Letter from Dr. Francine Lemire to Members

2022-09-19

Dear colleagues,

I hope you have found some time to rest and recharge over the summer. As we head into the fall, I have some important information I would like to share with you.

My last day as Executive Director and CEO of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) is September 23rd. I have been honoured to serve my profession for almost a decade as Executive Director and CEO, and I thank you for the support you’ve given me.

I am delighted to welcome Dr. Lawrence C. Loh as the new Executive Director and CEO of the CFPC. Lawrence’s first day with the College is September 26th. You’ll be hearing more from him in the coming weeks.

One of Dr. Loh’s first major duties will be to present his vision at the Annual Meeting of Members on November 2nd. This year’s virtual meeting takes place the week before Family Medicine Forum (FMF) from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ET) to allow for more members to attend. You will receive an invitation to register October 12th.

We are excited to announce that we are proposing a simplification of our member classes, reducing them from the present 11 classes to four. Those four classes recognize members in practice, those who are in the learning stage of their career, those who are no longer in practice and wish to maintain a connection to the CFPC, and those in other medical/surgical specialties. This new approach will enhance service to you, make fees and benefits clear, and reduce internal administration. We will share more information in the coming weeks.

These last couple of years have been very difficult, yet family doctors have risen to the challenge, providing exceptional care to their patients while also supporting each other through these extraordinary times. We commit to continuing to advocate for better support, engage decision makers with solutions to help provide better care, and restore the “joy in work.”

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Executive Director and CEO.

All the very best,

Dr. Francine Lemire