Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, Takes Office as AAFP President, Emphasizes Community-Centered Care

ANAHEIM, Calif., Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) welcomed today Sarah C. Nosal, MD, FAAFP, as its new president. Nosal, a family physician in Bronx, New York, brings nearly two decades experience serving diverse and under-resourced communities, as well as state and national advocacy and leadership. The AAFP represents 128,300 family physicians, residents and medical students nationwide.

"Community has always been at the heart of family medicine. Our patients do not just come to us in exam rooms, they are our neighbors, our children's teachers, the people we see in the grocery store," said Nosal. "That connection is what makes family medicine so powerful. We meet people where they are, understand their lives and walk alongside them in their health journey."

Nosal is vice president for Innovation & Optimization and chief medical information officer at The Institute for Family Health, a network of federally qualified health centers spanning the Mid-Hudson, Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

She has played a pivotal role in advancing telehealth, vaccination efforts and health IT infrastructure, with a focus on equitable information access and quality care. Nosal also serves as assistant professor at the Mount Sinai Department of Family Medicine & Community Health and has contributed to free clinics for uninsured and marginalized patients.

A longtime leader in family medicine, Nosal has held key positions with the AAFP and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, as well as leadership roles with the Medical Society of the State of New York.

"As a resident, I attended my first national AAFP governance meeting and saw firsthand how individuals could truly shape family medicine and the way we work with patients," Nosal said. "From that moment, I knew that helping lead positive change in the AAFP, in family medicine and in the broader health care environment was where I needed to be. Serving as AAFP president is a continuation of that, and it's an honor."

Nosal earned her bachelor's degrees in biology and psychology from Bryn Mawr College and her medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She completed her residency in Urban Family Practice at Beth Israel Medical Center & Institute for Family Health.

Nosal is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and has earned the AAFP Degree of Fellow for distinguished service and ongoing medical education.

About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's patient education website, familydoctor.org.

SOURCE American Academy of Family Physicians