Dr. Elizabeth "Libby" Abbas

10/08/2025

A little behind-the-scenes look at filming our recruitment video for the MaineHealth Franklin Rural Family Medicine Residency! 🩺🎥 This picture may show me hanging out awkwardly my notes, but ultimately I tossed them to the ground & spoke from the heart (albeit still a bit awkwardly with camera lights in my face 🤣).

I officially submitted our residency ACGME application (200ish pages…), completed our site visit & will hear about accreditation (aka program approval) in January 2026. We’re on track to start interviewing medical students in fall 2026, with our first class of family medicine resident physicians beginning in 2027!!! 👩‍⚕️🧑‍⚕️

Building this program truly brings together all the things I am passionate about:
• Rural medicine
• Expanding access to primary care
• Medical education
• Creating space for physicians to find balance + joy in their work [being close to the mountains definitely helps 🤪].

This truly feels like the work I was meant to do! ❤️ (The founding residency program director role - not the video making! 😂)

Thanks to all the incredible support from our health system, local hospital & my amazing colleagues - we couldn’t create this without you!! 🙏

05/04/2025

Today, I officially graduated from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Emerging Leaders Fellowship—a year-long journey alongside 10 inspiring family physician leaders. 🤗

When I began this fellowship, I couldn’t have imagined how much would change in just one year: a cross-country move, stepping into a new role as program director, and finding deeper roots in leadership and purpose.

This fellowship provided space to grow, reflect, and lead with intention—and I’m incredibly proud of my brilliant co-fellows (group pics to come…!). A few of us celebrated with a mountain-view hike just outside Salt Lake City (because what better way to reflect on growth than from a summit?). 🏔️☀️

Now off to soak up the rest of the STFM Annual Conference, where I’m excited to present both a workshop and a poster. Grateful for community, challenge, and change. 🙏

04/24/2025

As I prepare to leave La Crosse & transition to a new chapter, I’m reflecting with deep gratitude on one of the most meaningful parts of my work this past year—serving with the Street Medicine team through a partnership with Gundersen/Emplify Health & St. Clare Health Mission.

Through support from a grant by the American Osteopathic Foundation, I had the privilege of providing addiction care & osteopathic manipulation to unhoused patients in our community—meeting people where they are, literally & figuratively. Over the past year, our team distributed more than 400 doses of naloxone, connected many individuals to low-barrier treatment for substance use disorders & offered hands-on, noninvasive osteopathic treatment for pain. Best of all, we trained the next generation of family physicians to care for vulnerable populations beyond the walls of the clinic.

None of this would be possible without the incredible work of our Community Health Workers, who build trust, offer hope & serve as the vital bridge between patients and care. Their presence, compassion & advocacy are the foundation of this program’s success—and it was an honor to work alongside them. (One of our amazing CHWs is pictured here!)

As a parting gift, the team gave me a naloxone plushie to match my naloxone earrings—one of the most thoughtful, on-brand gifts I’ve ever received as someone who believes in promoting harm reduction in every corner of primary care. Because honestly, life is risky!

To this inspiring, compassionate, boots-on-the-ground team—thank you. I’m so proud to have been a part of it. 🥰

And now time to get back to the American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM annual addiction medicine conference in Denver—I’m all over the map in the last 24 hours!

04/24/2025

As I prepare to leave La Crosse and transition to a new chapter, I’m reflecting with deep gratitude on one of the most meaningful parts of my work this past year—serving with the Street Medicine team through a partnership with Gundersen/Emplify Health and St. Clare Health Mission.

Through support from a grant by the American Osteopathic Foundation, I had the privilege of providing addiction care and osteopathic manipulation to unhoused patients in our community—meeting people where they are, literally and figuratively. Over the past year, our team distributed more than 400 doses of naloxone, connected many individuals to low-barrier treatment for substance use disorders, and offered hands-on, noninvasive osteopathic treatment for pain. Best of all, we trained the next generation of family physicians to care for vulnerable populations beyond the walls of the clinic.

None of this would be possible without the incredible work of our Community Health Workers, who build trust, offer hope, and serve as the vital bridge between patients and care. Their presence, compassion, and advocacy are the foundation of this program’s success—and it was an honor to work alongside them. (One of our amazing CHWs is pictured here!)

As a parting gift, the team gave me a naloxone plushie to match my naloxone earrings—one of the most thoughtful, on-brand gifts I’ve ever received as someone who promotes harm reduction in ALL aspects of primary care. To this inspiring, compassionate, boots-on-the-ground team—thank you. I’m so proud to have been a part of it. 🥰

03/27/2025

Big news: I’m jumping for joy—literally! 🎉✨

I’m thrilled to take the leap into a new adventure as a Family Medicine Residency Program Director!

For those who haven’t heard, I’m heading back to Maine to launch a brand-new rural family medicine residency in Farmington, ME—made possible by an incredible Rural Residency Program Development (RRPD) grant & a powerhouse local hospital team.

I’m at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Residency Leadership Summit, surrounded by inspiring leaders in family medicine education & soaking up all the wisdom I can for this next chapter.

The move is happening in May, & while I’m filled with gratitude, I’m also grieving the goodbye to the phenomenal faculty & residents I’ve worked with in Wisconsin. However, ’the mountains are calling, and I must go...’ 🏔️🥰

Here’s to training the next generation of rural family docs & building something truly special! 🤗

01/25/2025

Such a humbling & delightful experience to head back to my hometown in rural Iowa last night for induction into the Tripoli Community Schools Hall of Fame!

I attribute so much of my success to the support from my family—and am so happy my dad, husband, brother & nieces were standing with me center court (while I tried not to cry) whilst one of my high school teachers read my bio & presented the award in a packed gymnasium. 😭 Amazing to see former classmates & teachers, tour the school for a blast from the past and reflect on the incredible education & support I received from a town of 1200 people. 🙏

My small school allowed me to participate in all the activities from mock trial and speech to chorus and musicals to golf and cheerleading all while receiving an excellent education. My experience as an EMT Cadet my senior year—allowing me to leave class & join the ambulance crew when they got a call—lead me to pursue medicine as a career. And here I am now, still committed to rural communities nearly 20 years out 🤗

Thank you to everyone who supported & believed in me along the way! I’m still a bit tearful & full of all the joy 🥰

09/28/2024

What a HUGE honor at the recent Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education () conference! I was (tearfully! 🥲) selected as the 2024 “Rural Champion” 🤗🤩🥰 This award was presented after sitting on a rural residency faculty panel & recruiting medical students to our incredible Family Medicine Residency with Gundersen Medical Foundation that promotes rural full spectrum family practice training.

As someone who has been passionate about rural medicine since growing up on a farm in Iowa, this award is incredibly meaningful. I had the privilege of being an ‘EMT Cadet’ in Tripoli, IA my senior year of high school (with 36 students in my high school class!) which put me on the trajectory to medical school. I was then one of 6 medical students selected as a Rural Medical Education Pathway scholar at , encouraging rural primary care practice after residency graduation. This scholarship supported my medical school tuition in addition to providing additional rural medical education experience, and was a true blessing as a first generation college student paying my own way through school (I worked 3 jobs through college..!).

Not everyone may be aware, but the word “doctor” comes from the Latin verb docere, which means “to teach”. 👩‍🏫 While I adored my full spectrum practice & teaching my individual patients about their health in Iowa after my rural family medicine residency , I realized after a few years that my true calling was to teach other physicians in training in an effort to create more good doctor humans in the world. Now, I live, breathe & teach rural family medicine as core faculty at a residency program.

This award says: “A rural champion demonstrates unwaivering commitment to rural medicine training and practice in Wisconsin, and is dedicated to educating others about the importance of growing rural medicine in our communities.” Looking back, it does appear I have an unwavering commitment to rural medicine. I am truly humbled to be the 2024 recipient of this award!! 👩‍⚕️💕🦄 🏆😁

09/15/2024

“Hey , what have you been up to!?”

Teaching, presenting, & recruiting for our awesome Gundersen Medical Foundation Family Medicine Residency Program has made for a busy summer!! And still riding my bike whenever I can & bringing my Doberman wherever she can go on said adventures! 🐾

Honored to have represented as I presented on Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine for Headaches at the Mayo Osteopathic Research & Education conference this weekend alongside some other incredible osteopathic physicians!

A few other snapshots of events that have filled my residency faculty cup this year:
•Teaching on Low Back Pain at our Ortho Day event
•Lecturing on Opioid Use Disorder & Harm Reduction to hundreds of clinicians at Gundersen’s Primary Care Winter Refresher
•Singing songs to our amazing residents at their graduation party (that is pure joy on my face!)
•Recruiting at National Conference
•Organizing & teaching at our quarterly Statewide Osteopathic Education Collaborative hands-on conferences! Check out our amazing recruitment video for an idea of how much fun I have teaching 🤗 https://youtu.be/_hZ_XxS6J_s

Oh, did I mention I’m also sitting for my addiction medicine board certification next year? 🫣

I’ve been busy—and joyful. Enjoy these unedited-because-I-don’t-have-time-for-that photos, and I’ll hope to be back with more updates soon!

05/31/2024

Hi friends! Still alive over here 😉 Staying busy teaching & this is a conference I’m especially excited about presenting! If you’re a practitioner & want to hang out with me in Seattle, sign up for the 8th FDM World Congress! See ya there 🤗

Libby Abbas is a family practice physician in rural Wisconsin who has been involved with the FDM for over a decade, including being an active board member. She incorporates FDM into her practice daily and has a passion for whole person care.
Her lecture about Nutrition and Fascia will include practice changing information about how to help our patients achieve better fascial health through nutrition.

06/21/2022

What are these?! ⬇️ Just some of my favorite places to see on my bike in Decorah — and I am SO excited to lead several rides through magical scenery* THIS weekend at The Driftless Yoga Festival!! 🎉
Oh — you don’t have plans?! GREAT! You can still get tickets** & join me + a ROCKSTAR line up of presenters. 🌟 Driftless Yoga Festival is a social justice focused, equity-forward festival in the heart of the Driftless region & its going to be AWESOME!!!!! 🤗 www.driftlessyogafestival.com
Did I mention there’s FREE camping on site at Will Baker Park?? 🏕 Yep, you can wake up among the trees at the base of the bluffs each morning of the festival. 🌳
*rainbows & cute dogs not guaranteed on rides but the latter could happily be summoned on request 🌈 🐾
**as a festival committed to equity & promoting financial accessibility, Driftless Yoga Festival offers tiered pricing on all-access weekend passes
See you in the Driftless!

06/13/2022

Humbled by receiving the “Teacher of the Year” award at our Gundersen Health System family medicine residency graduation. I am so grateful to have played a small part in teaching these amazing resident physicians as a community preceptor & so proud of this year’s graduating class! 🧑‍⚕️🥼👩‍⚕️
With that, I’m excited to announce a 𝗛𝗨𝗚𝗘 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 — and this award tells me I’ve made the right decision. 🏆 Through my peripheral involvement with the residency program the past couple years I’ve discovered my true passion is in teaching, and I’m excited to explore that full time.
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This November 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲, 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 teaching family medicine, OB & my favorite — osteopathic manual medicine. 🖐
While I have enjoyed the past 4 years practicing rural family medicine in Decorah, Iowa, I am beyond excited for the opportunity to help shape the future of medicine & teach doctors-in-training how to be good doctors (& good people!). 🤓 I will continue to do obstetrics but will no longer practice inpatient/hospital medicine.
This decision is bittersweet & was not made lightly, though I know it’s for the best. I will truly miss my patients—especially all the babies I’ve helped bring into the world—& the relationships I’ve formed in this community. Thank you for letting me be part of your health journey! 🩺
Time to make the most of my last few months as an Iowan (and hope my husband, and I can find a house to buy in WI! 😝🤞).
🦄