West Virginia Family Physician Nominated to National Leadership Role with AAFP
Hurricane, WV — April 7, 2025 — Dr. Tracy Hendershot, a longtime rural health advocate and board-certified family physician based in Elizabeth, West Virginia, has been nominated to run for the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The nomination was recently announced by the AAFP as part of its 2025 national election cycle.
The AAFP, which represents nearly 130,000 family physicians, residents, and medical students across the United States, will elect new members to its Board of Directors at the 2025 Congress of Delegates. This annual policymaking meeting, which brings together chapter representatives from across the country, will be held in the fall in Anaheim, California.
Dr. Hendershot currently serves as a practicing family physician with WVU Medicine in Mineral Wells, WV. Over his career, he has built a reputation as a leader in rural primary care and health policy, holding multiple influential roles at both the state and national levels. His leadership experience includes serving on the AAFP Commission on Finance and Insurance, the FamMed PAC Advisory Board, and as Legislative Chair of the West Virginia Academy of Family Physicians (WVAFP). He also represents West Virginia as a Delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and is a Past President of the WVAFP.
A native of Appalachia, Dr. Hendershot earned his medical degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, where he also served as the school’s first Paul Ambrose Health Policy Fellow. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and has received numerous awards for his clinical excellence, teaching, and leadership, including recognition for his work in opioid stewardship, workforce sustainability, and long-term care innovation.
“It’s an honor to be considered for this role,” said Dr. Hendershot. “Our rural and community-based physicians face unique challenges, and I’m committed to making sure their voices are heard on the national stage.” His nomination highlights the importance of rural representation in national health leadership and underscores West Virginia’s ongoing contributions to primary care excellence across the country.
To learn more about the 2025 AAFP Board candidates, visit: https://www.aafp.org/news/inside-aafp/2025-candidates.html.
