Sasha Bauer, MS, CGC (she/her); Prescilla Carrion, MSc, CGC, CCGC (she/her)
The article below reflects the personal opinions of the author(s) and does not reflect the views or opinions of the Perspectives editors or committee, or the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC).
The integration of genetic counseling into primary care represents a pivotal step toward accessible, personalized health care. Recognizing this, we launched the Primary Care Special Interest Group (PCSIG), an NSGC community united by a shared vision: the seamless integration of genetic counselors into primary care settings. Our mission is to advocate for this integration and to promote the importance and value of genetic health services within primary care.
Bridging the Gap Between Genetics and Primary Care
As co-chairs of the Primary Care SIG alongside Natasha Berman, MS, MPH, CGC, we are thrilled to help shape this platform, which aims to bridge the gap between genetic services and the front lines of health care. Primary care practitioners (PCPs) often encounter patients with potential genetic risks but often lack the time, tools or expertise to delve into complex family histories or conduct detailed risk assessments, and PCPs themselves acknowledge these deficits, even when they have additional genetics training.1–4 For example, over 10% of patients in primary care are indicated for genetic testing, yet most go unidentified due to limitations in current workflows and knowledge gaps.5 Because education interventions designed to increase these skills have shown little success that is not sustained over time, there needs to be a new solution.6 Genetic counselors are uniquely positioned to support PCPs by facilitating risk stratification, offering patient education and guiding appropriate testing and referrals — all while alleviating the time pressures faced by busy clinicians.
Our Mission and Progress
Our SIG is committed to fostering these connections by developing educational resources, advocating for integration into primary care workflows and exploring innovative models of service delivery. We envision establishing working groups to support various interests within this sphere, such as research initiatives, education for both patients and clinicians, and peer support for genetic counselors navigating this emerging field. We’re already making headway as Sasha and a PCSIG member, Rachel Vanneste, co-authored a commentary piece for Family Practice (accompanying podcast episode forthcoming with Sasha and a family medicine physician).7 These efforts aim to not only strengthen collaborations between genetic counselors and PCPs but also to empower clinicians to deliver comprehensive, high-quality care that addresses patients' genetic health needs.
Looking Ahead
The launch of the Primary Care SIG marks a significant milestone in expanding the role of genetic counseling across the health care continuum. By embedding genetic counseling expertise into primary care, we can enhance early identification of hereditary risks and facilitate timely interventions that improve patient outcomes. We can also potentially facilitate more equitable access to genetic counseling for patients and families who are unable to do so given various barriers to medical genetics care.
Join Us
If you attended NSGC’s annual conference in 2023, you may recall seeing the co-chairs of this SIG, alongside others, speak about the importance of integrating genetics into primary care. We’re happy to announce that we turned that presentation into a publication in the Journal of Genetic Counseling.8 We invite NSGC members who share our vision — whether or not you currently practice in this space — to connect with our group.
References
- Fok, R., Ong, C., Lie, D., et al. (2021). How practice setting affects family physicians’ views on genetic screening: A qualitative study. BMC Family Practice, 22(1), 141. doi: 10.1186/s12875-021-01492-y.
- Chou, A., Duncan, A., Hallford, G., et al. (2021). Barriers and strategies to integrate medical genetics and primary care in underserved populations: A scoping review. Journal of Community Genetics, 12(3), 291–309. doi: 10.1007/s12687-021-00508-5.
- Carroll, J., Allanson, J., Morrison, S., et al. (2019). Informing integration of genomic medicine into primary care: An assessment of current practice, attitudes, and desired resources. Frontiers in Genetics, 10, 1189. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01189.
- Dauge, A., Joly, Y., Kaiser, B., et al. (2023). General medical practitioners acting as geneticists, a risky business?. Lex Electronica, 28(1), 155. doi: 10.7202/1108625ar.
- Greenberg, S., Buys, S.S., Edwards, S.L., et al. (2019). Population prevalence of individuals meeting criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer testing. Cancer Medicine, 8, 6789–6798. doi: 10.1002/cam4.2534.
- Wilkes, M., Day, F., Fancher, T., et al. (2017). Increasing confidence and changing behaviors in primary care providers engaged in genetic counselling. BMC Medical Education, 17(1), 163. doi: 10.1186/s12909-017-0982-4.
- Vanneste, R.*, Bauer, S.*, Borle, K. et al. (2024). Expanding the primary care workforce by integrating genetic counselors in multidisciplinary care teams. Family Practice, 42(2). doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmae057.
- Pan, V.*, Berman, N.*, Bauer, S., et al. (2025). The Case For Integrating Genetic Counselors into Primary Care: A Practice Paradigm Shift. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 34(3). doi: 10.1002/jgc4.70051.
*Denotes co-first authors
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Sasha Bauer, MS, CGC (she/her) is a certified genetic counselor living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, working for UW Health Northern Illinois. She completed her graduate training in 2023 at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Prior to training, Bauer was a genetic counselor assistant at Medical College of Wisconsin. She is passionate about integration of genetic counselors in the primary care space, genetic counseling research and project management. Bauer is the 2025-2026 co-chair of NSGC's Primary Care SIG and Precision Medicine SIG, as well as the secretary of the Cancer SIG. She has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Prescilla Carrion, MSc, CGC, CCGC (she/her) is a certified genetic counselor and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She has an MSc in genetic counseling from UBC and completed additional specialty training in psychiatric genetic counseling with Dr. Jehannine (J9) Austin. Her clinical and research expertise includes exploring the value of embedding genetic counselors in novel and emerging areas to promote equitable access, empowerment and engagement in evidence-based proactive health strategies. Carrion is the 2025-2026 co-chair of NSGC's Primary Care SIG. The impact she has made through primary care genetic counseling has been acknowledged with her being a finalist for the 2021 NSGC Heart of Genetic Counseling Award. She has no conflicts of interest to disclose.