Message from Chair
Akira Matsushita M.D.
Congress Chair
(Director of Nagi Family Clinic, Family Practice Center of Okayama)
My name is Akira Matsushita. It is an honor to be named as chair for the 5th Annual Meeting of the Japan Primary Care Association. In daily life, I provide primary care in a small town called Nagi-cho in northern Okayama.
The 2014 Annual Meeting in Okayama will be the Association's fifth meeting since its merger in 2010. The theme of the Meeting is "The Power of Families and Local Communities: Searching for the Future of Primary Care."
This theme was selected as a first step in exploring the future state of primary care and from a desire to stimulate the power of families and local communities that have been lost in the wake of changes in today's our society.
Support from family and local communities is important at any age in order to lead the life you want, in a place that has been home for many years.
It is my hope that, at this Meeting, we can identify a new format for primary care that is focused on family-oriented care and multi-disciplinary, inter-regional cooperation, and that can support the future of our society.
The power of families and local communities in Japan are world-class. I believe that a primary care team made up of physicians, families and local communities can accomplish what health care professionals are unable to accomplish on their own.
It is my hope that this Annual Meeting in Okayama will offer opportunities for diverse encounters and new discoveries.
We look forward to your visit to our fine country, Okayama.