Annals of Family Medicine
July 2025
Cleveland Piggott, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Vice Chair for Departmental Engagement, is a co-author of a recently published article in the Annals of Family Medicine entitled "Everything Old is New Again." The article follows-up on a discussion about leading in uncertain times that occurred during the 2025 Association of Departments of Family Medicine (ADFM) conference.
Dr. Piggott shared: "We took some of the lessons from a national panel I was part of and put them into this publication. We talk about strategies and leadership tips we can do to 'pivot' while doing the best we can to care for our diverse patients and communities across the US (and each other)."
From the article:
"Between executive orders and state laws on gender-affirming care, abortion, and diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), the last few years have been very challenging. No matter where we stand on the political spectrum, all can agree that academic leaders are in a more precarious situation than ever before, and there have been continued legislative actions affecting the patient-doctor relationship. At the 2025 ADFM Annual Conference in Nashville, a group of departmental and institutional leaders teamed up to share strategies for addressing challenges in this new environment. They presented 4 cases adapted from real situations from blue and red states.
Conference participants were then given time in small groups to consider how they would respond, specifically focusing on communication and the way that faculty and staff affected by these laws could be best supported, before panelists shared how the cases were resolved or handled in their original setting.
This conference session brought ADFM members together around common issues departments are facing, with an emphasis on action required of leadership regardless of politics. It was very well received, and participants walked away with new potential solutions to challenges caused by political interventions impacting their work. ADFM plans to hold a similar session again next year."