December 16, 2025
From Dec. 4 through Dec. 7, the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) hosted the 2025 Hybrid Winter Family Physicians Weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Over 930 guests participated in the conference and gained new insights during the continuing medical education (CME) lectures and workshops. “Each year, the Winter Weekend reflects the very best of Family Medicine, and this year was no exception!” says NCAFP Director of CME and Events Kathryn Atkinson, CMP. “The commitment to learning, the generosity in sharing expertise and experiences, and the genuine support among colleagues and peers created an atmosphere that was productive, inspiring, and energizing.”
“This year, the presentations were exceptional,” said one attendee in a post-event survey. “The speakers were engaging, topics were very pertinent to practice. This was by far one of the best NCAFP conferences I have attended. Exceptional job to those who organized this event!”
Thanks to the work of Kathryn, Program Chair Dr. Katie Haga, and Program Vice Chair Dr. Amir Barzin, attendees of the meeting enjoyed four days of CME from top-notch guest faculty. Their subjects included Alzheimer’s diagnosis, comprehensive obesity care, non-opioid treatments for chronic pain, neuromuscular disorders, RSV prevention, pediatric care, menopause, bipolar disorder, and many others in both the mainstage lecture hall and in the hands-on workshop and seminar settings. The sessions included “How Policymakers Hope to Improve Healthcare in North Carolina,” where Sen. Julie Mayfield, Rep. Dr. Tim Reeder, Sen. Amy Galey, and Sen. Benton Sawrey joined a panel to discuss future legislative plans to support primary care in our state.
While many attended in person, the meeting also offered a virtual option, allowing more than 150 attendees from across the country to join online and enjoy all the meeting’s mainstage lectures. “The NCAFP virtual conference experience continues to excel in quality and ease of use,” said one attendee, “and surpasses that of other virtual conference experiences I've had."
These CME sessions gave attendees the applicable insights they need to constantly improve their patient care. “The topics that discussed real-life experiences and real-world prescribing were the best!” said one attendee.
“Every person attending likely found something of interest that could be applied to their practice,” said another attendee. “The topics were very pertinent to my work.”
“The lectures are great,” Dr. Tam Le told NCAFP staff. “They are always so helpful for us.”
However, while education was an important component of the weekend, attendees received more than clinical insights. They also enjoyed meaningful professional connections with colleagues from across the state and beyond. On Friday evening, the medical students and residents joined new physicians and NCAFP leadership at a social mixer to talk career advancement and residency choices over refreshments. And then on Saturday, dozens of attendees attended the Health Heroes Roundtables Networking Lunch and enjoyed discussing maternal health, primary care investment, solutions for administrative burden, and other key topics where the NCAFP is working to help family physicians overcome obstacles to their work. “This is one of the best events I attend,” Dr. Eric Chen told NCAFP staff. “I’d love to see even more of my colleagues register for it.”
The event schedule intentionally built in time for connection, including daily mid-morning breaks, the NCAFP Awards Lunch on Friday, and the Presidential Gala on Saturday evening. Beyond these planned gatherings, attendees naturally found time to connect: lingering in the lounge outside the lecture hall or settling into comfortable spots throughout the hotel to catch up and share conversation.
Several of the family physicians who received honors during the meeting noted that belonging was one of the best parts of the NCAFP. When Dr. Warren Newton received the NCAFP Distinguished Physician of the Year Award, he told the cheering crowd, “This is home. It’s good to come home. I have learned so much from all of you.”
Newly installed NCAFP President Dr. Benjamin “Frankie” Simmons also explained that his fellow family physicians have been invaluable throughout his career. “To my colleagues, thank you for being here tonight and walking this path with me,” Dr. Simmons said during his installation speech. “To the mentors and past NCAFP presidents who lifted me up, I stand on your shoulders tonight.”
Congratulations to the following members who took office during the installation ceremony which past American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) President Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize conducted during the Presidential Gala:
During his installation address, Dr. Simmons highlighted the joint mission that family physicians share. “Together, we must continue to be the trusted voice of health care in our state,” Dr. Simmons said. “As your president, I am committed to making sure the NCAFP continues to equip you with everything you need — to care for your patients, your communities, and yourselves.”
In addition to honoring Dr. Newton with the NCAFP Distinguished Family Physician of the Year Award, the NCAFP also recognized other members:
We were glad to host all our attendees, guest faculty, sponsors, and exhibitors throughout the event. We are grateful for your efforts and input, because the meeting couldn’t happen without your attendance.
“I am extremely proud of the quality of CME we delivered, and I am very grateful to everyone — from the attendees, the faculty, the vendors, and our Asheville friends — who helped make the weekend such a wonderful success,” says Kathryn. “I’m especially grateful to our Program Chairs, Dr. Katie Haga and Dr. Amir Barzin, for their thoughtful leadership and the care they put into shaping such a strong and rewarding educational experience.”
We’d like to thank the sponsors who supported the 2025 Winter Family Physicians Weekend and made it possible to host and teach so many attendees: Novant Health, Community Care of North Carolina, Healthy Blue NC, Curi, Novo Nordisk, Humana, WellCare of North Carolina, Alo/Avance Care, Carolina Complete Health, Molina Health, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Aetna Health, AmeriHealth Caritas of NC, Hopscotch Primary Care, NC-PAL, Millennium Healthcare, MDVIP, and NC Area Health Education Centers.
If you’d like to see some of the fun that the meeting provided, check out all our digital photo galleries from each day! You might just see some familiar faces:
And be sure to mark your calendars now for the 2026 Hybrid Winter Family Physicians Weekend in Asheville on Dec. 10-13. “I’m already looking forward to building on the momentum and welcoming everyone back again next year!” Kathryn says. “Whether you attend in person or online, make sure you look for registration information about the 2026 event this coming summer.”
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. (NCAFP) is a nonprofit professional association headquartered in Raleigh which represents over 4,300 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students across the state. It is the largest medical specialty association in North Carolina and is a constituent chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, based in Leadwood, KS.
