Dear Members,

Firstly, we would like to thank you all for your dedication to your communities and for providing the very best in health care for Albertans during this pandemic. Please know that we fully support you and, as a staff, we are doing our part to #flattenthecurve by working remotely.

We are extremely proud of our members and will continue to provide you the most up-to-date information as it comes in. With that being said, the ACFP staff are continuing to work on the advocacy measures we discussed at our Family Medicine Summit and are looking at ways to provide excellence in continuing professional development.

As things are in a constant state of flux, our monthly eNews will adjust accordingly and be reflective of the news you need and the offers of support we, as your College, can provide.

Thank you again for all that you do and we are honoured to serve you,

The ACFP Staff -
Inside this Edition:
  • Message from the President
  • What's New at the ACFP and in Health Care
  • COVID-19 Updates
  • Online Education Offerings
  • New Tools - featuring PEER's OA Systematic Review and OA Decision Tool
  • Family Medicine Summit and Research Showcase Recap
  • Mainpro+ Minute February Winners
A Message from the President
Into the Unknown

To say we are in a time of change and uncertainty would be an understatement. From the unpredictable political climate of Alberta to the formal declaration of a new worldwide pandemic, there is a constellation of change that many of us have likely not experienced before.

I have many thoughts about what I wish to highlight with all of you based on our annual Family Medicine Summit. On top of mind is the evolution of COVID-19 to a worldwide pandemic as per a recent WHO declaration . We are in an unprecedented time. Schools and universities have been closed, the Canadian Prime-Minister is in self-isolation...

What's New at the ACFP & in Health Care
  • Due to COVID-19 and based on public health recommendations, the Clinical Connections Conference has been cancelled until further notice. Check back for updates.


COVID-19 - What You Need to Know

Alberta Health Services Public Health has asked the ACFP to support regular updates to family physicians in Alberta regarding the potential outbreak of novel coronavirus.

AHS, ACFP, and CPSA, will continue to share the latest information through our communication channels as it becomes available. All channels will direct you to the same “ source of truth ” on the  AHS website .


Summit Questions
During the Summit, Dr. Hinshaw provided a COVID-19 update and many of you had follow-up questions. Some of the answers can be found on this FAQ document, while others were answered directly here .
Online Education Offerings
  • CFPC Clinical Live-Stream Webinars offer high-quality CPD events on topics that are relevant to family practice in Canada. Earn up to 1 certified Mainpro+® credit, click here for more information and upcoming topics.

  • The First Five Years in Family Practice (FFYFP) Committee is pleased to host a FREE Virtual Billing Seminar on April 28, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Better your understanding on:
  • Changes to the Schedule of Medical Benefits
  • Understanding governing rules
  • Claim rejections and re-submissions
  • Third-party uninsured services
  • Improving billing practices
New Tools
Evidence Pertaining to a Healthy Primary Care Workforce
In light of recent Alberta government decisions regarding Family Medicine/primary care funding, members of the PEER team (evidence and knowledge translation experts) wished to provide an overview of the evidence on the impact of Family Medicine on health care utilization and costs and overall patient health. In summary,  access to a primary care workforce which provides comprehensive patient care improves patient outcomes (death) and decreases health care utilization (emergency room visits, hospitalizations and readmissions) and health care costs.

Family Physicians provide the overwhelming majority (~70% in Alberta) of all health care visits in Alberta and Canada...
PEER Simplified Decision Aid: Osteoarthritis Treatment Options in Primary Care
On March 13, 2020 the Canadian Family Physician published the PEER Simplified Decision Aid: Osteoarthritis Treatment Options in Primary Care  and the PEER Umbrella Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews: Managing Osteoarthritis in Primary care.

Both were developed for clinicians to compare and discuss the evidence surrounding patient responses to non-surgical treatments for those living with osteoarthritis-related pain.

Read the full article or download the decision aid .

Family Medicine Summit Recap
Thank you to everyone who attended our 65th Annual Family Medicine Summit! With more than 350 family physicians in attendance, we were able to conduct focused conversations on advocacy, negotiations, and COVID-19, while maintaining our excellence in continuing professional development and medical education.

We hope to see you and your colleagues next year, March 5-7, 2021.

There's still time to provide your feedback . Now's your chance to suggest topics for next year, just complete our post-conference survey .

Research Showcase at Summit 2020
Congratulations to our Family Medicine research community, for another AMAZING Research Showcase!

Thank you - to Dr. Donna Manca for her tireless commitment to leading the Research Showcase at FMS, and Dr. Tanvir Turin Chowdhury, and Ms. Olga Szafran for facilitating sessions. We’d also like to extend our gratitude and appreciation for everyone who helped to review the research abstract submissions and to those involved in the research adjudication on site at FMS. The success of the Research Showcase would not be possible without the help of such dedicated individuals. 
Mainpro+ Minute February Winners
Thank you to everyone who participated in our February eNews poll where we asked – What should I do to ensure DCE activities I’ve participated in are recorded towards my cycle total? 

Answer:  Check my holding area for pending activity - Complete the required Impact Assessment Questionnaire, and your credits for the activity will be added towards your cycle total.

All poll participants who answered correctly were entered to receive a $25 gourmet coffee gift card, and five lucky winners were randomly drawn.

Congratulations to our February Winners!!
  • Dr. Bobbi Jo Whitfield (Medicine Hat)
  • Dr. Boris W. Boyko (Edmonton)
  • Dr. Erin Nicholls (Calgary)
  • Dr. William Y.T. Yau (Edmonton)
  • Dr. Walter Hogarth (Red Deer)


Watch for our April eNews for the return of our Mainpro+ Minute poll!
Alberta College of Family Physicians | www.acfp.ca