IFM | Mental Health Month: Behavioral Health Integration
Release Date: 05/14/2026
IFM | Mental Health Month: Behavioral Health Integration
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, Shannon Connolly, MD, FAAFP, associate medical director at the Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, discusses family physicians’ crucial role as the first and sometimes only point of contact for mental health care, especially in underserved settings. She explains how psychosocial and behavioral factors underlie many primary care challenges such as complex pain, substance use disorders and uncontrolled chronic...
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IFM | Innovative Diagnostic Tools and Workflows for Suspected Alzheimer’s in Primary Care
Inside Family Medicine
In this special edition of Inside Family Medicine, sponsored by Roche Diagnostics, host Darren Sextro talks with brain health experts Deanna Willis, MD, MBA, a board-certified family physician, and Jared Brosch, MD, board-certified neurologist, on the use of blood-based biomarkers (BBBMs) in primary care settings for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Their discussion explores how BBBMs can make referrals more efficient and enhance the evaluation of patients with cognitive decline. The conversation highlights the value of early diagnosis...
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CME | Private Practice, Public Impact: Finding Your Fit in Modern Medicine
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of CME On the Go, Jason Marker, MD, MPA, FAAFP and Lauren Brown-Berchtold, MD, FAAFP, discuss how private practice in family medicine is evolving and how physicians can evaluate different models in 2026. They review trends showing a shift from 50/50 self-owned vs. other-owned practices in 2016 to about 75% other-owned and 25% private practice today, note rural workforce losses, and highlight rapid growth in direct primary care (DPC) and concierge models, alongside increasing corporate ownership. They compare employed practice vs....
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FFFM | April 2026 Advocacy Rounds
Inside Family Medicine
David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, recaps the AAFP’s April 2026 advocacy efforts. AAFP led a coalition letter urging the Departments of Homeland Security and State to speed visa and immigration processing for international medical graduates, citing delays with J-1 waivers, H-1B extensions, and green cards that disrupt care in rural and underserved areas. AAFP warned the Department of Education that a proposed Workforce Pell rule could exclude physicians with graduate degrees from short-term training support, worsening...
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CME | A Crash Course in Thyroid Confusion
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of CME On the GO, the hosts discuss a practical approach to hypothyroidism, using a case of a 50-year-old woman with nonspecific symptoms (weight gain, fatigue, edema, constipation). They emphasize thorough history and physical exam, then outline key thyroid testing: TSH as the initial screening test (often with reflex free T4), free T4 for confirmation and special situations (including pregnancy), and limited uses for T3 tests. They review antibody testing (TPO for Hashimoto’s, thyroglobulin antibodies in select cases) and note tests...
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FFFM | Lawmaker Spotlight: Physician Voices Shaping Health Policy
Inside Family Medicine
David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, speaks with U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy, MD, a family physician and former Utah state legislator, about why he chose family medicine, how having more clinicians in public office can lead to bipartisan physician collaboration on health care policy and the need for greater professional autonomy. We also hear from U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, MD, a pulmonary/critical care physician and former Oregon state legislator who...
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IFM | Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell: Delivering Maternal Health Care and Equity
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD, MS, discusses maternal health care and the role of family physicians in providing consistent care from preconception through pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. Curry-Winchell shares why she chose family medicine and her nontraditional path from a Certified Nursing Assistant to Physicians Assistant to physician, including the risks she took to attend medical school. She describes her own near-fatal postpartum complication following a cesarean section and emphasizes the importance of...
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IFM | From Clinic to Community: Advancing Health Equity in Rural Settings
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, host Emily Holwick speaks with Calin Kirk, MD, family physician at the Cherokee Nation’s Sam Hider Health Center in Jay, Oklahoma, and Sarah Gerrish, MD, full-spectrum family physician and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, to discuss advancing health equity in rural and tribal communities. They share why family medicine’s broad scope of practice and continuity of care matter, and outline barriers like distance,...
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CME | Twisted Truths: What You Didn't Learn About Sickle Cell
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of CME On the Go, the hosts discuss sickle cell disease (SCD) and the role of family medicine in recognizing, screening, and preventing complications. They review SCD as an autosomal recessive hemoglobin disorder distinct from sickle cell trait and highlight major complications such as anemia, infection risk, pain crises, and acute chest syndrome. The episode emphasizes global prevalence, newborn screening (and potential gaps), and risk beyond African ancestry. It also covers hemoglobin electrophoresis patterns, preventive care including penicillin prophylaxis and...
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IFM | Enhancing Knowledge About mRNA Vaccines
Inside Family Medicine
In this episode of Inside Family Medicine, host Michael Monroe speaks with AAFP Vaccine Science fellows Anne Schneider, DO, FAAFP, and Mina Saleem Khan, MD, FAAFP, about why mRNA vaccines matter and how family physicians can address patient questions and misinformation. They explain mRNA basics, review COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy, address common myths, and share practical communication strategies—such as empathetic counseling, presumptive recommendations, and team-based systems—to reduce missed vaccination opportunities. Topics by...
info_outlineIn this episode of Inside Family Medicine, Shannon Connolly, MD, FAAFP, associate medical director at the Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, discusses family physicians’ crucial role as the first and sometimes only point of contact for mental health care, especially in underserved settings. She explains how psychosocial and behavioral factors underlie many primary care challenges such as complex pain, substance use disorders and uncontrolled chronic disease. Connolly shares a patient story illustrating how integrated support (therapy, social work and appropriate medications) improved both mental health and diabetes outcomes. She outlines behavioral health integration models, including physician-delivered care, co-located primary care behavioral health and the registry-driven collaborative care model, highlighting benefits for patient outcomes and physician workload. The conversation also addresses access barriers, telehealth as a scaling strategy and the importance of destigmatizing physicians seeking mental healthcare to combat burnout, depression and anxiety.
Topics By Timestamp
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:00 Why Family Medicine
01:38 Path to Behavioral Health
02:51 Family Docs as First Line
03:52 Patient Story Real Impact
06:47 What Is Behavioral Integration
07:05 Models Collaborative Care
08:46 Benefits for Patients and Docs
10:32 Access for Underserved Patients
12:12 Overcoming Implementation Barriers
13:52 Physician Mental Health Matters
16:38 Resources and Closing
Additional Resources
CME collection: Mental Health and Behavior | AAFP CME
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