L to R: Corey Lyon, DO; Kari Mader, MD; Kaitlyn Strutt; Heather Bleacher, MD; Joe Adragna, MD; Cleveland Piggott MD, MPH, and his wife Susie Piggott, MD. Gather at the 2025 CAFP Foundation Annual Summit.
On April 5, the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) held their 2025 CAFP Foundation Annual Summit, during which the A. F. Williams Family Medicine Clinic was honored with the Practice Award for Health Equity and Community Engagement. The clinic will also be featured in Colorado FP magazine!
As the only organization dedicated solely to family physicians in the state of Colorado, the CAFP Foundation is a nonprofit organization aimed at improving the health of Colorado communities and providing Family Physicians and their communities with education, resources, and research to advance the practice. It’s an honor to be recognized by this esteemed Foundation.
The Practice Award for Health Equity and Community Engagement recognizes family medicine practices that are making significant strides in reducing racial and other health disparities, ensuring all patients have access to high-quality, equitable care.
Heather Bleacher, MD, Family Physician at A. F. Williams and Associate Professor of the University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine, gave some insight on this award and how it reflects the collective team effort of the many talented and hard-working individuals focused on the initiative to improve diabetes care.
Dr. Bleacher calls out the efforts of the committee members who include physicians (Allison Costello, Emily Lines, Don Nease), the clinic leadership team (Maddie Adames, Kaitlyn Strutt, Sara Huntington), psychologists (Sarah Beckmann, Jeremy Stevenson), pharmacists (Ben Hill), and other members instrumental to the work (Erica Chan, Sol Cotto-Llinas, Sheryl Harrington, and Vanessa Owen).
Dr. Bleacher says this award means a great deal to her and her colleagues.
“I know that everyone feels very proud to receive the award. No one is a part of this team for the recognition, but it still feels nice to receive it. For me, personally, I feel thankful to be a part of the Colorado Family Medicine community. The fact that the CAFP includes health equity work in the handful of awards they give each year speaks volumes about their values and priorities. I’m grateful for the work I get to do and the people I get to collaborate with.”
The CAFP recognized the A. F. Williams Family Medicine Clinic (AFW) as a leader in equitable and community-centered health care in Denver. Highlighting their effort to reduce disparities in diabetes care among Hispanic patients through initiatives such as the AFW Health Equity Action Team (HEAT), which conducts listening sessions with Hispanic patients living with diabetes. This allows them to gather crucial insights into their experiences and learn more about barriers to effective disease management.
A.F. Williams’s focus on the social determinants of health caught the attention of the CAFP. The efforts of the clinic ensure that patients facing systemic barriers receive the care they need. Some areas they focus on include accessibility to gender affirming care, managing alcohol and opioid disorders, and disability accessibility in health care.
When asked how this award has inspired the clinic team, Dr. Bleacher explained that it fuels their dedication to the community while feeling reassured in overwhelming times.
“This award helps remind our team that there are so many people out there still working hard to ensure that [equity and diversity] do not become dirty words. It reassures us that we are not alone as we continue working to ensure that all of our patients can benefit from our innovation and quality–not just those with the most privilege, power, and resources.”
Dr. Bleacher explains that not only does the clinic work hard but they also know how to have fun.
“We meet monthly as a team, and every month I am struck by how dedicated and engaged our team is. Everyone on our team is a volunteer, but they keep showing up because it matters to them. We also know how to keep things fun, which helps. Below are photos of Sol Cotto-Llinas (one of our MA’s), Mimi Lindrooth, and Jeremy Stevenson helping us with some of our promotional materials for the project.”
Congratulations to Dr. Bleacher and the entire team at the A.F. Williams Family Medicine Clinic!
Pictured: Sol Cotto-Llinas, Mimi Lindrooth, MD, and Jeremy Stevenson, PsyD. Photo provided by Dr. Bleacher.
Cover photo provided by from Emily Bishop.
