Vincent Winkler-Prins, MD, FAAFP

Vincent Winkler-Prins, MD, FAAFP, joined the MAFP Board of Directors in August 2023, serving as a director. 

Dr. Winkler-Prins brings with him nearly 30 years of family medicine practice and medical education experience. He earned his medical degree at the University of Michigan Medical School and completed his residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency in 1989. 

He has worked in Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., the Netherlands, and Brazil. In 2022 he opened Table Health- Petoskey, a Direct Primary Care medical practice that primarily serves the rural working poor. 

Throughout his career he has navigated the evolving landscape of family medicine, from the enthusiasm and possibilities of the late '80s and '90s to surviving the era of HMOs and gatekeeper medicine. 

His contributions have been recognized through various awards and honors, including membership in the Georgetown University Second Stewards Society. He received the Georgetown University School of Medicine Golden Apple Award twice and received the Georgetown University/Providence Family Medicine residency teaching award multiple times.

In addition to his educational roles, Dr. Winkler-Prins has demonstrated his commitment to public health by serving as assistant vice president for health services and chief public health officer at Georgetown University. During the COVID-19 pandemic he volunteered with the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps, contributing to testing and vaccinating efforts. He also served on the Board of Directors and as an advisor/mentor for the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.

Dr. Winkler-Prins was born in Canada and raised in Michigan, and said he loves spending time outdoors, everything on two wheels, and that he finds inspiration in his two sons and his wife. His favorite things about Petoskey are the people, the bay, the air, and its opportunities for exploration.

Throughout his journey Dr. Winkler-Prins has maintained his clinical practice, reinforcing his dedication to patient care and improving the healthcare system. He said he is eager to contribute his expertise and perspective to the MAFP Board of Directors. 

"What I have learned is that while I have not yet been able to change the system in ways I most wanted, I can help," he said. "I can develop relationships. I can mentor. I can plant seeds. I can nurture and I can continue to work towards having family medicine strive to be its best self, to always have both the patient and those serving them the center of the work."