Dear Member,
For several years, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) have been exploring the possibility of providing a unified training program to address the specific needs of Canadian professionals providing intrapartum care. We are pleased to announce that as a result of these discussions the CFPC and the SOGC will join forces to offer the Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM) program as the single pan-Canadian intrapartum training program. The change takes effect July 1, 2014.
This collaborative venture marks a milestone not only for our organizations but also for our professions, our trainees, and the women and newborns receiving our care. We believe that by combining the strengths of our specialties—while working alongside our peers in nursing and midwifery—we will foster the ALARM program’s interprofessional philosophy and continued growth and evolution, and create a springboard for the development of other valuable professional development opportunities.
Background
In 1995, the College entered into a formal agreement with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to provide and manage the licensing of the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO®) educational program within Canada. The ALSO program has served CFPC members well for almost 20 years, allowing them to benefit from the collaborative nature of the program, and strengthening their ties with American colleagues and others from around the world—including obstetricians, nurses, and midwives—who share maternal and newborn care responsibilities. As a College, we have invested heavily in member time and expertise to continually improve ALSO, and to develop the French-language programming.
Running in parallel, the SOGC began offering the ALARM program in June of 1995. While similar to the ALSO course in its objectives, scope, and outcomes, the ALARM program has some distinct features. First, the ALARM curriculum is grounded in best available Canadian evidence, making it highly applicable to an all-Canadian audience. Second, the Managing Obstetrical Risk More Efficiently (MOREOB) program, a course developed initially by the SOGC, is aligned with the ALARM course program and is also taught inter-professionally. The MOREOB program is commonly required for Canadian intrapartum care providers working within a hospital setting. Finally, ALARM content is updated every year in both official languages, an important feature of high-quality professional development programming, especially in the rapidly changing area of obstetric care. Over time, the benefits of the ALARM program prompted the CFPC to reassess its choice of intrapartum-care training program.
After in-depth consultation with our members, committees, and residency-training coordinators, the CFPC and the SOGC have determined that collaborating on a single, pan-Canadian training program will contribute not only to greater consistency in delivery of intrapartum care but also to improved standards of care and better outcomes, whenever and wherever intrapartum emergencies might occur.
Providing a collaborative, pan-Canadian program
As it had with ALSO, the CFPC will have a strong presence on the committees that develop, refine, and monitor ALARM content and delivery. The CFPC will continue its commitment to providing access to training for family physician members, whether they be residents or physicians established in practice, and wherever they practise, in a convenient and cost-effective manner.
The SOGC will continue to manage and coordinate the delivery of ALARM, providing the excellence in customer service and the exceptional learning opportunity that ALARM participants have come to expect. The SOGC will handle all requests for ALARM program delivery, including requests from universities and faculties of medicine. The SOGC has a number of ALARM courses slated for delivery in 2014 and we encourage you to check the ALARM website for dates and locations at www.sogc.org/alarm. Those interested in arranging an ALARM course are encouraged to contact Judy Scrivener at jscrivener{at}sogc.com for details on course requirements from July 1, 2014 onward. Training for new instructors will also be managed by the SOGC.
What’s next?
A committee of members from the CFPC and the SOGC will be dedicated to making the transition as simple and seamless as possible. These representatives will consult with stakeholders to ensure that the needs of all are brought forward when considering program access, instructional methods, costs, and other relevant issues. We are confident in the ability of these individuals to represent their colleagues and patients, present and future, in the decision-making process.
We are excited about the many opportunities that will arise as a result of our organizations joining forces in the name of improving the care of women and newborns in Canada. We look forward to sharing further details on this partnership in the months to come.
Respectfully,
Francine Lemire, MD CM CCFP FCFP CAE
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
College of Family Physicians of Canada
Jennifer Blake MD MSc FRCSC
Chief Executive Officer
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
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