DFCM Annual Report 2017-2018

Dr. Katherine Rouleau
Vice-Chair, Global Health and
Social Accountability
The creation of the position of Vice-Chair
Global Health and Social Accountability
speaks to the link between our local and
international efforts to advance equity through quality family
medicine and evokes our responsibility to demonstrate our
impact. Thus, to share our expertise with the world, we have
submitted a proposal to become a World Health Organization
of Collaborating Centre in Family Medicine and Primary Care.
This year we hosted the 6th edition of our Toronto
International Program and welcomed inspiring family medicine
leaders from Ethiopia, Kuwait, Syria, Japan and the Republic of
Georgia. After a two-year absence, we welcomed back Chilean
primary care colleagues from a host of disciplines for our fiveweek
“Chilean Interprofessional Program in Primary Care and
Family Health”. This year, the themes of leadership, change
management and team-based care were highlighted. We also
hosted our four-day Global Health Primer where participants
learned about and reflected on the basics of global health. The
program included two days focused on international global
health and two days on addressing adverse determinants of
health in the local, Canadian context as well as the mutual
relationship of these two aspects of global health.
Moving forward, we aim to create an academic family medicine
hub for educational innovation and idea-sharing to improve the
care of those most disadvantaged in our communities. We also
aim to become the first choice for training in family medicine
for Indigenous trainees in Canada. We are eager to engage in
the transformation required for true reconciliation.
Ultimately, our goal remains to improve health and health
equity through family medicine. We look forward to building on
the past year’s achievements to continue our progress towards
this pressing goal.
Dr. David White
Vice-Chair, Family Doctor Leadership
A new portfolio, Family Doctor
Leadership, was established as part of
organizing the department for continued
success and increasing impact. As
inaugural Vice-Chair, my mandate incorporates responsibility
for some traditional academic responsibilities – appointments,
promotions and faculty development – and enhances our
commitment to leadership development, scholarship, and
faculty well-being. Improving equity and diversity in
recruitment and retention of leaders is a core component.
The initial eight months in this role include the following
initiatives and success:
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Working closely with Dr. Viola Antao, Director of our
robust Faculty Development program, to build on its strong
track record in faculty appointments, junior promotion and
core offerings that support our teachers and researchers
in this large, distributed and diverse department.
Developing a novel Master Class in Family Doctor
Leadership, due to launch in fall 2018. This program
will bring together world-class DFCM leaders with
rising stars in our faculty in an intimate setting, to build
skills, create relationships and impact our discipline.
The successful promotion of all six candidates who
went forward to Associate and Full Professor.
Participation in programs to promote leadership
in DFCM and in faculty-wide programs, including
the Women in Academic Medicine Conference
and a coaching event for black physicians.
Collaborating with the Vice-Chairs of Education and
Scholarship and Research and Advocacy to create improved
tools to assess academic productivity and mentorship.
Dr. Jeff Myers
Head, Division of Palliative Care
A focus for the Division of Palliative Care
(DPC) over the past year has been to
support our teachers and learners in the
implementation of competency-based
education. Through the combined efforts of our Education,
Faculty Development and Quality Leadership portfolios, the
inaugural DPC Learner and Faculty Development Retreat
was held with over 65 teachers and learners in attendance.
Additionally, to model the importance of self-care and honour
the clinical and academic challenges that are unique to the
discipline, the inaugural DPC Winter Wellness Retreat was
held in February.
Efforts to build quality capacity among DPC faculty were
ongoing this past year, as was the focus on integrating
palliative care content into the undergraduate Foundations
Curriculum. Dr. Keith Johnstone and Dr. Alissa Tedesco
were awarded the 2018 Larry Librach Award for Excellence
in Palliative Care Scholarship. Both learners completed
outstanding projects that directly impacted the experience of
patients and families.
Finally, and of great importance, Dr. Monica Branigan has
retired from DPC. Throughout her career in roles such as
DFCM Faculty Lead for Ethics and Professionalism and DPC
Continuing Professional Development Lead, Dr. Branigan
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