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While summer offers many of us a much-needed reset, it is also a perfect opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, and to revisit the goals we would like to focus on for the remainder of the year.
Half-Year Highlights
Over the past few months, we have accomplished so much as an organization. Here is a snapshot of some of our efforts so far. We have:
- Advocated for an aspirational investment model for team-based primary care
- Celebrated 70 years of the ACFP’s annual Family Medicine Summit
- Offered in-person, virtual, and/or hybrid CPD programs to more than 2,700 members and interdisciplinary team members
- Matched more than 70 incoming medical students with a family physician volunteer this summer through the Shadowing Program – thanks to nearly 50 physician volunteers who generously shared their time and expertise to make this experience possible!
Your Membership Matters
July and now August also mark the beginning of another membership year, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued trust and commitment to our organization. Your ACFP membership goes a long way to ensuring the strategic directions of the ACFP Board and the initiatives of the governance and operational committees are actualized. It also supports the day-to-day operations of a small but dynamic staff team who help bring our ideas to life.
Together, the ACFP Board, committees, and staff work collaboratively to deliver the following priorities:
- Offer timely, high-quality CPD opportunities such as the ACFP’s Thursday Evening Webinars and its annual Family Medicine Summit
- Build awareness of primary care research by promoting projects and concepts that will improve the way we deliver care to our patients, mentor our learners, and manage our practices
- Provide relevant updates, tools, and information to members on topics that matter most to you and the family medicine specialty (e.g., monthly eNews, First Five Years in Family Practice blogs, CPD and Member Needs Assessments, and other communications initiatives)
Still to Come
Although the year may be more than half over, there are still more exciting program updates and events yet to come! This fall will be filled with returning favourites including program updates for the 2026 Family Medicine Summit, the ACFP’s Thursday Evening Webinars “Indigenous Health” session, and the announcement of this year’s ACFP Award recipients. It will also usher in something new!
On October 4th, the ACFP and Alberta Medical Association’s Accelerating Change Transformation Team (AMA ACTT) are co-hosting an exciting one-day event—the Family Medicine Innovation Forum—to showcase the latest and greatest in family medicine and primary health care innovations. We are also thrilled to announce that innovation expert, Shawn Kanungo will perform double-duty for the day as both keynote and emcee!
As we move forward, please know that the ACFP values each and every opportunity it gets to engage with its members. From needs assessments and session evaluations to email inquiries and on-site conversations, all your comments are heard and they help us find fresh and innovative ways to serve you better. We will remain persistent in promoting the value of family physicians, the Patient’s Medical Home vision, and continue to shine a light on this through our government relations and public awareness campaigns (Family Docs Rock!).
Volunteer for the ACFP Board and Committees
To help us advance our strategic vision and priorities, I would like to encourage you to join the ACFP Board or any of our committees. We welcome your expertise, leadership, and passion to any of our current opportunities, and will be sharing more details on how to apply in the weeks to come.
Your engagement means a lot to us, and I look forward to working with you soon. If this has already piqued your interest and you have further questions, please feel free to contact me at acfppres@acfp.ca.
We look forward to continuing to work diligently on your behalf. Have a great rest of your summer!
Yours Sincerely, 
Melanie Hnatiuk, MD CCFP
acfppres@acfp.ca
