We held our Annual General Meeting (now called the Annual Meeting of Members to be consistent with the CFPC’s Bylaws) on March 5th, 2016 in Banff, and had a record number of members attend and vote on the changes that were proposed and shared with you throughout 2015.
Governance Recommendations Approved
A few highlights from the meeting and the changes going forward are as follows:
- A new ACFP Board of Directors made up of nine members at large, eliminating constituency representation and the dissolution of the Executive Committee.
- A new set of ACFP Bylaws to govern the organization which incorporates all of the recommended updates based on the governance review, including:
- President’s term will be two years,
- Board will meet 6 to 10 times per year, and
- Clear differentiation between governance responsibility to Board and operations to the Executive Director with a clear performance evaluation criteria in the form of new policies.
- A move to a new annual financial auditing firm, Collins Barrow Edmonton LLP of Edmonton.
- A 3% provincial chapter membership fee increase based on inflationary factors.
The governance changes allow for improved engagement and understanding of issues by the Board as it tasks the Board to proactively communicate with the membership. The Board will be able to better evaluate its own performance and the performance of staff and operations. This also opens the whole Board for any ACFP member in good standing to put their name forward.
Members Comment on the ACFP’s Strategic Priorities
To wrap up the meeting, we also asked the attendees of the AGM to discuss at their tables a few key strategic areas. Here are some responses to the questions asked:
Providing value to our membership is a strategic priority for the ACFP. What is the greatest need as a Family Physician?
Your peers said they wanted continued advocacy for family physicians with governments for appropriate models of care (Patient’s Medical Home (PMH) and Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and system supports to make it happen. They also wanted recognition of the needs of members, continued collegial, unbiased continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities (Annual Scientific Assembly (ASA), Tools for Practice, Practical Evidence for Informed Practice (PEIP) conference, Alberta Seniors Care Coalition Seniors Care Conference) and mentorship for family physicians and IMGs in their first five years of practice, guidelines around difficult/controversial issues, understanding and improving continuity of care, support for patients in rural Alberta for mental health, access to clinical tools and resources at point of care, collaboration and communication strategies with specialists, and ongoing endeavors to support primary care research and dissertation of primary care relevant evidence based medicine.
Building public awareness is a strategic priority for the ACFP. What message do you want to send to Albertans about the value of Family Physicians?
Your colleagues shared the need to promote improved health outcomes that come as a result of continuity of care with a family physician within a PMH and a PCN. `We are with you for the long term’.
Family medicine is a style and scope of practice that takes accountability for AAA patient care and follow up. Studies show that patient health (especially patients with chronic disease) is improved when attached to a family physician in a team based care setting (Patient’s Medical Home).
Advancing Excellence in Family Practice is the mandate for the ACFP. What would you like to learn more about that would advance excellence for you and your practice?
Family physicians in attendance noted that they would like learn more about health policy, medical management, self-awareness, team work, what exactly “Excellence in Family Practice” is. There was a comment about the ACFP doing more to encourage accountability, stewardship, and responsible use of resources among its members for the provision of extraordinary primary care even after hours reducing emergency room visits. They wanted more information about the PMH and how to assess and implement it in their own setting. Family physicians need better ways to access their specialist colleagues in a meaningful, person-to-person way to improve care for their patients.
Advocating for public policy is a strategic priority for the ACFP. If you had the power today to enhance or change one thing in the health system, what would you do? What policy, legislation, supports, etc… would you put in place?
Your friends in family practice wanted to promote, support, review, advocate, and increase funding to primary care to incent comprehensive and continuous care to a population. They also want to identify and support primary care for high needs, complex, and high-risk patient populations including resources for dental care, public drug plans (pharmacare) and extending access to medications for everyone regardless of socioeconomic status. Your colleagues suggested changes within AHS staff and increasing flexibility, transparency, and creating systems that communicate with each other. There needs to be a focus on policies that support prevention such as the abolition of marketing of food to children, taxing unhealthy foods, and making healthy foods affordable.
There were lots of comments about quality improvement (QI) and system efficiencies utilizing resources appropriately and with patient safety in mind (eg. Choosing Wisely Alberta/Canada) and then measure for QI purposes. They want to continue to advocate for PCN Evolution and QI in the PMH but also in how patients travel in and out of specialty care ensuring accountability for spending, safety, and reducing the redundancies in the system (eg. tests, lab, x-ray, DI, prescribed drugs in ER) through a centralized and linked electronic medical record (EMR) system.
Providing members with learning opportunities is a strategic priority for the ACFP. Share your most valuable learning experience from the last six months. Where was it held? What was it about? Who provided it? And why is it valuable?
Your peers identified the following as the most valuable recent learning opportunities:
- Seniors’ SCN forum in Red Deer – included all shareholders with free connection, directed discussions including shareholders other than physicians or admin.
- As a new doctor to Canada, I have learned best/most effectively through discussions with my colleagues;
- Learn from exploring patient issues with resident/student; working through diagnostic challenges.
- Planning sessions regarding accountability in medicine and the need to work on passing the message to public on physician responsibility to our patient and public.
- Supporting development of a research project collaboratively with non-physician clinical colleagues and administrative personnel who know systems.
- I learn through integrated research in my clinical work.
- PCN meetings in own community about local needs by local speakers that understand rural practice needs.
- The ACFP’s PEIP conference.
- PBSG Calgary was inexpensive with small groups with same interest in care of elderly.
- The ASA’s medical marijuana keynote debate was a shining example of how to showcase, inform, and challenge family doctors on controversial issues that affect our patients and ourselves. Dr. Robert Hauptman provided low-key enjoyable expert information.
We asked these questions because the ACFP, our professional organization for continuing learning and development, wants to commit to you to continue to engage and create value for you, your teams, and your patients. We want to identify your learning and professional needs and collaborate with our partners in health care to support the advancement of excellence in family practice and extraordinary care within the system.
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