SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP)
has recognized Moazzum Bajwa, MD as the 2024 Family Physician of
the Year. CAFP presents this award to an individual who exhibits
the finest qualities of family physicians, and who goes above and
beyond in service to patients, community, and colleagues. Dr. Bajwa
was presented with the prestigious award at CAFP's POP: Prism of
Practice, the annual clinical conference and largest family
medicine conference in California.
"If you were to look at Dr. Bajwa's CV, you would be impressed.
But if you have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Bajwa, you know how
he lives and breathes family medicine. If you have had the
opportunity to spend any amount of time with him, you have felt the
sincerity and kindness he offers to every conversation. Dr. Bajwa
is a leader and patient advocate at all levels," said CAFP
President Dr. Alex McDonald.
During the past year, Dr. Bajwa has continued his work shaping
the next generation of family physicians. His influence includes
being co-director for the Longitudinal Ambulatory Care Experience
curriculum at University of California
Riverside School of Medicine (UCR SOM). As well as leading
the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Promotion (HELP) program. Under
his leadership these programs have educated students and provided a
sense of accomplishment and belonging.
Dr. Bajwa brings his personal and professional experiences to
his work, being values-driven in all he does. He is the physician
lead for UCR Street Medicine and one of the primary physicians at
Hulen Place, a clinic that serves the unhoused population in and
around downtown Riverside.
Nate McLaughlin, Program Director,
RUHS/UCR Family Medicine Residency, said of Dr. Bajwa, "Dr. Bajwa
is a dynamic physician and person who motivates everyone with whom
he comes in contact. He shows those around him what is possible.
His natural gift for networking and lifting up those around him
benefits our residency and the health of our community in
meaningful ways."
Dr. McLaughlin continued, "Dr. Bajwa is so powerful because all
his ventures are to benefit the end recipient and never himself. He
visits his patients when they are discharged from the hospital and
attends funerals to grieve with the family. He values all people in
a substantial way that is very much felt by all those who interact
with him. He serves as a model of what can be done with passion,
dedication and true purpose."
CAFP presents the Family Physician of the Year annually at the
POP: Prism of Practice clinical conference. The 2025 award
nomination process will open in January
2025 and the recipient will be recognized at the 2025 POP
event, September 5-7, at Paradise
Point Resort and Spa in San Diego,
CA.
About Moazzum Bajwa, MD:
Dr. Bajwa is a family physician who cares for patient
communities at RUHS Moreno Valley Community Health Center and the
UCR Community Clinic at Hulen Place. He is an associate professor
in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California Riverside (UCR) and
director of Community Health & Social Medicine at Riverside
University Health System (RUHS/UCR) Family Medicine Residency
Program.
Dr. Bajwa is President-Elect of the Executive Board for the
Riverside-San Bernardino Chapter of the California Academy of
Family Physicians. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the
American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (AAFPF), working
as faculty with the AAFPF Emerging Leaders Institute and Family
Medicine Cares International programs.
Dr. Bajwa earned degrees in public health from the Gillings
School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina and from the College
of Population Health at Thomas Jefferson
University. After traveling to the beautiful island nation
of Dominica to attend medical
school and falling in love with family medicine, Dr. Bajwa
completed his residency in family medicine at RUHS/UCR Family
Medicine Residency Program in Moreno
Valley.
About the California Academy of Family Physicians:
With more than 10,000 members, including active practicing
family physicians, residents in family medicine, and medical
students interested in the specialty, CAFP is the largest primary
care medical society in California. Family physicians are trained to
treat an entire family's medical needs and address life's medical
challenges. FPs serve a broad base of patients in urban, suburban
and rural areas, often in California's most underserved areas.
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SOURCE California Academy of Family Physicians