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Award Recipients

Honouring and Celebrating our Outstanding Members

The ACFP is proud to celebrate the physicians, students, residents, and clinics who demonstrate what “Excellence in Family Practice” truly means.
Read about our 2022 Award Recipients below and consider nominating a peer today!

2022 ACFP Award Recipients

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Dr. Marjan Abbasi
2022 Family Physician Of The Year Award
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Dr. Akolisa Anyaduba
2022 Recognition Of Excellence
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Dr. Jovita Ojadi
2022 Recognition Of Excellence
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Dr. Karen V. Brunner
2022 Recognition Of Excellence
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Dr. Mike Kolber
2022 ACFP Long-term Service Award
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South Health Campus Family Medicine Teaching Clinic
2022 Patient’s Medical Home Award For Outstanding Family Practice
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Dr. Molly Whalen-Browne
2022 Outstanding New Professional Award
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Dr. Yegor Korchemagin
2022 Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award
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Jocelyne Beelen
2022 Rising Star Student Leadership Award
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Julia Robertson
2022 Rising Star Student Leadership Award
Family Physician of the Year

Dr. Marjan Abbasi, Edmonton

Recognition of Excellence

Dr. Akolisa Anyaduba, Red Deer
Dr. Jovita Ojadi, Red Deer
Dr. Karen V. Brunner, Didsbury

ACFP Long-term Service Award

Dr. Mike Kolber, Edmonton

Patient’s Medical Home — Outstanding Family Practice

South Health Campus Family Medicine Teaching Clinic

Outstanding New Professional Award

Dr. Molly Whalen-Browne, Edmonton

ACFP Student Leadership — Rising Star Award

University of Alberta — Jocelyne Beelen
University of Calgary — Julia Robertson

Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award

University of Calgary — Dr. Yegor Korchemagin

Previous Award Winners

Award Presentations

Recipient Profiles

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Current ACFP Award Recipients

Dr. Marjan Abassi

2023 Family Physician of the Year

Dr. Marjan Abbasi is a primary care physician with extra training in Care of the Elderly. She is the Site Lead of the Geriatric Program at the Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta and an Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Care of Elderly, Department of Family Medicine.  The focus of her practice (both as a primary care physician and as a consultant in areas such as inpatient, outpatient, and assisted living) is the care for older adults living with frailty. She is happily married and a mother of three children. She enjoys learning new languages and interacting with people of diverse backgrounds.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The long-term therapeutic relationships with my patients and their families.

My family medicine mentor is: Dr. Nigel Flook

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: How connected you get with your patients and how much you care for them.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: A family physician again.

Dr. Akolisa Anyaduba

2022 Recognition of Excellence Award

Dr. Akolisa Anyaduba’s primary medical degree is from the University of Nigeria with a residency in family medicine completed in Scotland, UK. He was a GP Partner in a Clinic in Dundee providing out-of-hour/urgent care services and an Emergency Room Physician in Scotland, UK. He finds fulfilment in looking after his patients and supporting people including colleagues. He is married to Ngozi (Sidi) and together they have 4 children: Nanya, Ify, Katchy, and Olisa. They migrated to Canada in July 2015 from the UK, and now live in Red Deer. He works at Ebenezar Clinic Red Deer, as a hospitalist at Red Deer Regional Hospital, and as a rural emergency physician in Innisfail and Stettler. He loves listening to music and watching soccer. In fulfilling his passion to support the less privileged, he has organized charity fundraiser events in Dundee, Scotland and in Red Deer. He is a devoted Christian and is humbled that God granted him the grace to be a Family Physician.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The one thing I love best about family medicine is that I have the honour of looking after people ranging from cradle to the grave and we (my patients and I) over time share a common history.

My family medicine mentor is: Dr John and Margaret Vernon (Dundee, Scotland).

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: The need to have multiple skills and know everything and the capacity of most family physicians that I have come across including myself, to adapt seamlessly to these continuously changing roles.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: An Emergency Physician

Dr. Jovita Ojadi

2022 Recognition of Excellence Award

Dr. Jovita Ojadi is a Red Deer family physician with a passion to improve patient holistic care while having an admirable sense of humour.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The variety of presentations and continuity of care.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: Patient’s expectations!

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: A pilot.

Dr. Karen V. Brunner

2022 Recognition of Excellence Award

Dr. Karen Brunner has worked at the Protea Medical Clinic and the Didsbury Hospital as a family physician since 1999. Before moving to Didsbury, Karen worked in Pincher Creek from 1999, the year she and her husband immigrated from South Africa. She worked in her dad’s rural medical practice from a young age and this is where her passion for medicine started. She bursts with pride when talking about her two sons, both studying medicine abroad. In her free time, she enjoys fly fishing with her supporting husband in the stunning Rocky Mountain rivers.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: I believe family medicine is the heart and soul of the medical field and love the relationships that are built and caring for entire families across multiple generations.

My family medicine mentor is: Dr. JJH Uys – my dad.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: Most jobs get easier in time, but not this one! These days IT skills seem to take precedence over clinical skills.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: Celebrity Event Planner.

Dr. Mike Kolber

2022 ACFP Long-Term Service Award

Dr. Mike Kolber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. He practices in Peace River, Alberta using his additional skills training in gastroenterology. He contributes to Tools for Practice, medical podcasts, CPD Roadshows, and academic detailing within the province, and enjoys presenting at local, provincial, national, and international events.

Mike also chairs the Practical Evidence for Informed Practice and Endoscopy Skills Day for Practicing Endoscopists conferences. He is passionate about sports, coaches lacrosse and hockey, and enjoys the outdoors with his wife and three great kids.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The continuity of care, breadth of expertise, being diagnosticians.

My family medicine mentor is: Mark MacKenzie, Chilliwack BC.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: Same as what I love.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: Washed up lacrosse player or sports coach

South Health Campus Family Medicine Teaching Clinic

2022 Patient's Medical Home - Outstanding Family Practice Award

The South Health Campus Family Medicine Teaching Clinic is located within the South Health Campus hospital in Calgary.  The clinic is a teaching site for the University of Calgary, with 25 family medicine residents currently calling the clinic their training home for the 2-year core residency program. Numerous medical students, nursing students and pharmacy students also rotate through the clinic for core learning experiences. Our team of skilled healthcare providers collectively provide comprehensive and longitudinal care to a panel of nearly 7,000 patients. Recent Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) report highlights that the clinic has a higher proportion of patients with chronic medical and mental health conditions. The clinic is involved in various primary care initiatives in collaboration with other services within South Health Campus.

The best thing about working at our clinic is: The team with which we work. Our multidisciplinary team works in a truly collaborative fashion providing the medical home experience to our patients who know that every member of our clinic works together to deliver the best care experience possible.

The biggest challenge or success we’ve had in adopting PMH into our clinic is: Amongst the clinics various accomplishments are group-based education workshops for our patients delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of physicians and allied health. We have successfully run patient groups in diabetes, anxiety, insomnia and have an upcoming collaboration in osteoporosis care. Many of these group workshops were adapted and delivered virtually during the pandemic. Our clinic was recently awarded the 2022 CFPC/CPA Collaborative Mental Health Care Award for our work in offering “Anxiety To CalmTM”, a facilitated patient workshop which was originally developed by the Red Deer PCN.

What advice would you give to other clinics: Partnership with multi-disciplinary health care providers as well as integrating community services and specialists in innovative consultative relationships allows us to find cost-effective solutions to healthcare delivery designed to improve health outcomes and increase access to care.

One thing that you will be surprised to learn about our clinic: Our clinic celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year. Over the past 10 years, close to 100 residents have completed their 2-year family medicine residency training with our site as their primary training site. Many of these physicians are practicing full scope family medicine within both urban and rural areas of Alberta. Some also practice within areas of emergency medicine, palliative medicine, low risk obstetrics, sports medicine, and hospitalist care.

Dr. Molly Whalen-Browne

2022 Outstanding New Professional Award

Dr. Molly Whalen-Browne is a family physician who provides primary care services to refugees at the New Canadians Health Centre and who also has a focused reproductive and sexual health practice. She practices remote family medicine in the Northwest Territories and is passionate about medical education. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Whalen-Browne is the Program Director for the Health Equity Enhanced Skills program and is the Domain Lead for Health Equity in the Family Medicine program at the University of Calgary. She believes in relationship and community-based care and feels fortunate to be continuously learning from the patients, communities, and colleagues that she works with.

Outside of work, Dr. Whalen-Browne loves hiking, yoga, cooking, and travel. She finds particular delight in exploring the world with her husband and daughter, and is always looking forward to her next adventure!

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The privilege of getting to know patients and the diversity of practice. I love that relationships with patients are always evolving and that you have the opportunity to learn new skills and adapt your practice.

My family medicine mentor is: There are too many to name! From my colleagues (Drs. Krinke, Kharrat, Boudreau and Koop) to my residency preceptor (Dr. Gorrie), to my mom (Dr. Whalen-Browne), I have been surrounded by amazing mentors.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: The trust patients give me in sharing their stories and their resilience.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: An environmentalist. There is so much to learn about the world!

Dr. Yegor Korchemagin

2022 Family Medicine Resident Leadership Award

Dr. Yegor Korchemagin is a second year Family Medicine resident at the University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, completing his training at the Black Diamond site. He is passionate about rural medicine and is looking towards a long and fulfilling career serving the rural communities surrounding the Calgary area. An avid (yet mediocre) golfer and active skier, he sees no better place to call home than Alberta.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The ability to connect with patients and follow along on their journey over the decades we spend caring for them.

My family medicine mentor is:Dr. Anthony Seto and Dr. Brian Siray.

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: How flexible the job is, with ability to pursue any interest that arises in the incredibly broad spectrum of family medicine.

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: An engineer.

Jocelyne Beelen

2022 Rising Star Student Leadership Award

Jocelyne Beelen is currently in her final year of medical school at the University of Alberta. She completed her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences at Western University. In her free time, Jocelyne does hiking, running, cycling, or cross-country skiing in the colder months, or gets totally engrossed in a good book. She is an aspiring family physician and very excited to see what the future holds for her.

The one thing I love about family medicine is: The scope of practice – being able to see a newborn and 80 year old in the same day is what I love most. The endless learning and opportunities for improvement always keep you on your toes.

My family medicine mentor is: Dr. Joseph Roshan Abraham – I have been extremely lucky to work with Dr. Abraham with U of A’s Family Medicine Interest Group, on the GP2B podcast, and during my elective time. His passion of family medicine education and patient care is so admirable!

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: The variety! There are countless ways to practice as a family physician and incorporate your passions/interests in your career!

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: A Teacher! I always looked up to my past teachers and they fostered my passions and drive for a career in medicine.

Julia Robertson

2022 Rising Star Student Leadership Award

Julia Robertson  is a final year medical student at the University of Calgary. She was born and raised in small town Spruce Grove, Alberta, where she first started volunteering at the Stony Plain Westview Health Center and discovered that she wanted to be a doctor. Julia then completed a sciences degree in 2019 at MacEwan University and later began medical school at the Cumming School of Medicine. She is passionate about keeping active, laughing hard every day, fostering equity diversity, and inclusion in the world around her, and becoming a caring and competent doctor.  

The one thing I love about family medicine is: I enjoyed every rotation I did in medical school, and wanted a career where I’d continue to be challenged by all aspects of medicine. As a family doctor you are always learning and improving! Family medicine also allows you to develop longitudinal relationships with your patients and be an integral part of their healthcare journeys in numerous environments which I think is incredible; and something that I will enjoy long term!

My family medicine mentors are: Dr. Sperou and Dr. Jablonski. Dr. Arissa Sperou was one of my first preceptors in clerkship during my elective at Stanton Hospital and the Primary Care Center in Yellowknife, NWT. Dr. Eric Jablonski is a family doc who works in the clinic, hospital, and emerge in Black Diamond. An excellent teacher and clinician, he also brings this amazing sense of joy and humour to the work environment that makes each day so much fun and is something I wish to emulate in my practice one day! (You should see the look on a 90 year old patient’s face when their doctor goes to fist bump them!)  

One thing that surprised me about being a family physician is: How many patients family doctors have and how they seem to remember small details about each of them and their families and their health conditions – it’s quite impressive!

If I weren’t a family physician I’d be: An actress like Julia Roberts

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