Lesser Recognized as ‘Champion of Family Medicine’

State Sen. Eric Lesser was recently recognized by the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians as its 2022 Legislative Champion of Family Medicine.

The award was presented as a part of its 2022 Family Medicine Advocacy Day in recognition of Lesser’s leadership on health care policy, appreciation for the role of family medicine in the overall health care delivery system, and effectiveness in the legislative and policy-making arenas. The group also stressed Lesser’s commitment to family medicine through his sponsorship of the workforce development bill and his inclusive approach to public policy.

“We owe a debt of gratitude to our frontline community doctors, who, despite how central family medicine is, face growing challenges on a systemic level with insurance reimbursement, provider availability, and burnout from two years of the COVID-19 pandemic,”said Lesser.“As the son of a family doctor, I understand and am committed to addressing the challenges that our doctors face in our backyards, especially as it intersects with social justice.”

Lesser helped establish the UMass Medical Center family practice residency program at Baystate Health, voted to address the rapidly increasing cost of prescription drugs in February, and currently leads efforts on legislation to improve access to family physicians.

Family medicine physicians provide comprehensive prenatal care, deliver babies, care for children and adolescents, provide men’s, women’s, and senior health care. They are trained in all areas of medicine to treat the whole person. Family practice doctors are often the first to respond to medical issues in the communities that they practice and are an essential component of our frontline healthcare system.