I’ve had the privilege of working within family medicine as Executive Director of the BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) for ten years. As I transition into a new leadership role outside of health care, I look back on how we have evolved and grown – both as an organization and as a profession.
I want to thank all the Board members, family physicians, BCCFP staff and stakeholders that I’ve been fortunate enough to work with. I’m so proud of all that we have achieved together. I feel a lot of pride in my work and have spent time reflecting on many amazing accomplishments during my tenure with the BCCFP.
In 2014, the My Family Doctor Award was created as part of our initial engagement with patients. Reviewing the heartwarming nominations each spring is by far one of the highlights of the year at the BCCFP. The messages that we received over the years have showcased the amazing work of our members and how much you are valued by the patients you care for and colleagues you support.
On May 19, 2018 we established BC Family Doctor Day and organized for it to be proclaimed on an annual basis in the province, coinciding with World Family Doctor Day. This was the launch of the BCCFP’s advocacy efforts to highlight the unique role of family medicine.
In 2019 we built on this effort and launched the My Family Doctor Cares campaign to sound the alarm on the ongoing erosion of longitudinal family medicine in BC. While this launch coincided with the onset of the pandemic and was put on a temporary hold, we relaunched a very successful campaign in 2022. Together, with our members and other associations, we advocated for greater investment in longitudinal family medicine, which contributed to a major refresh in family physician remuneration.
2019 was also the start of the BCCFP’s journey towards reconciliation. I recently met with Drs. Elder Roberta Price and Rebekah Eatmon where we reflected on our journey to date and I am hopeful that this work will continue. I will cherish the relationships with these amazing women and the privilege and opportunity to support the BCCFP’s Declaration of Commitment to Cultural Safety and Humility.
While these are only a few of the highlights of the last decade with the BCCFP, they help to illustrate our continued efforts to improve sustainability and support for all specialists in family medicine. My overriding hope for the future is that family medicine will flourish and in turn more British Columbians will access to care delivered by our amazing family physicians.
