This Family Doctor Day, the BC College of Family Physicians and the UBC Department of Family Practice acknowledge that family physicians are the bedrock of our healthcare system. We celebrate family physicians across the province, not just today, but every day.
You are the foundation of our healthcare system, handling the majority of issues that people face over their lifetimes. Having a family doctor who knows and cares for people over time results in better overall health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction and fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits. This is possible because of you.
Thank you for your commitment to listening to and learning from wise voices with a breadth of experience and knowledge. We acknowledge your commitment to scholarship, to teaching and to supporting the next generation of health providers and leaders in team-based care and learning.
While there is still a journey ahead to making family medicine a more sustainable specialty, we are optimistic about the future. Residency positions have been overwhelmingly filled as part of the solution to provide everyone in the province access to a family physician.
We appreciate your resilience in serving the communities of BC in which you live, and your commitment to the health and wellbeing of your patients, your staff, your colleagues and yourselves.
Robert Petrella
Head, Department of Family Practice
UBC Faculty of Medicine
Vincent Wong
President, BC College of Family Physicians
Assistant Clinical Professor, UBC Department of Family Practice