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Annual Meeting of Members

Highlights from the 2026 ACFP Annual Meeting of Members

The Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) 2026 Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) was held at the Family Medicine Summit in Calgary on March 7, 2026. Members participated both in person and virtually, exceeding the AMM quorum requirements.

Dr. Melanie Hnatiuk presented the President’s report and the official release of the 2025 Year in Review. Members were able to vote electronically on the 2025 Audited Financial Statements, the ACFP Membership Fee Increase, Appointment of the Auditor, and lastly the 2026 Board Slate. The 2026 Budget Plan was presented for members’ information only.

*The Board proposed an inflationary increase to all classes of membership by 3%. The ACFP members were fully supportive and approved the membership fee increase. The fee increase will come into effect July 1, 2026.

Directly following the AMM, Dr. Melanie Hnatiuk facilitated a Member Forum. Hearing directly from you – our members – is essential as we shape the future of the ACFP. Our board of directors met in person to begin setting the strategic direction for the coming years. This forum, was the first step in a broader engagement process: an opportunity for us to listen, to reflect together, and to start charting our course. Our environment is challenging and constantly changing, but we believe there is real opportunity ahead for ACFP – and your insights will help us define where we focus. Your feedback from this session was invaluable and will be taken into consideration as we update our Strategic Plan for the coming years.

Welcoming the New Board Directors and Officers

As part of the 2026 Board slate, members approved the appointment of Drs. Dalia Abdellatif and Megan Findlay to step into the role of Directors-at-Large. Dr. Dinesh Witharana has stepped into the role of President-Elect, Dr. Munib Ali and Dr. Smitha Yaltho were appointed to the roles of Treasurer and Secretary respectively.

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Megan Findlay
Director-at-Large
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Dalia Abdellatif
Director-at-Large
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Dinesh Witharana
President-Elect
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Munib Ali
Treasurer
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Smitha Yaltho
Secretary

2026 AMM at a Glance

Notice of 2027 ACFP Annual Meeting of Members

We invite you to join us for our Annual Meeting of Members (AMM) as we reflect on the past year and look ahead together. The AMM will be held as part of the 2027 Family Medicine Summit (Summit)* weekend program and will be delivered both in-person and virtually on:

Saturday, March 6, 2027
3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (MT)
In Person: Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau-Claire,
Center/South Ballroom
Register Here

The AMM is open to all voting members. Members who are not registered for Summit are welcome to attend the AMM must register to attend. Log-in information will be sent to you directly closer to the date.

*For members who selected the AMM as part of their 2027 Family Medicine Summit registration, no additional action is required.

2027 AMM Meeting Materials

    • Meeting Agenda
    • AMM Minutes of Mar 7, 2026
    • 2026 Year in Review
    • Auditor’s Report for Year-End Dec 31, 2026
    • ACFP 2027 Budget Plan & Membership Fees
    • Proposed 2027 Board Slate
    • 2027 Committee Recognition and Recruitment

 

 

Voting

To accommodate this hybrid meeting, members will cast their votes through the online voting platform Poll Everywhere. Access to the platform and instructions on how to submit responses will be provided during the AMM. Attendees will require access to a web browser to vote — this can be done through a computer, laptop, or mobile device.

Voting by Proxy

Voting members who cannot attend in person or virtually may complete a proxy form and return it to ACFP via email, mail, or fax (780-488-2396) by Friday, February 26, 2027, at 4:00 p.m. (MT).

Please ensure that you share a copy of your proxy form with the person who will be voting on your behalf.

Dr. Megan Findlay

I am a rural family doctor in Hinton, Alberta. I completed my medical school at University of Alberta and my residency in Grande Prairie. Outside of work I love to run, hike, and bake.

Why are you volunteering to serve on the Board?
I volunteered to be part of the ACFP Board of Directors as I highly value the advocacy work and services that the ACFP provides to both patients and family physicians in Alberta. I am passionate about contributing to this ongoing important work, and providing a rural perspective.

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
I appreciate the ACFP’s work in advocacy for family medicine, and their excellent CME sessions for busy family physicians.

Dr. Dalia Abdellatif

I am a family physician in Edmonton. As a first‑generation Canadian and mother, I’m deeply invested in building a primary care system that truly serves Alberta’s diverse communities. My work focuses on strengthening team-based care, improving access between primary and specialty care, and supporting learners and colleagues to thrive in Family Medicine.

Why are you volunteering to serve on the Board?
This position brings together the parts of my work that matter most to me: advocacy for family doctors, practical system improvement, and keeping patients at the centre. In my leadership roles, I see daily how policy and operations affect real people—patients, families, and clinicians. Serving on the ACFP Board is a chance to turn those front-line insights into constructive, province-wide change. I want to help ensure that family physicians in Alberta feel heard, supported, and hopeful about the future of our profession. I have seen the strain of burnout, administrative overload, and resource gaps on colleagues I respect and on learners I teach. Volunteering on the Board would allow me to contribute my leadership and quality-improvement experience to tackle these challenges collaboratively, and to help shape a primary care system that my own children—and all Albertans—can rely on.

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
I value that the ACFP consistently puts family physicians and patients at the heart of its work. The organization provides a trusted, unifying voice for our discipline while offering practical tools, education, and advocacy that reflect life in real clinics—not just policy on paper. I especially appreciate how the ACFP fosters community and connection among family doctors, creating space for us to learn from one another and to feel less alone in a very demanding environment.

Dr. Dinesh Witharana

I’m Dr. Dinesh Witharana and I’m a family physician based in Spruce Grove who primarily focuses on community primary care of palliative patients. I often bring residents with me to my hospice rounds and home visits. I also enjoy participating on the Provincial Palliative Tumor Group as an Executive Member, the AMA Section of Palliative Care Fee Committee, and the Core Committee for Cancer Strategic Clinical Network. I am the family physician representative on the Edmonton Zone PCN Sub-Committee for improving transitions of care, and previously served as a member of the ACFP First Five Years in Practice Committee.

Why are you volunteering to serve on the Board?
I am a strong supporter of the ACFP Vision of advancing health for patients, their families, and communities where every Albertan has a patient-centred medical home, and believe that providing more support and resources for primary care will be essential to achieving this vision.

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
What I value the most about the ACFP is it’s very member focused. When you meet the staff, their sole interest is how to better support family physicians in Alberta, and they quickly feel like family.

Dr. Munib Ali

I’m Dr. Munib Ali, a resident physician training in Calgary where I was also born and raised. I am driven by a passion for research, innovation, and harnessing technology to push the frontiers of primary care, with a particular focus on improving healthcare for our growing senior population.

Why are you volunteering to serve on the Board?
In this rapidly shifting landscape of Family Medicine in Alberta, there is a need for physician involvement in policy, leadership, and advocacy. During my time as the resident liaison between the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) and the University of Calgary Department of Family Medicine, I was continually inspired by the passion, vision, and incredible talent of those around me. The dedication and skill are instrumental in creating measurable changes. I found the group here to be both welcoming and collaborative; an ideal place to grow and learn from.

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
The ACFP has a reputation and propensity for being a strong and unified voice for Family Physicians in Alberta. The leadership initiatives that it undertakes as an organization are intentional, diplomatic, and accomplished with deep consideration of its constituents. I value that it’s both a platform and service, especially for those earlier in their careers who desire change – like myself.

Dr. Smitha Yaltho

My name is Smitha Yaltho, and I feel privileged to work as a family physician. Why? I believe that being a family physician has been the best job any physician can hope to have. I have personally grown in my own abilities and skill sets with diverse opportunities in ambulatory practice, acute care and work in Facility Living.  Working in primary care has been exciting and has also afforded me tremendous opportunities for growth while still remaining stimulating in its complexity.  I believe that Family physicians are trusted partners in patient care – every step of the way. 

Why are you volunteering to serve on the Board?
I currently have an interest in Physician Leadership and trauma informed care. I have served as a director with the Board of Directors with the Edmonton North PCN, Edmonton’s largest PCN. Thereafter, I have worked as the Director of Medical Services with CapitalCare (also based in Edmonton) for almost 6 years. It is my express wish that my contribution on the ACFP board of directors will highlight the excellence of family medicine that exists right here and now within the Alberta health care system. 

What about the ACFP’s work do you find most valuable?
Ability to highlight and further support the excellence of primary care right here in Alberta.

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