CFPC's Family Medicine Forum

    
    CFPC Celebrates 6th Annual Family Doctor Week in Canada, October 26-31,
    2009
    

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 21 /CNW/ - Canada's largest annual family medicine scientific program is co-hosted this year by The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Alberta College of Family Physicians at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary from October 29-31, 2009. Scientific sessions, events and keynote speakers deliver new information for family doctors to advance their profession and care for their patients.

Media representatives are welcome to attend all open sessions. Upon arrival at the Telus Centre please proceed to the VIP Room/Media Centre, Glen Room 209, to register.

"It's a pleasure for the CFPC to host Family Doctor Week as an opportunity to recognize the essential role of family physicians across Canada and the highly valued relationships they share with their patients and professional colleagues," said CFPC President, Dr. Sarah Kredentser . "This special week is also an opportunity for governments, health care organizations and other professionals to acknowledge that family doctors make outstanding efforts to improve access to care for their patients through their roles in clinics, hospitals, universities, nursing homes and many other healthcare facilities in Canadian communities."

"The CFPC advocates for the best possible health care system for Canadians with family doctors playing a central role," adds Dr. Calvin Gutkin , Executive Director and CEO of the CFPC. "Through every health care challenge that we face, family doctors provide the front line of health care and the special relationships that they have with their patients, colleagues and communities are very important and highly valued. The CFPC is honoured to acknowledge the outstanding dedication of family doctors across the country and their ongoing commitment to their patients' health and well-being."

    
    Program Highlights open to media:

    October 29-31
    -------------
    Scientific Sessions: Topics include infectious disease outbreaks, what do
    we really need to know about the flu?, emergency medicine, life in the
    (family practice) trenches, the evolution of palliative care, delivering
    healthcare with a team approach, doctor-patient communication, nurse and
    nurse practitioner sessions, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive
    Healthcare, primary care research networks. See the detailed program of
    concurrent session presentations: http://fmf.cfpc.ca/

    Thursday, October 29, 2009
    --------------------------
    8:00-9:30 am: Macleod Hall, Telus Centre

    State of the College Address presented by Dr. Sarah Kredentser, CFPC
    President

    Keynote Address by Dr. Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH

    Recipient of the 2009 Scotiabank - CFPC Family Medicine Lectureship Award

    "Population health outcomes - Is the role of the family physician
    important?"

    Dr. Starfield, physician and health services researcher, is a university
    distinguished professor of health policy and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins
    University. She is internationally renowned for her work in primary care.
    Her work focuses on quality of care, health status assessment, primary
    care evaluation, and equity in health.

    10:00 am:

    CFPC Media Webcast: Glen Room 209, Telus Convention Centre, Calgary

    Patient-Centered Primary Care in Canada: Bring it on Home

    CFPC MEDIA ADVISORY TO BE ISSUED ON THURS, OCT 22, 2009

    NEWS RELEASE ISSUED ON THURS, OCT 29, 2009 with new Decima poll results
    and related CFPC recommendations. Materials released at the news
    conference. Media contacts for interviews as of that date: Geneviève
    Joly, Delta Media Inc. 613-233-9191 or Jayne Johnston, CFPC at FMF Media
    Centre: 403-218-7840

    Friday, October 30, 2009:
    -------------------------
    8:00-9:30 am: Macleod Hall, Telus Centre

    Keynote Address by Susan Auch, Five-time Olympian and three-time Olympic
    medalist

    "Sport and Fitness - A Prescription for Health"

    Susan Auch is a champion for sport and moreover the health benefits of
    sport despite her personal challenge with asthma. She is committed not
    only to her sport of speed skating, but also to the value of amateur
    sport for young Canadians. In 1995 Susan was named the Canadian Press
    Bobbie Rosenfeld Female Athlete of the Year, and in 1998 she was inducted
    into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Susan retired from competitive
    Speed Skating after her fifth Olympic Games in Salt Lake City 2002.

    Saturday, October 31, 2009:
    ---------------------------
    7:00-8:00 am: 5th Annual Walk for the Docs of Tomorrow

    5km walk and run to help raise funds for the Research and Education
    Foundation's Medical Student Scholarship Program. Entrance fee: $25.00.
    Children and students are free. Pledge sheets are available for download
    at www.cfpc.ca Event Contact: Sandra Hollingsworth 905-629-0900 ext 244
    or [email protected]

    10:00 am- 12:00 pm:

    Back by Popular Demand! History and Narrative: Stories in Family Medicine

    Come and share in the experience as the winners of the 2009 AMS Mimi
    Divinsky Award for History and Narrative in Family Medicine from across
    the country share their personal and fascinating stories of life as a
    family doctor. Media inquiries to Stephanie Fredo at [email protected]

    CFPC President's Installation and Canada's Family Physicians of the Year
    Awards Presentation -

    Dr. Cathy MacLean will be officially installed as the 2009-2010 CFPC
    President. That ceremony will be immediately followed by the
    presentations of the Reg L. Perkin Awards to the 2009 Family Physicians
    of the Year: http://fpoy.cfpc.ca

    SEE FPOY NEWS RELEASE AND BACKGROUNDER ISSUED ON MON, OCT 26, 2009. Media
    contact for interviews: Geneviève Joly, Delta Media Inc. 613-233-9191
    

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS

The College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) is the voice of family medicine in Canada . Representing 22,000 members across the country, it is the professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, certification and lifelong education of family physicians and for advocating on behalf of the specialty of family medicine, family physicians and their patients. The CFPC accredits postgraduate family medicine training in Canada's 17 medical schools.

(disponible en français)

For further information: Jayne Johnston, Communications Manager, The College of Family Physicians of Canada, 1-800-387-6197 ext.303, [email protected], www.cfpc.ca