Being a catalyst

A catalyst may be defined as “a substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process.”1

The SRPC has a vision of excellent care close to home for all rural Canadians. We are a relatively small organization whose members work at the coal face of rural health care. We are intimately aware of the health care needs of the rural population but do not always have the personnel or funding to enact needed changes.

Since its inception, in 1992, the SRPC has worked with many other medical organizations to promote and improve health care for rural populations. A quick review of the CJRM will show several position papers that were developed jointly with other medical organizations. Recently, we worked with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of
Canada and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons to produce the “Joint position paper on rural surgery and operative delivery.”2 It is important
for us to work with organizations sometimes larger than our own, in order to advance mutual interests. There is recognition that much of the enhanced skill
training is done by members of specialty societies, that training is accredited by the CFPC, and that family physicians with these enhanced skills would be primarily serving rural populations.

Just a few months ago, we worked with the CFPC and the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians to respond to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s policy