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We are proud to announce the release of our 2023 DFM Annual Report. I encourage everyone to take a moment to read through it. This report provides a great overview of our accomplishments over the course of last year and is a testament to the breadth of our reach and the commitment of our people in advancing the discipline of family medicine. Thank you for your dedication to our department. We should all be proud of what we have achieved together. The French and English versions of the 2023 Annual Report can be accessed from our DFM homepage.

This month, we continue to plan and prepare for accreditation in May. In recognition of everyone’s hard work, please join a reception hosted by our department on Thursday, May 9, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Nest . All Faculty, residents and staff are welcome. Follow the link for more information and to register early as space is limited.

We are recruiting to fill a Full-Time Academic Physician position at both the Primrose Family Health Team and at the Bruyère Family Health Team. If you are keen to work in a dynamic, learner focused, primary care environment, and have a passion for advancing the discipline of Family Medicine, please consider applying. Please share these job postings within your networks. These positions will remain open until they are filled.

We encourage faculty who are interested in seeking to further their academic, educational or leadership skills to apply for the Family Medicine Scholarship Fund (FMSF). The deadline for applications this quarter is May 1, 2024. Refer to our FMSF webpage to view the type of funding supports available to faculty members, and download the application form to apply.

Join the Department of Family Medicine’s MainPro+ Certified Family Medicine Grand Rounds (FMGR), via Zoom, on Thursday, April 25, 2024, for presentations from Dr. Jason Trickovic, Assistant Professor, Dr. Victoria Swan, Assistant Professor and Dr. Laura Cummings, Lecturer, on “Family Medicine centred PoCUS at the Civic Family Health Team: Increasing our depth while capitalizing on our gains;” and Ramtin Hakimjavadi, Medical Student, on “Using electronic consultation (eConsult) to conduct health services research on frailty.” For more information, view the FMGR poster.

The Pembroke Family Medicine Teaching Unit (PFMTU) is excited share with you some highlights from the past year. Please enjoy this update provided by Dr. Richard Johnson, recently reclassified to the rank of Assistant Professor with our Department in recognition of his educational achievements, a Family Doctor in Pembroke, Site Director of the Pembroke Residence Program, Chief of Family Practice at the Pembroke Regional Hospital, Clinical Lead of the Ottawa Valley OHT and Co-Chair of the Renfrew County and South Algonquin Primary Care Network. He is 10 years into practice having graduated from the Pembroke Residency Program. His passion is maximizing the health of residents in Renfrew County, and he is supported by his wife and 2 lovely kids who attempt to keep him balanced.

Growth to 6 residents per year: We have doubled down on our strategy to maximize the learner pipeline, given the high percentage of unattached patients, and high rate of retention of our graduates to Renfrew County (60%) 5 years out into practice. A further 95% of our graduates have stayed rural upon graduation. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we went fully matched for 6 residents in CaRMS this year.

Expansion: Our growth necessitated physical space. We are wrapping up an expansion to house further staff physicians and learners at our clinic in PRH, tower D.

Remote pilot: In their first and second year, we allow residents that match to our program to choose to spend 3 months in Deep River or Barry’s Bay with an excellent set of preceptors. This program has been tremendously popular: all residents last year chose to participate. After reviewing feedback, including some continuity of care challenges and how to equitably provide learning opportunities, we have decided to modify the program to 2 months per year with the full support of residents, staff and remote sites. We were excited to welcome additional preceptors in both communities: Dr. Michael Sage, Lecturer, in Deep River, and Dr. Steven Chen, Lecturer, in Barry’s Bay.

Indigenous curriculum: Our residents and some staff physicians participated in the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan locally created Indigenous cultural awareness training in February. It was eye opening and sad to hear just how much language and culture this community has lost, and that a community 30 minutes down the road from us continues to be under a boil water advisory. We thank the department for the funding so our residents could participate. We are also piloting some days where our residents work with Derek Frew, NP, who is the main clinician working at the Pikwakanagan FHT. Initial feedback has been very positive from all parties.

Created a gender affirming care clinic: Doniya Quenneville, R2, came into our program with an interest in this population and saw the gap in Renfrew County. With training and relationship building with the Centretown CHC, Doniya and one of our local preceptors, Dr. Sylvie Cantin, Lecturer, were able to start a small clinic. Doniya has just signed to stay on in Deep River when she graduates, which means this care should be more accessible to local patients. She can also help run the curriculum for our learners.

Evaluation fatigue: Our preceptors commented on some redundant resident evaluations and so we are putting the final touches on optimizing this process prior to rolling it out for the new R1s in July.

In 2024, we look forward to completing accreditation, executing on the expansion and trialing out days for our residents to work with the homeless population at the Grind in Pembroke with Dr. Declan Rowan, Lecturer.

October 2023 Pembroke Regional Hospital Black & White Gala. Left to Right: Maddie Nolan PGY1, Beth Crawford PGY1, Hannah Hopper PGY2, Doniya Quenneville PGY2, Dr. Declan Rowan (staff physician), Dr. Richard Johnson, Assistant Professor, Erin Ferrie PGY1, Taylor Wilkins PGY1 & Elisa Christinck PGY1

Our Project Management Office (PMO), led by Marisa Duval, Senior Project Manger, is responsible for coordinating the development of innovative resources and ensuring their alignment with the DFM’s mandate and Strategic Plan. Drawing on their own multidisciplinary team and external partnerships, the PMO provides support and expertise in all areas of digital content development and custom software applications with the aim of meeting the rapidly evolving needs of our learners, faculty and staff. We would like to share project highlights that have impacted our department during the first quarter of 2024.

Outcome of Training Project

The Outcome of Training (OTP) project concluded on March 31^st, 2024. Dr. Denice Lewis, (Complex Systems Navigator) and Dr. Doug Archibald (Developmental Evaluator) released the following update upon the conclusion of this project:

The final Curriculum and Readiness reports were successfully submitted to the CFPC March 31^st. This concludes the official business of the OTP team regarding the Memorandum of Understanding with the CFPC. Our next step will be to prioritize various elements of the curriculum renewal process incorporating feedback from accreditation and the CFPC's forthcoming curriculum renewal guides.

Immersive VR for Self Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries in First Responders and Emergency Healthcare Workers

This project, in partnership with uAlberta, is approaching its conclusion. The success of the initial prototype of the VR Scuba for Self-Management of Stress and Anxiety has been expanded through a partnership with the University of Alberta and funded by the Government of Alberta, allowing for the development of a subsequent VR prototype for the Self-Management of Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries (PTSI) in First Responders and Emergency Healthcare Workers.

This customized VR application has been piloted among several first responders and emergency healthcare workers in Ontario. York University has also built upon our prototype to allow for multiple players within the same experience.

As the study reaches its conclusion (June 2024), the PMO and DFM Research team are working together to analyze the impact this experience had on understanding psychological supports, and the benefits this medium has had on alleviating PTSI symptoms and improving mental health outcomes.

VR Escape room – Preparation for VR Academic Day

The PMO team has already begun preparing for the fall Academic Day when a new cohort of learners will be faced with a series of challenges in a virtual reality setting that will test their Quality Improvement knowledge. This is the second time DFM staff from across the Education, Faculty Affairs and PMO teams will join to support our learners in this capacity.

In the spirit of continuous improvement, the PMO Team, with support from Dr. Kheira Jolin-Dahel, Assistant Professor, is producing tutorial videos for staff and learners alike to ensure the instructions remain consistent, the training is efficient, and the technical knowledge is captured in a medium that is accessible to all. This means that in more remote locations, and for rural residents, there is equal access to training for all.

Long-term Care

The PMO has completed the technical build for the next series of Long-term Care (LTC) eLearning material. The five LTC modules will now undergo a peer review process before being released to our learners and faculty via our Innovation portal: uodfm.ca. These five case-based Long-Term Care Modules have been developed to demystify the long-term care setting and address how patients and their families make the decision to enter long-term care in Ontario. These modules will also help learners to better understand the organization and delivery of long-term care and the role of the family physician in the long-term care setting.

Ontario University Council on e-Learning Presentation

The PMO was asked by the University of Ottawa’s Teaching and Learning Support Service (TLSS) to present lessons learned from our VR development work and other eLearning applications to the Ontario University Council on eLearning (OUCel). Those attending this presentation included representatives from various ‘Centres of Teaching & Learning’ in Ontario. The PMO discussed its approach to working with multi-disciplinary teams to form innovative teaching applications that leverage new technology and a variety of formats to expand the department’s educational offerings, and how to take advantage of funding opportunities to deliver applications to DFM learners within our training environment.

Please contact pmodfm@uottawa.ca for feedback or to request access to the Innovation Portal: uodfm.ca

On Wednesday, March 27^th, the Department of Family Medicine gathered to celebrate the remarkable tenure of Donna Williams. This special occasion marked her retirement, bidding her a fond farewell as she embarks on an exciting new chapter after dedicating 15 years to the department. Donna's role as the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Medical Education Program within the Education team has left an undeniable mark on the institution.

Throughout her tenure, Donna served as a guide for countless medical students, following them through their transformative journeys from first year, to residency to becoming accomplished doctors, and in some cases, faculty members. Her dedication and expertise have not only shaped the educational landscape but have also nurtured the aspirations of many, guiding them toward promising careers in medicine.

The retirement lunch was an opportunity for faculty and staff to come together, reflect on cherished memories and express gratitude for Donna's profound impact. As anecdotes and laughter were shared, it became clear just how deeply Donna's presence has touched the lives of those around her. It was a moment to celebrate not only her professional achievements but also the countless lives she has touched and the legacy she leaves behind.

Donna shared a few words with us: “The DFM was my favorite career I have ever had. I worked with thousands of students, faculty, and administrative staff. The most rewarding aspect of my role has been watching shy and apprehensive first year medical students as they grow and build confidence through their undergraduate years, followed by moving on to complete their residency program to become physicians. I thrived seeing them give back by teaching medical students at the school and/or within their own clinics. I would like to thank everyone connected to the DFM, past and present, for making the past fifteen and a half years the best time of my career.”

Kim Rozon, Dr. Lina Shoppoff, Dr. Clare Liddy, Dr. Rita Hafizi and Donna Williams during the retirement celebration.

73rd Annual Refresher Course for Family Physicians

From April 17-19, the Office of Continuing Professional Development is hosting the 73^rd Annual Refresher Course for Family Physicians. This comprehensive course will provide family physicians and other health-care providers the latest information to diagnose and manage the numerous conditions that fall within the realm of family medicine, in both rural and urban settings. For more information, click here.