Alex McDonald, MD of Riverside County Takes Office as President, California Academy of Family Physicians

Dr. McDonald brings a commitment to raising the profile of family medicine as he leads the medical specialty society in 2024-25

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alex McDonald, MD, CAQSM, FAAFP, a family physician who practices in San Bernardino County, begins a one-year term as president of the more than 10,000-member California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP). In this role, Dr. McDonald will champion the importance of primary and preventive care in keeping Californians healthier and shaping the future of the state's health care system. Raising the profile of family medicine is a primary area of focus for Dr. McDonald.

As CAFP president, Dr. McDonald will help set the Academy's health policy priorities; work with colleagues, educators, lawmakers, and others to advocate for system transformation; address racism and health inequity; and help to raise awareness of the important work of family physicians.

"With our broad training in providing primary care regardless of age, gender or medical condition, family physicians are the foundation of a well-functioning health care system. As President of CAFP, I am excited to help policymakers and health care leaders better understand the importance of family medicine in improving the health of our patients and communities." Dr. McDonald said.

Dr. McDonald is a Family Medicine and Sports Medicine specialist, educator, and thought leader in the fields of Physical Activity, Lifestyle Medicine, Preventative Medicine, and Health Policy. He is a partner physician at the Southern California Permanente Medical Group in Fontana, where he is a core faculty member and clinical professor at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, family medicine residency and sports medicine fellowship.

Dr. McDonald is an elected member of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education. He serves as immediate past president of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Commission on Membership and Membership Services and as a delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates. He is a trustee of the California Medical Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the San Bernardino County Medical Society. Dr. McDonald holds a BA from Connecticut College and a Medical Degree from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. He completed his medical internship at Duke University, and his Family Medicine residency and Sports Medicine fellowship at Southern California Kaiser Permanente Fontana, CA.

About the California Academy of Family Physicians: With more than 10,000 members, including active practicing family physicians, residents in family medicine, and medical students interested in the specialty, CAFP is the largest primary care medical society in California. Family physicians are trained to treat an entire family's medical needs, addressing the whole spectrum of life's medical challenges. Family physicians serve a broad base of patients in urban, suburban, and rural areas, often in California's most underserved areas.

SOURCE California Academy of Family Physicians