Tracey Conti, an MD and a 16-year veteran of the UPMC McKeesport Family Medicine Residency, has been named chair of the Department of Family Medicine for the School of Medicine. As chair, Conti will also ensure equitable, high-quality care for the more than 50,000 patients who visit UPMC family medicine facilities.

“Family medicine is rooted in primary care,” says Conti, “but the key elements are providing continuity and comprehensive care for individuals and their families across the spectrum. It’s really about caring for patients in their entirety.”

For example, she says, “We know that Black patients are seeking primary care from the emergency room more than they are from primary care doctors. We need to meet our community members where they are.”

“Dr. Conti will bring a passion for whole-patient centered care to her new role within Pitt health sciences that will enhance our training for the next generation of family medicine leaders,” says Anantha Shekhar, an MD, PhD, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine. “I look forward to seeing collaborations across Pitt and UPMC develop under her leadership.”

A Pittsburgh native, Conti earned her medical degree from Temple University. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Maryland and joined the Pitt faculty in 2001. She is board chair and past president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.

Family medicine and primary care physicians can be difficult to find and retain. As chair, Conti hopes to grow the number of primary care physicians by creating a centralized home for residency programs that can expose students to the breadth of care this specialty provides.

Conti also hopes to continually improve quality of care by establishing a practice-based research network to share clinical expertise and experiences.  —Staff reports