of family medicine to help preserve and promote family medicine in Louisiana. My goal in life is not limited to being a well-rounded family physician that will be practicing in Louisiana, but I want to ensure family medicine remains a prosperous specialty with adequate recruitment and integrity.”

IJEOMA AMANZE, MD LSUHSC, PGY-1 Monroe Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Amanze includes in her nomination profile the following, “I have good interpersonal and communication skills. Being in a residency program with so much diversity exposes me to people from different sociocultural backgrounds which I believe has helped me hone my communication skills. Having also served as an Assistant Chief Medical officer in one of the busiest hospitals in Nigeria's capital city, I am able to work effectively under pressure. I also garnered the requisite experience to represent, to serve and to galvanize the body. I have also completed a course in leadership and management in health by the University of Washington which prepared me for this day. I shall use my knowledge in the service of LAFP. I also have good report writing skills and shall take note of all important proceedings and decisions at the general assembly of importance to the resident constituency, and report same to the Resident Student Leadership Committee.”

STEPHANIE NGUYEN, MD, PGY-1, Alexandria Family Residency Medicine Program
Dr. Nguyen states in her profile, “I would like to serve to get more leadership experience, to network with others in my field, and to learn about common issues within the area. I also hope to gain insight and new perspectives on how to solve common issues.”

WILLIAM ROSALES, MD, PGY-2, Monroe Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Rosales includes in his nomination profile the following, “I want to serve as a delegate to raise concern about the most current issues and conflicts that Louisiana family medicine residents face, while also providing actionable insights and resolution proposals to these issues. I see my background as one of my main strengths. Being an international medical graduate from Venezuela allows me to understand many issues that we face (medical and non-medical), from a different perspective. Having the capacity to understand different points of view, no matter how different they may be, is crucial when participating in leadership meetings; this is a skill that I have gained over time, thanks to my experience serving as a rural physician for Indigenous communities in Venezuela, or more recently helping my fellow residents and program staff to coordinate and elevate our family medicine clinic.”

IJEOMA AMANZE, MD LSUHSC, PGY-1 Monroe Family Residency Medicine Program
Dr. Amanze states in her nomination profile for delegate to the AAFP National Conference, “At this time, more than ever before, LAFP needs a vibrant representation at the National Conference. We also need a delegate who will speak, not for self, but for all. I embody these characteristics. I am outspoken and will carry everyone along. I have great interpersonal skills, making it easy for me to communicate effectively with the members of LAFP so that I can find out their desires and aspirations and promote them at the national meeting. I would like to contribute to making LAFP a better association and achieve the set goals. LAFP needs a delegate who is available. This is what I offer, and I will also promote the attendance of other LAFP members at the National Conference as this is a great opportunity for residents and medical students to learn and become better at patient care.”

ELLIOTT ORDOYNE, MD, PGY-2 Kenner Family Medicine Program
Dr. Ordoyne includes in his nomination profile, “I would love the opportunity to give back to my home state by representing the LAFP in our community or on the national level. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I would bring my experience and perspective to the LAFP. From this experience I hope to gain increased knowledge and understanding to be a positive force and role model for our community.”

DANIELLE PAWLICHUK, MD, PGY-2, Alexandria Family Medicine Program
Dr. Pawlichuk states, “I truly enjoyed my time as the resident delegate to the LAFP Board of Directors because it allowed me to see the Family Medicine community from a different view. It was an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most well-known physicians in the community on challenges facing family medicine. I also enjoyed getting to meet so many people from around the state and learn about their practices and how they approach different obstacles. I would love to expand my experiences and perspectives to a larger audience, with hopes of making an even bigger impact on a national scale. I can provide perspective from a physician who primarily services an underserved community and shine light on the challenges we face in a more rural setting.”

WILLIAM ROSALES, MD, PGY-2, Monroe Family Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Rosales states, “Throughout my career, I have always been involved in leadership roles, whether it was at the student level, being a student representative for the medical school board, later as a member of an advancement association for medical professionals in Chicago, and currently, serving as the Resident director for clinic operations and metrics in my residency program. These experiences have left in me a profound sense of service that goes beyond the practice of medicine. I want to connect with residents from the Louisiana area who are passionate as I am about the specialty, and, by becoming a delegate, be an advocate not only for the residents in my program, but also for the other programs in the area. Constant learning and improvement are critical aspects of my professional practice, and by participating in leadership meetings like the LAFP and AAFP conferences.”

J. L. (JERRY) SEPULVADO, MD, PGY-2, Lake Charles Family Medicine Program
Dr. Sepulvado states, “I attended the National Conference last year for my program. I enjoyed the opportunity not only to represent my program and the state of Louisiana, but to self-improve as a leader and a colleague to other family physicians. I grew up in rural Louisiana and I am a rural scholar with LSUHSC-NO. Growing up in a medically underserved area, I feel that I can relate to majority of Louisiana and the deficiencies in healthcare that ultimately comes at the cost of great Louisiana citizens. I feel that I am personable and carry a lot of Louisiana culture and character. I'm excited to utilize these traits and my skillset as a family physician to help the well-being of Louisiana.”