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The department is preparing for a busy fall, and we are pleased to offer you the following opportunities for professional development and community engagement. Led by our Faculty Development Director, Dr. Laura Visentin, we encourage all faculty members to participate in our Essential Teaching Skills 2 & 3 series taking place on Friday, September 18, 2026. These sessions are crucial in supporting our learners by equipping faculty with practical strategies to support residents in difficulty and address professionalism concerns throughout their training journey. For more information, contact Robin Elsamah at relsamah@uottawa.ca or register online through Eventbrite.
We look forward to the return of the Family Medicine Grand Rounds (FMGR) series, resuming on September 24, 2026. Presenter information and registration details will be posted on the FMGR webpage soon.
There is still time to join colleagues at the Department of Family Medicine Faculty Retreat, taking place October 2 to 4, 2026, at the Fairmont Château Montebello. With limited spaces remaining, I encourage faculty members to register before registration closes on August 25. The retreat is an opportunity to connect with peers, engage in departmental discussions, and help shape priorities for the year ahead. View the full agenda and register using the link below.
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We are excited to announce that Destination: Family Medicine will be taking place on Friday, November 6, 2026. Led by uOttawa’s Office of Continuing Professional Development (CDP) and supported by the DFM, this outreach initiative introduces high school students to the opportunities and impact of a career in Family Medicine. Whether by participating in the event or sharing information with prospective student attendees, you can help inspire future family physicians. For more information, contact Laura Darbon, Event Coordinator, Office of CPD, at ldarbon@uottawa.ca.
The department also continues to support recruitment through both internal and external career opportunities. If interested, please visit our Career Opportunities page and share current postings within your networks.
I wish you a relaxing and enjoyable remainder of your summer.
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Congratulations to Dr. David Ponka, Full Professor, on receiving the 2026 Calvin L. Gutkin Family Medicine Ambassador Award, presented through the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine (FAFM).
The award recognizes leadership in Canadian Family Medicine, including vision, innovation, communication and relationship building that contribute to advancing Family Medicine in Canada and internationally.
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Congratulations to Dr. Clare Liddy, Full Professor, on her renewal as the University of Ottawa Research Chair in eConsult and Primary Healthcare Delivery.
This renewed appointment recognizes Dr. Liddy’s continued leadership and contributions to improving access to specialist advice and advancing primary healthcare delivery through innovative digital health solutions. Her work continues to support more connected, accessible and responsive care for patients and healthcare providers.
| | Partnering for Better Access: The City of Ottawa and the Department of Family Medicine | | This is Part 1 of a three-part series exploring efforts to strengthen access to primary care in Ottawa through collaboration, recruitment and retention initiatives, and community partnerships. | | |
Access to primary care remains one of the most pressing health-care challenges facing communities across Ontario, and Ottawa is no exception. As many residents continue to seek access to a family physician, health system partners are exploring new approaches to recruitment and retention while improving access to care. Recognizing the vital role primary care plays in healthy communities, the City of Ottawa has adopted a Primary Care Recruitment and Retention Strategy aimed at better understanding local needs and identifying practical ways to support existing efforts.
As part of this work, the City of Ottawa has introduced a Primary Care Ambassador role, currently being piloted over two years. Danielle Vernooy, RN, BScN, CCHN(C), MADEM, is the City of Ottawa's inaugural Primary Care Ambassador. A registered nurse with experience in community health, public health, emergency management, and health system collaboration, she has worked closely with residents, healthcare professionals and clinicians throughout her career. Most recently, she supported the establishment of a Primary Care Working Group through CHEO and the Kids Come First Health Team focused on improving access to care for children and youth. These experiences have provided firsthand insight into the barriers many residents face in accessing care and continue to inform her work strengthening primary care access in Ottawa.
The Primary Care Ambassador role serves as a connector, bringing together physicians, clinics, health system partners, learners and academic leaders to better understand the realities of practice and identify opportunities for collaboration. It also includes helping to showcase Ottawa as an attractive place to practise while connecting clinicians with community resources and partners. Rather than duplicating activities already underway, the City's goal is to learn from existing initiatives, foster collaboration, and identify where municipal involvement can add value to Ottawa's primary care landscape.
This work is particularly relevant to the Department of Family Medicine, given its central role in training the next generation of family physicians. At a time when access to primary care remains a significant challenge for many Ottawa residents, the Department of Family Medicine is a critical partner in supporting recruitment, retention and successful transitions into practice for new physicians. As the City continues to engage with physicians, learners, clinics and health-system partners, input from faculty members, practicing physicians, residents and learners will help inform and shape these efforts. These conversations will help identify partnership opportunities, strengthen the transition from training to practice in Ottawa, and support shared solutions aimed at improving access to primary care for Ottawa residents.
Faculty members, residents, and physicians interested in learning more, sharing their perspectives, or connecting about this work are encouraged to contact Danielle Vernooy, Primary Care Ambassador with the City of Ottawa, at danielle.vernooy@ottawa.ca.
| | Introducing the New CFPC SAMP Examination Blueprint | | |
Dr. Kendall Noel, Associate Professor, Academic Support and Remediation, and Chair, Board of Examination and Certification, College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC), shared an important update with the department about recent enhancements to the Certification Examination in Family Medicine.
The College of Family Physicians of Canada has released its new SAMP Examination Blueprint and Content Specifications for the Certification Examination in Family Medicine, providing greater transparency about how the written examination is developed and how examination content is selected. The blueprint outlines the scope, assessment objectives, clinical encounters, care settings, and social contexts that guide examination development while reflecting the breadth of contemporary family medicine practice across Canada.
Read the SAMP Examination Blueprint and Content Specifications.
View the SAMP Blueprint Overview (1-page summary).
Importantly, the blueprint does not change the examination or candidate expectations but makes the existing framework publicly available. This work is part of the CFPC's ReFACE initiative, which aims to enhance the quality, relevance, and transparency of certification processes.
| | Highlighting Faculty Presenters at FMF 2026 | | |
Family Medicine Forum 2026, taking place in Toronto from November 11 to 14, is an excellent opportunity to learn from and connect with Family Medicine leaders from across Canada, including several members of our own faculty. We encourage you to register and celebrate the strong presence of DFM faculty in this year's program.
The Department of Family Medicine will be well represented, with faculty members sharing their expertise through presentations on clinical care, medical education, quality improvement and innovation in Family Medicine. Below is a preview of their sessions.
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Dr. Emelie Braschi, Assistant Professor: “Motion and Lotion: MSK with PEER” and “In The Clinic with PEER”
In two practical, evidence-informed sessions led by the PEER team, participants will explore the assessment and management of common musculoskeletal concerns, including shoulder, wrist, hip and knee pain. “Motion and Lotion” will review focused physical examinations, appropriate imaging, and the evidence supporting commonly used injections.
Dr. Braschi will also present “In The Clinic with PEER,” an interactive session exploring common primary care presentations through realistic patient cases. Participants will examine evidence-based approaches to diagnosis, management and shared decision-making, with an emphasis on practical strategies they can apply in family practice.
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Dr. Arun Radhakrishnan, Assistant Professor: “Preventing Chronic Pain Across Care Transitions”
In this practical session, participants will explore how family physicians can support patients' pain management and recovery following elective surgery. Drawing on the SafeOp recommendations and the Power Over Pain Portal, the presentation will focus on setting recovery expectations, promoting multimodal pain management, and supporting responsible opioid use. Through practical examples, participants will learn how these resources can be integrated into routine postoperative care to help prevent persistent pain and prolonged medication use.
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Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, Lecturer: “Love It, Hate It: AI Tool Survey Results”
In this timely presentation, participants will review findings from a survey of more than 1,650 Ontario community-based clinicians on the use of artificial intelligence in primary and community care. The session will examine experiences with AI scribes, inbox assistants and clinical decision-support tools, as well as barriers to adoption. Participants will also explore concerns related to accuracy, privacy, regulation, liability and workflow, and the supports needed to promote the safe and effective use of AI in clinical practice.
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Dr. Simone Dahrouge, Associate Professor: “Improving the Care of Older Patients with Polypharmacy”
In this interactive workshop, participants will explore practical quality improvement approaches to caring for older patients who take multiple medications. The session will demonstrate how family physicians can use electronic medical record data to identify patients with polypharmacy and test improvements within their practices. Through discussion and small-group exercises, participants will examine how practice teams, quality improvement supports and deprescribing resources can help improve care for these complex and vulnerable patients.
| | Calling for Faculty of Medicine Support Staff Nominations | | |
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Faculty of Medicine Support Staff Awards of Excellence, which recognize the outstanding contributions of our support staff. Staff, learners, faculty members and faculty leaders are encouraged to submit nominations. For details, visit the Support Staff Awards of Excellence page for eligibility criteria and submission details.
The Faculty of Medicine also maintains a list of award opportunities for faculty, including upcoming nomination deadlines. We invite you to consider nominating a colleague whose achievements deserve recognition. To discuss potential nominations or explore suitable award opportunities, please contact Roslyn Ahrens, Communication and Awards Lead at rahrens@uottawa.ca. Visit the Faculty of Medicine’s awards page for more information.
| | Bureqa Hashi has joined the DFM as a Research Assistant supporting Doug Archibald, PhD, Director of Research and Innovation. A recent Master of Public Health graduate from uOttawa, she brings experience in global health, tropical disease research, primary care and health equity. We are pleased to welcome Bureqa to the team. She can be reached at bhashi@uottawa.ca. | | |
Crucial Series:
Strengthen your ability to navigate workplace challenges, foster accountability, influence outcomes and manage competing priorities through the Crucial Series. These practical workshops equip participants with proven tools to communicate effectively, build stronger working relationships and enhance personal productivity.
- Crucial Conversations for Accountability
- Offered on Wednesday, September 9 and 23, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Crucial Influence
- Offered on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Getting Things Done
- Offered on Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Use the shared registration form to learn more and register for one or more sessions.
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