Opportunities to drive change

As I write this between our Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) and the start of our first in-person Family Medicine Forum (FMF) in 3 years, I feel a sense of unbridled hope. It is hard not to get caught up in the energy and enthusiasm of this time of year when the family medicine community traditionally comes together.

The questions and ideas that have flowed in our various forums remind me that the CFPC board, staff, and members still believe in and are passionate about advancing the cause of family medicine—a fundamental commitment that might sometimes be forgotten amid the challenges of our current crisis.

Being still new to my role, I greatly appreciated the opportunity to hear from members through questions and discussion at the AMM. Many questions that were raised were already on the minds of our board members and leadership. In particular, we talked about how we can continue to ensure that we are able to conduct our critical business of setting standards for family medicine training in Canada; supporting family medicine teaching and research; and advocating for the specialty while also supporting our members through other various services in an optimal and cost-effective manner.

As diverse opinions were shared on timely topics such as the Outcomes of Training Project, the CFPC’s current operating deficit, and the urgent need for relief in the day-to-day family practice environment, I was grateful for the opportunity to share updates on College initiatives. I was also heartened to see members’ interest in collaborating to find solutions to these challenges.

If you missed the AMM, you can watch a recording of it here: https://youtu.be/LR8OZuJQ1qk. The question-and-answer period starts around the 49-minute mark and may be of particular interest, especially if you had similar questions.

By the time this is published, I will have navigated my first FMF as the CFPC’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. At this moment, though, as I review the conference schedule, I see a multitude of opportunities. While we are all exhausted and searching for answers to the current crisis in family medicine, there is a reinvigoration that comes from being together again, from empathizing and sharing, and from taking stock as we consider what comes next.

Convening FMF is one of the most tangible ways that the CFPC, through your support, is able to advance the specialty of family medicine. We honour members who have reached career milestones such as completing their residency journeys, achieving Fellowship or Life Membership in the CFPC, and earning Certificates of Added Competence; we exchange knowledge and ideas; and we use our collective wisdom to fuel concrete actions for change and improvement.

In that vein, a recent announcement in British Columbia about the development of a new payment model designed to strengthen family practice¹ represents a glimmer of hope for the future. We know, of course, that this will not be enough to address all the challenges we face. But in it is a message that celebrates the value of family doctors as the bedrock of the health care system and as leaders in primary care out in the community.

We will continue to push for change through our advocacy work. I am hopeful this will lead to more concrete solutions that will reverse decades of neglect and undervaluation of family medicine that have taken advantage of the devotion that family doctors—and our partners in public health—have demonstrated in promoting health at the community level and keeping people well for longer.

Soon, the excitement of the run-up to FMF will pass and we will be caught in the rush of the holidays and a new year. It will be important to not take our eyes off the ball. The CFPC remains committed to keeping you informed of what we are doing to advocate on your behalf, and I hope you will continue to tune in and share your thoughts.

In the past month we have begun reviewing our staffing structure and program delivery, and we have made a few changes to enhance our flexibility and address our current financial deficit position. Our dedicated staff continue to look for ways to streamline and prioritize our work, informed by feedback from members.

All told, the passion I have seen around our AMM and FMF has been inspiring. We are not a community that lets the chips fall where they may. No, there are lots of members and supporters out there who know that family medicine is worth fighting for—and that the CFPC remains the right organization to lead the charge. Thank you for your engagement as we move forward together.

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