Leading Physician Groups: Patients in Minnesota Deserve Access to Health Care
The statement below is issued by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Physicians.
January 27, 2026—“Health care settings must remain safe spaces where patients can seek care without fear and clinicians can provide confidential care without interference. The ongoing crisis in Minnesota and other communities across the U.S. is directly harming patients and families, compromising their health, stripping them of dignity and creating dangerous barriers to essential care. Frontline physicians and health care workers are facing unprecedented strain—experiencing fear for their patients and themselves—affecting their own well-being and the health of the communities that depend on them. These consequences undermine the very foundations our health care system was built upon: unfettered access to safe, high-quality care for everyone.”
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About the American Academy of Family Physicians The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.
About the American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. aap.org
About the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) is the leading professional membership organization for ob-gyns. For nearly 75 years, ACOG has set the standard for ob-gyn care and advocated for policies that advance the field and empower ob-gyns to provide patients with the care they need. With more than 62,000 members, ACOG equips clinicians with expert-reviewed clinical guidance, practice management tools, career development resources, and lifelong professional education, and creates trusted, accessible information for patients. ACOG champions ob-gyns in providing equitable, evidence-based care for patients today and into the future. Learn more about ACOG at acog.org.
About the American College of Physicians The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 162,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our new RSS feed.