UConn Health’s Dr. Rebecca Andrews Takes on New National Role – UConn Today – University of Connecticut

UConn Healths Dr. Rebecca Andrews continues her national leadership roles with the American College of Physicians, now as chair-elect of its board of regents.

Representing internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students, the ACP is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the U.S.

I am thrilled that I have been elected into the position of chair of the board of regents, Andrews says. This role guides development of organizational policy that is utilized to advocate for improvements, changes, and important issues that face our patients as well as internal medicine physicians across the country and the world.

Andrews is a professor of medicine in the UConn School of Medicine and serves as the UConn Internal Medicine Residency Programs associate program director as well as its director of ambulatory education. She is a primary care physician, director of primary care, and clinical lead for UConn Healths Patient Centered Medical Home and Comprehensive Pain Center.

The basis of every industrialized country with superb health outcomes and life expectancy is robust primary care, Andrews says. Given this is my area of passion and practice, I feel particularly positioned to be a voice for the American College of Physicians, who have been tireless in improving care quality, access and delivery for our patients with such initiatives as patients before paperwork advocating for what we all want the opportunity to provide excellent care for patients in a less burdensome system.

The board of regents is the ACPs main policy-making body. Andrews installation as chair-elect took place at the ACPs annual meeting in Boston Saturday. She starts her term as board chair next year. In that capacity her responsibilities will include overseeing policy creation, presiding over committee meetings including the boards executive committee, and maintaining fiduciary goals.

Andrews is a 2002 graduate of the UConn School of Medicine and a 2006 graduate of the internal medicine residency program that today she helps direct. Her connection with the ACP goes back more than 20 years, when she first became involved as a medical student. She later would join the ACPs early physician council. In 2010, a year after she returned to UConn Health as faculty physician, she was elected a Fellow of the College (FACP), an honorary designation that recognizes ongoing individual service and contributions to practice of medicine. She since has served on several national committees and in several leadership roles on the ACPs Connecticut chapter.

Especially now, as life expectancy has decreased for Americans for the first time in decades, righting the direction of health care is especially important, Andrews says.

Andrews joined the ACPs board of regents two years ago following a four-year term as the governor of the Connecticut chapter and a one-year term chairing the ACPs board of governors. The chair of the board of regents and the president are the ACPs two highest-level officers. The chair may act on behalf of the president when the president is unavailable.

The American College of Physicians has more than 160,000 members which include internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students representing nearly 150 countries.

Andrews also is a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a community of more than 45,000 medical students, physicians, and other leaders whove been recognized for their compassionate care.