Read the full January eNews and President’s Message.
Machiavelli said “Never waste the opportunity offered by a crisis” … but we ought to ensure we are consistent and fully in-line with our organizational principles!
A crisis shakes us out of complacency and forces us to challenge conventional wisdom so that we can create transformative change. When things get tough and decisions need to be made quickly, having a set of principles to guide you can allow freedom to create solutions and the structure to hold true to what the membership believes.
The Alberta College of Family Physicians is a principle based organization that prides itself in its role to strive for constant improvement and excellence. In the past several years, we have, collectively as family physicians, been challenged to provide leadership for change. As defined in our Strategic Framework 2017-2019, the principles that the ACFP has held up to guide us are:
- Professionalism: The ACFP acts with integrity, respect, and inclusiveness, upholding the social responsibility of family medicine.
- Continuous Learning and Professional Development: The ACFP supports and inspires self-directed and lifelong learning, quality improvement, research, and continuing professional development for family physicians so that they may adapt to changes in medical evidence, patient, and community needs.
- Patient Centred and Integrated Care: The ACFP is comprised of caring family physician leaders, who ensure comprehensive and integrated care and value excellence in health care inspired by personal interactions and trusting relationships in the communities they serve.
- Applied Leadership: The ACFP leads and participates in collaborative, practical, evidence-based initiatives with stakeholders to advance excellence in family medicine and the health care system.
- The Views and Needs of Our Membership: The ACFP is inclusive and reflective of its members’ views and needs, building awareness of the value of family medicine through responsive and adaptive communication, advocacy, research, engagement, and education.
It may appear mundane and oversimplified but this set of foundational principles has carried us through some difficult times. It is the leadership and Board of Directors of the ACFP who reflect and strive to live these principles whenever they work together on your behalf.
Let us know what you think.
Are we on the right track? I am always happy to hear from you about where you struggle and where you are succeeding in your practice so that we can continue to support and advocate for what you need to serve your patients well.