President

Dr. Kate de Klerk earned her medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. She made her way to Rhode Island for her Family Medicine Residency at Brown University, where she developed a deep appreciation for Rhode Island and the supportive Family Medicine community in the state. Since her graduation from residency she has been working at Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket, providing broad-scope outpatient primary care, and for several weeks a year she also serves as a community attending for the Family Medicine service at The Miriam Hospital.

Since her entry to the RIAFP Board, Dr. de Klerk has served as Chair of the Advocacy Committee, working to coordinate advocacy efforts on behalf of Family Medicine physicians in Rhode Island. Her passion for advocacy also led to her appointment to the AAFP Commission for Federal and State Policy, and election as Co-Convener of the LGBTQ+ constituency within the AAFP National Conference of Constituency Leaders and delegate for the member constituencies at the AAFP Congress of Delegate. In Spring 2024 she was elected President-Elect of the RIAFP and will step into the role of RIAFP President in 2026.

In her free time, Dr. de Klerk is an amateur woodworker, avid boardgame player, and musical theater enthusiast. She can also be found taking long walks through Providence with her infant daughter and wife.