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For the annual State of the Department Address, Chair Myra Muramoto, MD, MPH, FAAFP, delivered a powerful message centered around resilience, creativity, and determination—three words that have defined the CU Anschutz Department of Family Medicine’s (DFM) journey through challenge and change.
Dr. Muramoto began with a personal reflection, acknowledging the absence of last year’s Address due to her breast cancer diagnosis—a difficult chapter that reinforced her belief in the value of Family Medicine and the meaningful work happening throughout the Department.
Her personal health journey gave her cause to reflect on the Department’s core purpose of why we exist as a clinical enterprise: “It’s about the patients. The Department of Family Medicine exists because we provide care to patients. We teach clinicians to care for patients. We do research to improve outcomes for patients. And we engage with communities to improve health for patients.” Dr. Muramoto emphasized that every DFM team member—from clinicians to administrative staff—plays a vital role in fulfilling this purpose.
Progress Powered by Innovation and Change
Dr. Muramoto pointed out that this year the Department faced new and difficult changes due to changing federal policies and funding shifts. Despite these obstacles, the Department pressed forward by focusing on our mission, uplifting one another, and buckling down to reach our goals. In this spirit, Dr. Muramoto recognized DFM colleagues and their achievements in her address.
Clinical Innovation and Expansion
The DFM continued to lead in clinical innovations with the summer launch of the Whole Person Pain Service and the opening of the Centerfield Innovation Practice. Expansion efforts also included integrating Behavioral Health into new sites, such as the Aurora Wellness Community Health Center (AWCHC), which underwent a physical expansion in May 2025—just over a year after its initial opening.
Our clinical practice closed gaps in clinical hours and thereby expanded patient access to care, resulting in over 2,000 additional patient appointments, making it possible for our patients to get the care they need. The DFM also made significant strides in advancing health equity—particularly by improving diabetic and blood pressure control among underserved populations. The Department's clinics and physicians were also recognized for their excellence: 31 providers were named among Colorado’s Top Docs, and A.F. Williams received the Colorado Academy of Family Practice Health Equity Practice Award.
Research Achievements Amid Funding Challenges
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Dr. Muramoto quoted Einstein, and added, “There’s new opportunities happening right now from DFM research strengths.”
Despite facing the toughest research funding climate we have ever seen, DFM researchers submitted nearly $100 million in proposals, achieved a 30%+ success rate, received 72 active grants/contracts totaling $16.1M, 36 accepted NAPCRG 2025 presentations, and 226 peer-reviewed publications produced. All these wins in addition to multiple researchers being recognized for their hard work through major awards and grants—some even received Career & First Grants, marking the first time they’ve been awarded grants in their careers.
Education Excellence and Recognition
This year, the Department celebrated the graduation of 39 clinicians—24 residents and 15 fellows—while also securing three federal grants in addiction medicine, behavioral health, and occupational/environmental medicine.
Dr. Muramoto highlighted the nationally recognized educators for their excellence and leadership this year, “The school of medicine recognizes what amazing teachers we are. And what great clinical training programs we have. We had 20 new inductees into the [School of Medicine] Academy of Medical Education. We are now the department that has the second highest percentage of faculty recognized as master educators.”
Departmental Engagement
In the face of a very difficult year with many external challenges, the Department adapted the formerly referred to DEI mission area to a new name and strategic focus. Now called Departmental Engagement— future efforts will emphasize internal engagement of our people, building our DFM community, connections, and mutual support through a range of activities such as retreats, healing circles, and employee well-being work. Although the name of this mission area has changed and the focus shifted to our own people, the DFM commitment to inclusivity remains the same.
DFM Advancement
This year, the Department received major gifts totaling $2.5 million for the DFM endowment and rural programs and education, while also building alumni engagement and preparing for annual giving campaigns to sustain and grow our mission moving forward.
Sustaining Our Mission Through Strategy and Stewardship
Building on a quote by Jimmy Dean, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination”, Dr. Muramoto spoke candidly about the significant financial challenges facing DFM, asking everyone to lean in to meet these challenges together with resilience, creativity and determination. “The winds have changed direction, and they’re not going to change back. So, the challenge is before us: how do we adapt and find new and different ways to still accomplish the heart of our mission? Together, we can adjust our sails and still reach our destination.”
Over the last several years, and especially in recent months, the Department has navigated major shifts in funding and resource allocation. In response to concerns and uncertainty, DFM leadership has committed to transparency about our difficult financial picture and prioritized responsible stewardship and long-term financial planning to ensure DFM's stability, sustainability, and readiness for the future.
At the same time, we still have made progress in our top ten strategic priorities—including promoting well-being, supportive and equitable infrastructure, clinical innovation, advancing research and education, and enhancing patient care and community engagement. One key initiative to improve research infrastructure is the launch of CAMPHIRE (Colorado Ambulatory Partnership for Health Innovation and Research Excellence), designed to foster research and innovation in ambulatory care. Other institutional stakeholders are already taking notice and approaching CAMPHIRE about collaborating on projects.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Muramoto concluded her Address by encouraging those present to embrace change and unfamiliar paths, “Sometimes those [unfamiliar paths] lead to the best places. And I believe that’s true. The challenges we have in front of us… yeah, it’s tough. I’m not gonna sugarcoat that. But with those challenges we also have a lot of bright opportunities ahead.”
Her closing message was one of hope and action: embrace change, have the courage to choose unfamiliar paths, lean in and support each other to continue our Department’s mission to heal, teach, discover, and connect. Together.
