The Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) is delighted to honor Shari Erickson, Chief Advocacy Officer and Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy at the American College of Physicians (ACP), as our latest Primary Care Champion. A longtime PCC leader, Erickson co-chairs both the Policy and Advocacy Committee and the Better Health – NOW Committee, helping advance efforts to strengthen and sustain primary care across the nation.
In the interview, Erickson reflected on the origins of her commitment to primary care, tracing it back to her early career at the Institute of Medicine, now known as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Her work there revealed that high-quality primary care is the essential foundation of a strong health system, helping guide her throughout her career.
This work is also personal. When selecting primary care clinicians for her family, Erickson sought clinicians who embraced the patient-centered medical home model, used electronic health records, and maintained strong communication with their patients.
She emphasized that access to strong, high-quality primary care is the cornerstone of a robust health system. Data consistently show that patients with regular access to primary care experience better health outcomes, greater patient satisfaction, and lower overall costs.
Discussing today’s challenges, Erickson emphasized the growing strain on primary care from workforce shortages, insufficient clinician reimbursement, mounting administrative burdens and more. She also outlined her concern for immigration policy changes that have made it harder for international medical graduates to practice in the United States. Importantly, these physicians often serve in rural and underserved areas. Shari noted that addressing these challenges requires coordinated advocacy across all parts of the health system, a goal the PCC has worked toward.
Erickson also underscored the importance of policy reforms that expand access to health coverage, improve payment models, and strengthen the clinician pipeline. She warned that recent Medicaid reductions and the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits could limit patients’ ability to maintain consistent access to care, particularly for vulnerable populations.
At the state level, she pointed to Rhode Island as an example of how policymakers and insurance commissioners can work together to increase investment in primary care. She also called on state leaders to address issues including automatic downcoding and burdensome prior authorization practices that undermine the immense value of primary care.
When asked what single change she would make to the U.S. health care system, Erickson highlighted universal access to health insurance coverage. Patients without coverage lose the opportunity to build meaningful and lasting relationships with their primary care clinicians, showcasing just how important this access truly is for millions of Americans.