UAFP 2023 Congress of Delegate Elections
Ballots will be mailed to UAFP active and resident members on Monday, March 27 at 8:00am. Voting will remain open for two weeks and will close on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 5:00pm.
There are five candidates for one delegate and one alternate delegate. Please rank the candidates in order of your preference. The candidate with the highest vote tally will serve as delegate and the candidate with the second highest vote tally will serve as alternate delegate.
If you do not receive a ballot or have questions about the election, please contact us.
Meet the Candidates
Katharine Caldwell, MD, MPH
"I would like to learn more about the legislative process as it pertains to issues affecting family medicine providers and patients. I would like to serve my community by representing their interests and concerns."
About Dr. Caldwell:
Dr. Caldwell received her medical degree and MPH from the University of Arizona and completed her residency at Swedish Family Medicine in Colorado. To foster her interest in international health throughout her training, she spent time in Ecuador, Guatemala, Nepal, and Rwanda. Following a fellowship in high-risk obstetrics, she spent four years working at a community health center in Washington before settling in Utah. She is passionate about providing care to the entire family, prevention and management of chronic disease, medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, and teaching students. She enjoys serving as the Provider Team Leader at her clinic and as a member of the Jordan Valley Medical Executive Committee. Outside of work you can find her snowboarding, hiking, paddleboarding, cooking, and playing board games.
Nikki Clark, MD, FAAFP
"I have served in the UAFP in the past and loved my experience. I have been a past delegate and enjoyed being a part of the guiding body of the AAFP. Family Medicine in Utah is done quite well and we have lots of ideas to improve the care of not only our patients, but patients across the country. I would like to be a voice to represent our state on the national level."
About Dr. Clark:
Dr. Clark is originally from Vermont but has lived in UT since 1999 where she did her residency at Utah Valley FMR where she has been a full-time faculty member for 20+ years. She loves her job! She also continues to practice full spectrum family medicine but with an increasing emphasis on the aging population. Dr. Clark works with residents and medical students on a regular basis who keep her on her toes and challenge her daily. In her free time, she has two Australian Shepherds that she trains on the agility course.
Tricia Ferrin, DO
"I love family medicine because I get to treat patients of all ages and I love to take care of families and feel a part of their family. My goal is to preserve family medicine as an integral part of taking care of patients. I want to see our profession flourish instead of being a dying art because the pay is so low."
About Dr. Ferrin:
Dr. Ferrin is a family medicine provider at Tanner Clinic, Farmington Location. Currently, she is Chair of the Osteopathic Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing Board and has been on the board since 2019. She attended Kansas City University, College of Osteopathic Medicine and currently volunteers as a clinical outreach staff member at the University of Utah and Rocky Vista University Schools of Medicine; in addition, she is a preceptor for Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant students along with being a volunteer Girls Soccer Coach at Layton High.
Ray Morris, MD
"My many volunteer efforts have proved to be not only educational but also enjoyable. I would appreciate your consideration as a representative."
About Dr. Morris:
Dr. Morris has been directly involved in patient care in the military and his solo family practice for a total of 35 years. He is retired from patient treatment but still provide exams for multiple federal agencies. His office negotiated and signed insurance contracts directly with insurance agencies. This has provided him with insight into the consequences of insurance regulations and federal, state, and local requirements as it related to the practice of medicine. In addition, he has been involved with Olympic teams as a volunteer and as a race official along with some financial institutions where he reviews financial statements.
I. Samuel Sparks, DO
"I am desirous to become a delegate for the UAFP. I wish to become involved with conversations and policies that are affecting the demands of care in the clinics on a daily basis. Especially regarding practice trends and issues related to balancing stewardship (i.e. antibiotic, controlled substances, hormone therapies) vs public demands for such. We seem to be pitted against many boutique practices (with expectation to provide the same services) and the deluge of direct-to-consumer advertising leading to increased pharmaceutical consumption all the while feeling the pressure to reduce costs as more providers work in value-based organizations. I want to participate in creating further support, talking points and political actions to ease these burdens of physicians as well as empowering the family physician in their role of appropriate stewardship and ethics of practice. I am grateful for your consideration as delegate for the UAFP."
About Dr. Sparks:
Dr. Sparks is a native of Davis County, an alumnus of Layton High School and Weber State University. He attended medical school in Kirksville Missouri and completed family medicine residency with St. John’s Mercy in St. Louis.
In 2016, he was very excited to be able to return to his hometown and practice family medicine with Intermountain Health. With Intermountain, in addition to typical day to day practice duties, he has participated as a member in the following capacities: peer learning committee, Intermountain opioid initiative, Instacare liaison, diabetes care management committee. Dr. Sparks has a personal focus on substance use disorder and medication assisted therapy.
Starting in 2019, he became a Clinical Adjunct Professor with Rocky Vista University. He precepts 3rd year medical students during a 6-week core primary care core rotation. RVU has created a robust curriculum that not only creates broad spectrum and focus but also allows for consideration of the great social and behavioral aspects of medicine. They have received very positive feedback from graduating students regarding their experiences
In his personal life, Dr. Sparks is husband to a wonderful wife and father to three beautiful children. His heart is in the mountains and with his family. They are often exploring trails and are passionate about tenkara fly fishing on streams.
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