Dear ACFP Members:
September often feels like the start of a new year—a natural time to reflect on where we have been and where we are headed. In that spirit, I would like to highlight a few of the accomplishments we have achieved so far and to anticipate some of the work still to come. Through each of these efforts, our focus remains on strengthening family medicine, creating meaningful opportunities for member engagement, and advancing priorities that support Alberta’s primary care and family medicine community.
Three Key Wins
2026 Family Medicine Summit (Summit) and Annual Meeting of Members (AMM)
For the first time in over four decades, the Summit was hosted in Calgary, marking a shift from its traditional setting in the Rockies to an urban centre. This change expanded accessibility and created new opportunities to engage members from across the province. The Summit attracted more than 600 participants in person and virtually and strengthened camaraderie and collaboration among members through networking events. The AMM and Board forum that followed provided members an opportunity to inform our strategic planning efforts.
ACFP Road Shows
In April, the ACFP launched Road Shows, a program designed to bring locally relevant, in-person CPD opportunities to rural communities. Because these sessions are shaped by local primary care needs, the ACFP Road Shows have created space for learning that reflects the realities of communities across Alberta. I would like to thank our planning committee members and all who have contributed to making this program possible. Your involvement has helped foster connections, enrich learning, and has ultimately led to the program’s early success.
Advocacy and Public Awareness Initiatives
As a registered lobbyist, the ACFP has continued its efforts by engaging government on key primary care issues, elevating member concerns (e.g., changes to the parent/guardian access to MyHealth Records for youth under 18), and celebrating the contributions of family physicians through its Family Docs Rock campaign. Following the provincial cabinet shuffle, the ACFP took steps to build relationships with newly appointed ministers, including an introductory meeting with the Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services, Justin Wright.
What Lies Ahead
There is still so much to look forward to in months to come. Here are just a few activities to get excited for this fall:
2026 Family Medicine Innovation Forum (FMIF)
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the ACFP will host the 2026 FMIF at the Westin Edmonton October 2nd and 3rd. The in-person event will bring ACFP members, primary health care teams, and health partners together to connect and discover how they can support and be supported by the latest primary health care innovations. Registration is open and I look forward to having our members be part of this conversation. A $50 registration discount is available to those who register by September 20 using promo code FMIF737.
Member Recognition and Celebration
This time next month, we will have announced this year’s recipients of the ACFP Awards. Collectively celebrating our colleagues, learners, and clinics is one of my favourite ACFP programs. It is so important that we acknowledge those around us who do incredible work and leave a lasting impression on not only the profession, but their respective practice settings and communities.
More CPD Opportunities
The free CPD series—ACFP Thursday Evening Webinars—returns next week with a refreshed format designed to deepen your learning experience. Sessions will incorporate dynamic educational components including workshops, small group discussions, individual reflection activities, assessments, and/or case-based learning designed to support real-world knowledge translation. The first series, Physician Wellness, will be presented by Dr. Florence Obianyor. Get registered here.
ACFP Road Shows have also added one more stop in Medicine Hat, October 15th. If you are in the area, please join us for an evening of socializing and learning. Our presentation will be “Addressing Migration, Integration, and Health Access for Newcomers to Canada” with guest speaker Dr. Annalee Coakley.
Government Relations
The ACFP will continue to promote the value of its members, noting family physicians are everywhere health care happens and work in all pillars of the system. We remain steadfast in relaying our priorities (i.e., improving access to family physicians, supporting team-based care through the Patient’s Medical Home model, and reducing administrative burden) with government officials and will continue to monitor policy developments, seek member input, and advocate for what matters most to you.
Our achievements to date are the result of the dedication, collaboration, and resilience of our membership and staff team. Together, these milestones reflect the ACFP’s continued commitment to excellence, member engagement, and agility in adapting to changing circumstances and emerging opportunities. Our progress is made possible through these combined efforts. Thank you for your continued support and ongoing contributions; your involvement and input remain invaluable. Please continue to participate in our conversations, programs, and efforts. As always, I look forward to hearing from you and welcome your thoughts via email: acfppres@acfp.ca.
Sincerely,
Melanie Hnatiuk, MD, CCFP, FCFP
ACFP President
One Response
Congratulations on a great year Melanie!