President’s message

The past 2 years have posed many challenges for our members and our organisation.

Nonetheless, the SRPC has made big strides in advocating for rural generalism and the health of rural people.

Early 2021 saw the formal conclusion of the Rural Road Map Implementation Committee. The SRPC is now continuing the work of the rural road map with on-going projects such as collaborating with Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) on rural research, disseminating the consensus statement on rural patient transfers, advocacy work around national licensure and involvement in a Health Human Resources planning group at the Canadian Medical Forum. We have also reached out to multiple stakeholders to explore common goals and identify ways to improve rural health care.

Recognising our responsibilities in reconciliation, the SRPC introduced a successful webinar series on Indigenous health. This series provides our members with access to knowledge and evidence that is essential for delivering culturally safe care to Indigenous patients and communities. In Fall 2021, the SRPC Indigenous Committee issued a statement that called upon governments to 'invest in indigenous peoples individually and collectively, listen to the wisdom of Indigenous peoples, and collaborate on the solutions they propose to the many inequities that persist'.[1] We also asked SRPC members to learn from and listen to their Indigenous patients, identify injustices and inequities, and advocate for change in policies and laws negatively impacting indigenous communities.

Under the leadership of the SRPC Student Committee, we introduced a mentorship programme that aims to connect medical students and residents to rural physicians from across the country. This is a way to support career exploration, guidance and increase understanding of the scope of rural practice. This programme is thriving! We have successfully matched 100 learner mentees with a rural mentor physician!

While the past 2 years have been a bizarre time for all of us, it has been my absolute pleasure to have served as the SRPC president. I look forward to on-going involvement with the organisation in my role of past-president during the next term. Thank you to the past presidents and to the many dedicated SRPC members for help and guidance during my tenure.

The society is in excellent hands with our amazing staff, and Dr. Sarah Lesperance will be a great successor. She has worked in many different rural and remote parts of the country, and continues to be a dedicated rural generalist. I hope that some normalcy may shine on us during her future as President of the SRPC.