News and Updates

Dr. Sarah Lespérance, Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia, Dr. Ruth Wilson and Dr. Trina Larsen Soles

On May 4, 2023, the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC) hosted a National Summit on Equitable Access to Medical Transport in Rural Canada at the Wabano Center for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, Ontario. It was an invitational meeting which gathered individuals from various jurisdictions involved in patient transfer, including those directly responsible for developing policy. Those in attendance included Indigenous organizations, rural patients with lived experience, transport providers, administrative and policy decision-makers, rural healthcare providers, and other key stakeholders.

In 2021 the SRPC, in collaboration with the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), released a Call-to-Action Statement on Rural Patient Transfers. Following the statement’s release, the SPRC’s goal has been to develop a strategic action plan with priority recommendations and concrete deliverables. This plan will help identify partners for action, confirm commitment for implementation, and identify roles for those directly involved in policy development and delivery of transport care.

The Summit gathered key partners to identify strategies for the delivery of rural transport care to ensure equitable access and high-quality healthcare for Canadians living in rural and remote areas. Participants shared innovative practices from across Canada and discussed specific action items that will further inform the SRPC’s work in developing a national patient transport action plan.

Common themes emerging at the Summit included the value of strategic partnerships and relationships to co-create solutions and the need to reduce or remove jurisdictional barriers.

“A national transport strategy and standards, when paired with national licensure, are essential to improve the quality of healthcare services and health equity for rural and Indigenous communities,” stated Dr. Sarah Lespérance, President of the SRPC. “From the energy, passion, humility and innovation shown by all our partners attending the summit, it is clear that the time is now to move forward with this important work.”

Developing strategies for more effective patient transfers requires cooperation and collaboration at a pan-Canadian level. The SRPC is committed to working with our partners to develop a clearly defined action plan that will support the implementation of the Call-to-Action Statement.

The SRPC would like to acknowledge and thank our partner organizations offering support for the Summit, including:  Rural Coordination Centre of BC, HealthCare Excellence Canada, Ornge, Health Standards Organization, and Canadian Institute for Health Information. The presence of patient partners to bring the voices of those with lived experiences with rural transport care was graciously facilitated by the Canadian Medical Association and HealthCare Excellence Canada.

About the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada

The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC) is the national voice of Canadian rural physicians. Founded in 1992, the SRPC’s vision is excellent health care close to home for all rural Canadians with a mission of championing rural generalist medical care through education, collaboration, advocacy and research.

On behalf of its members and the Canadian public, SRPC performs a wide variety of functions, such as developing and advocating health delivery mechanisms, supporting rural doctors and communities, promoting and delivering continuing rural medical education, encouraging and facilitating research into rural health issues, and fostering communication among rural physicians and other groups with an interest in rural health care.

The SRPC is a voluntary professional organization with over 2500 members representing rural physicians spanning the country.

Contact

Society of Rural Physicians of Canada

info@srpc.ca

877-276-1949

SRPC was delighted to launch the National Advanced Skills and Training Program in Rural Practice at our conference in Niagara Falls at the end of April. Watch the video https://f.io/cWzWpyYr. We welcome rural physicians who are interested in advanced skills training e.g., obstetrics, emergency medicine or anesthesia, to submit an application. The program is first-come, first-served, but applications must be submitted by November 30, 2023 and training must be completed by January 31, 2024 because the project ends on March 31, 2024. 

The program will fund training opportunities to upskill practicing rural physicians, including specialists, nationwide, enabling them to meet specific community needs and reducing the need for patient transport out of communities to receive these services. The goal is for trainees to develop an ongoing relationship with a local preceptor. The maximum funding available to each physician is $35,000.

Eligibility criteria include:

• Rural physicians must have an active license to practice in Canada.
• Physicians must be SRPC members.
• Physicians must have practiced in a rural community for a minimum of six months in the past year.
• Physicians may be practicing in more than one rural community.
• Physicians will have a demonstrated commitment to rural practice and will be expected to provide services in a rural area after training. Physicians must indicate their intention to return to a rural community for at least six months. 
• Residents are not eligible for funding.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can register here: https://srpc.ca/

Backgrounder for more information. If you have any questions, please contact SRPCtraining@srpc.ca.  

La SMRC a eu le plaisir de lancer le Programme national de formation et compétences avancées pour la pratique rurale lors de sa conférence à Niagara Falls à la fin du mois d'avril. Regardez la vidéo https://f.io/IDbAq6r4. Nous invitons les médecins ruraux intéressés par une formation en compétences avancées, par exemple en obstétrique, en médecine d'urgence ou en anesthésie, à soumettre leur candidature. Les demandes doivent être soumises avant le 30 novembre 2023 et la formation doit être terminée avant le 31 janvier 2024, car le projet se termine le 31 mars 2024.

Le programme financera des possibilités de formation pour améliorer les compétences des médecins ruraux en exercice, y compris des spécialistes, dans tout le pays, afin de leur permettre de répondre aux besoins spécifiques des communautés et de réduire la nécessité de transporter les patients en dehors des communautés pour recevoir ces services. L'objectif est que les participants développent une relation continue avec un précepteur local. Le financement maximum disponible pour chaque médecin est de 35 000 $.

Les critères d’admissibilité incluent ce qui suit :

• Les médecins ruraux doivent être titulaires d'une licence active leur permettant d'exercer au Canada.
• Les médecins doivent être membres de la SMRC.
• Les médecins doivent avoir exercé dans une communauté rurale pendant au moins six mois au cours de l'année écoulée.
• Les médecins peuvent exercer dans plus d'une communauté rurale.
• Les médecins doivent avoir démontré leur engagement à l'égard de la pratique rurale et doivent fournir des services dans une zone rurale à l'issue de leur formation. Les médecins doivent indiquer leur intention de retourner dans une communauté rurale pendant au moins six mois.
• Les résidents ne sont pas admissibles au financement.

Si vous répondez aux critères d’admissibilité, vous pouvez vous inscrire par le biais de ce site Web: https://srpc.ca/

Document d'information. Si vous avez des questions, veuillez contacter SRPCtraining@srpc.ca.

As rural physicians, we pride ourselves on being generalists, with flexibility, a broad knowledge base, and a willingness to learn new skills to serve our patients. Our training prepares us well for this, and we find great satisfaction in the variety and challenge of our work. However, sometimes, we notice a pattern evolving, where the same issue requiring patient transfer seems to present itself, new diseases occur with increased frequency, or the departure of a valued colleague means a sudden need for enhanced skills within our community.

Depending on where in this country a physician works, access to advanced skills training can be difficult to obtain once residency is complete. There are also the challenges of securing locum support, and the financial strain of leaving one's practice to complete training, while overhead and costs of living remain.

For these reasons, the SRPC is thrilled to announce the launch of a National Advanced Skills and Training Program for Rural Practice. In partnership with the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine (FAFM), we are collaborating with multiple partner organisations to broaden the capacity of inter-professional comprehensive primary care in Canada, with an overall goal of addressing critical labour shortages and enhancing labour mobility and utilisation.

The SRPC's key role is to administer a program that offers support for physicians to access a variety of existing training opportunities to increase their generalist skill set, to fill gaps identified by individual physicians and communities. This project has been modelled after the Rural Coordination Centre of British Columbia's Advanced Skills and Training Program. The FAFM has granted the SRPC funding that will allow us to offer numerous rural family physicians funding for training, income replacement and locum support, to meet an identified clinical need in the practice communities they serve. We feel this program will result in an increased ability to attract, develop and retain physicians in rural and indigenous communities. In addition, we hope that the relationships forged through training will enhance networks of care and offer valuable mentorship opportunities to participants. A robust evaluation and review process is planned, with the goal of securing funding on an ongoing basis.

While the SRPC is excited to offer this new opportunity to our members, we hope that this is only the beginning of enhanced training, mentorship and educational opportunities we offer to rural and remote healthcare providers across the country.

Lesperance S. President's Message – A national advanced skills and training program for rural practice. Can J Rural Med 2023;28:45

Lesperance S. President's Message – A national advanced skills and training program for rural practice. Can J Rural Med [serial online] 2023 [cited 2023 May 3];28:45. Available from: https://www.cjrm.ca/text.asp?2023/28/2/45/372317

The NWT Medical Association invites you to attend the second Evidence-Based Medicine Conference PEER North in Yellowknife NWT, September 21-23rd. 

The mission of PEER North is to provide a culturally relevant Northern educational forum for the purpose of connecting and strengthening relationships amongst Northern healthcare providers around current, evidence-based, primary care topics of interest.  Comments from last year indicate that this event is so much more than your typical CME. 

We hope you can make it and please sign up on our website to stay informed.

This rural-specific resource list was compiled and edited by the SRPC Resident Committee’s Resident Resources and Advocacy team with contributions from residents and physicians across the country. It includes apps, websites, podcasts, conferences, books, and other learning materials that rural physicians find helpful in their practice, with the goal of sharing resources across our vast community. Thank you to everyone who contributed their various resources so we could put this document together for all rural physicians to access. While we will strive to keep the links and related information current, we are not responsible for the content listed on this document.

While we strive to keep the links current, we are not responsible for the content or changes on each site. " instead then  -  "If you notice any links are out of date, or you have additional resources that you feel should be added to the list, please let us know at srpcresidents@gmail.com.

SRPC Resident Resources and Advocacy Team

The SRPC is now accepting applications for the Rural and Remote Medicine Conference Co-Presenter Program. This year, the conference is being held in Niagara Falls from April 20-22nd. The deadline to apply is February 20th.

With the co-presenter program, students and residents are matched with a workshop presenter to help present on a specific topic. Possible roles may include introducing the topic, assisting with developing the presentation, presenting portions of the talk, and facilitating group discussions. Student co-presenters will receive their choice of either a $200 honorarium, 1 free day at the conference, or 1 night's stay at a hotel.

Please complete the google form if you are interested in applying for the co-presenter program. We ask that you submit a separate form for each presentation you are interested in co-presenting.

• Please see the excel document for a list of presentations.
  
  
• Apply to co-present on this Google form.

Reminder. Today is the last day to send us your nominations.  (max 250 words) 

• Tell us who has done an exceptional job coaching you on your rural path. (Generalists & specialists are eligible.) Rural Mentors are committed to supporting future rural physicians & rural physicians in practice. Rural Mentorship Award

  
  

• We are looking for Student & Resident Leaders. Tell us about a student or resident passionate about rural & remote medicine, indigenous health, electives, volunteering, and published work.  Student Leadership Award / Resident Leadership Award

  
  

• We want to acknowledge the strong partnerships across the broader healthcare & educational system. Nominate an urban physician who has a Rural Heart! Rural Heart Award.

  
  

• Nominate a deserving individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to rural medicine nationally. Tell us how their achievements and hard work have impacted rural Canada for the Rural Leadership Award.

  
  

• Do you know a Rural Specialist who lives & works in rural Canada? Tell us about their commitment to serving their community, how they care for rural patients & support rural generalists. Rural Specialist Merit Award

  
  

• Do you know a rural physician who has significantly impacted their community through clinical services, teaching, research, volunteer work, or other community involvement? Nomination them for the Rural Community Impact Award.

  
  

• Nominate an allied healthcare professional (non-MD) for the Rural Health Champion Award. Tell us who has significantly impacted rural health care at a community, provincial or national level.

  
  

All the details and criteria are online at www.srpc.ca/awards

• Guidelines on how to nominate:
• Nominees must be active members of the SRPC.
• Format: Microsoft Word (max 250 words) A brief description of how the individual meets the criteria outlined on the www.srpc.ca/awards page.
• Send your nomination email to nominations@srpc.ca
• Your nomination must be received by January 31st.

Are you interested in applying to rural family medicine? Look no further! Check out the annual Rural Residency Catalogue for 2023 created by the Society of Rural Physicians Student Committee, which compiles information on rural sites all across Canada.

We have included a google map so you can see where each program is located, check out the links on page 2 of the catalogue. Also find testimonials and FAQ from real residents attending many of these programs. Best of luck with CaRMS!

Our student members have worked hard to keep this document as up to date as possible by contacting CaRMs and every program coordinator, but can sometimes miss new sites as they are created. A survey is linked on page 2 for any feedback you may have! 

While this has been developed with input from the residency programs, it is not designed in any way to replace the information that is available via CaRMS. If there is a contradiction between information presented in the catalogue and that presented elsewhere, then the information from CaRMS or directly from the school should be taken as correct.

https://srpc.ca/rural-residency-catalogue

A system in crisis. We are all feeling the heavy burden of increased workloads, lack of nursing and physician staff to provide clinical care, and higher volumes of patients seeking care in emergency departments. The relief we all hoped to feel, as case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19 decreased, has eluded us. We feel the moral injury of the late presentations and preventable illnesses, knowing that, despite our best efforts to provide care in this crumbling system, we have not been able to live up to the standards of our training.

It is an incredibly challenging time to work in healthcare, and the pressures felt in urban areas are only amplified for those of us working in the rural communities. In many regions, rural teams have had to face the difficult decision to close or limit services. While we all understand the importance of setting boundaries and a need to have some time off to be able to sustain work long term, it is harder to put into action. There is always a sense of guilt in seeing your patients at the grocery store, your child's sports practice, while spending time exercising or out to dinner with friends, knowing the emergency room is closed for the night. However, we are not the ones to blame for this.

All too often physician wellness initiatives have focused on having physicians come to terms with setting boundaries and augmenting their self-care or mindfulness strategies. However, these actions are far from sufficient to sustain our rural healthcare systems. We must demand more from our mayors, MPPs/MLAs and Federal government; rural Canada deserves better. We must also engage our patients in conversations around appropriate use of system resources, preventative care, injury prevention and ongoing strategies to reduce the transmission of illness. As part of our efforts to engage patients and governments in these critical conversations, the SRPC has launched an initiative regarding Emergency Department closures: https://srpc.ca/HHR_resource.

We know there is a crisis, but does everyone else? It's time we ensure they do, as this is not our burden to carry alone.

Lesperance S. President's Message – Rural emergency room closures. Can J Rural Med [serial online] 2023 [cited 2023 Jan 26];28:5. Available from: https://www.cjrm.ca/text.asp?2023/28/1/5/366271