Family Medicine at McGill: Annual Report 2022-2023

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

McGill University is on land which has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. We acknowledge and thank the diverse Indigenous peoples whose presence marks this territory on which peoples of the world now gather.

Report compiled by: Allyson Rowley and Marie Moucarry

Design: Lisa Kisiel, McGill Graphic Design

Photography: Owen Egan, Joni Dufour, McGill University

Please note that this report generally captures our department’s activities between 30 May 2022 to 30 May 2023. There may however be some overlap in the time frame.

Message from our Chair

I am delighted to present this 2022 – 2023 Annual Report on behalf of the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University. As I reflect on this postpandemic period, I see the continued advances we have been making as a community of exceptional primary healthcare professionals, researchers, students and support staff. From building the new Indigenous space in our Montreal office to launching the Winter Indigenous Speakers series, our legacy of delivering effective patient-centred care and advocating for vulnerable communities is a great source of pride for me.

In October 2022, we began a thorough consultative process to develop our strategic plan as a department. As we collaborated with our members, we identified what is important to us, and set the path for our efforts in the future, while remembering the values that we hold dear. Through this process, I have been impressed with my diverse colleagues and their passion to serve others and create healthier communities not just here in Montreal, but across the global network too. This report launches our strategic plan and, going forward, we pledge as a team to do our very best to uphold our vision, mission and values.

As you peruse this report, you will find four pillars in which we summarize our achievements:

n Our people

n Educational excellence

n Research and Innovation

n Community outreach

It is a great honour to lead this department, not least because I am surrounded by a team of people who inspire me every day. Please join me in celebrating the extraordinary work of my colleagues.

Marion Dove, MD FCPC Associate Professor and Chair Department of Family Medicine

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision:

A global leader in family medicine that creates healthier communities through exceptional education, research and patient care.

Mission:

McGill’s Department of Family Medicine advances the primary care of the population in Quebec, Canada, and around the world. We achieve this as a community of exceptional primary healthcare professionals, researchers, students and support staff who are dedicated to:

n delivering effective patientcentred care and advocating for vulnerable populations and communities

n educating learners in an inclusive, bilingual and interprofessional environment

n leading excellence in research and scholarly activities

n promoting sustainability in healthcare systems and innovation in curriculum and clinical practice

n engaging in international and global health activities

Values:

In pursuit of exceptional education, research and patient care, we are guided by the following values:

n Respect and collaboration

n Equity, diversity and inclusion

n Sustainability

n Integrity

n Compassion and empathy

n Humility

Australia

Bangladesh

Belgium

Brazil

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Canada

Research collaborations in 19 countries across the world:

Colombia

Denmark

France

Germany

Ghana

Mexico

Nigeria

Senegal

Switzerland

Uganda

United Kingdom

USA

17 major research grants awarded in 2022

The largest Department in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Our People / Our Faculty

New tenure-track position strengthens our Indigenous health program

In March 2023 we welcomed Indigenous health researcher Amy Shawanda as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and Indigenous Scholar in the Department of Family Medicine. Her official appointment started on August 1, 2023.

An Odawa Kwe, Prof. Shawanda was born and raised in Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. With a background in Law and Justice and Indigenous Studies, she received her Master’s in Indigenous Relations from Laurentian University and her PhD from Trent University. Her doctoral research focused on Anishinaabe Motherhood, examining the challenges and strengths of traditional teachings and pedagogies in the 21st century.

In an interview for our newsletter, she expressed her strong sense of responsibility to represent marginalized voices and to help unburden Indigenous medical professionals from having to educate those who are not Indigenous.

We are tremendously grateful to benefit from her specialized knowledge of Indigenous ways of being, doing, knowing and reclaiming. “Health is a broad term which I love,” says Shawanda. “For Indigenous Peoples, we can’t just talk about one aspect and isolate it, because it is all interconnected.”

“Western culture is very singular and Indigenous cultures are very communal,” she adds. “We are always thinking of our actions and our children and those past, present and future generations.”

“Health is a broad term which I love. For Indigenous Peoples, we can’t just talk about one aspect and isolate it, because it is all interconnected.”

AMY SHAWANDA , Assistant Professor, Indigenous Scholar, Department of Family Medicine

Pain management expert rejoins our Faculty

In May 2023, we also welcomed Mark Ware as a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Director of the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Alan Edwards Chair in Clinical Pain.

For over 20 years, Dr. Ware has been working to evaluate patientdriven questions concerning the safe and effective control of pain and its consequences. This led him to studying the use, safety and effectiveness of medicines derived from cannabis (cannabinoids), as well as efforts to understand the potential role of complementary and integrative approaches to pain management.

“1 in 5 adult Canadians lives in and with chronic pain. This comes at a huge cost to society, both directly and indirectly, including loss of work and disruptions to the patient’s social structures and quality of life,” says Ware. “It’s important that we have an academic presence alongside patient advocacy to lead and guide better pain control.”

Highlights from a busy year at Academic Affairs

In Academic Affairs, we strive to support our teachers in their academic mission as we oversee new hires, reappointments and the achievement of tenure, as well as the promotion and recruitment of tenure-track academics. The past year has seen many achievements, not the least of which was the clearing of the academic appointment backlog that had been created due to the pandemic and our staff shortage of 2020–2021.

To enhance our Indigenous health program, we underwent a rigorous recruitment process over the course of a year and a half. This involved many meetings, pre-screenings of applicants, and in-person interviews with shortlisted candidates. We are delighted to welcome Amy Shawanda as the successful candidate (see the separate article).

Congratulations as well to Prof. Tibor Schuster, Graduate Program Director of the PhD program and post-doctoral fellows, for obtaining tenure — and to Dr. Ann Macaulay on the honorific designation of Professor Emerita, the first in our department to be granted this distinction. She adds this to her many honours, including an Order of Canada and a Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for her contributions to Indigenous health and her leadership in participatory research.

Faculty kudos

Alexandra de Pokomandy and Bertrand Lebouché received FRQS Senior awards and joined the ranks of permanent members of our academic faculty.

Tracie Barnett and Tibor Schuster obtained tenure in the Department of Family Medicine.

“1 in 5 adult Canadians lives in and with chronic pain. This comes at a huge cost to society, both directly and indirectly, including loss of work and disruptions to the patient’s social structures and quality of life.”

MARK WARE , Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Faculty Development

A community that loves to learn and teach

With a vision to encourage academic excellence, the Faculty Development unit supports department members in their academic roles and provides resources, support and development opportunities. We strive to create a family medicine community that loves to teach and is excited to learn.

The past year was one of organization and innovation, with streamlined processes and the implementation of new software for online course creation. Along with helping to plan a successful departmental retreat, Faculty Development coordinated many important initiatives, including:

n Fundamental Topics in Faculty Development for Clinical Teachers, a 2-year, 8-module course, is geared to new teachers, across 10 teaching sites with 116 participants and 35 projected graduates;

n “Our Words Matter” campaign, a microaggression learning activity and collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, was completed by 1,300 participants;

n Telemedicine, a collaboration with Postgraduate Residency & Enhanced Skills Programs, helped residents understand what telemedicine is and learn how to practice virtual care safely, was completed by 86 participants;

n Community Social Pediatrics course, a collaboration with Fondation Dr. Julien, a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure access to community social pediatrics so that as many vulnerable children as possible get the care and services that respect basic rights.

Retreat 2022: Back together in person!

On October 27 and 28, close to 250 members of the Department of Family Medicine gathered for the first time in two years for a retreat with the theme “Family Medicine: Our Passion, Ourselves”.

Organized by the Faculty Development unit, the event took place at our offices on 5858 Côte-des-Neiges. After opening remarks from Department Chair Dr. Marion Dove, members took part in a workshop on charting a family medicine career path, followed by various discussion groups based on lifecycle interest.

The afternoon continued with discussion groups focused on special interests that ranged from unlearning colonial mindsets to creating respectful environments to using the power of a network to connect practice-based clinical research.

A special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the evening of October 27 to celebrate the completion of the Department’s new office space, now spread over three floors. On October 28, the retreat continued with a plenary on “Planning for the Future” with Dr. Dove. Participants then shared their reasons for choosing to work in Family Medicine at McGill. Frequent answers included “teaching opportunities”, “community”, and “supportive environment”.

No surprise that the retreat received an overall rating of 8.75 out of 10 from the participants. Kudos to the Faculty Development unit and the Department of Family Medicine’s administrative staff for coordinating this very successful event.

Buddying up for a great learning experience

In August 2022, the Family Medicine Graduate Student Society (FMGSS) launched a new Buddy Program that paired new students with a current MSc or PhD student in the Department of Family Medicine. Follow them on the FMGSS Facebook page or the FMGSS blog

A health check for primary care in Quebec

On March 18th, 2023, medical students from the Family Medicine Student Interest Group (FamSIG) organized the 14th edition of the Family Medicine Student Symposium, an annual event which promotes Family Medicine through various presentations and workshops. Each year, more than 500 medical students from 5 universities (Université de Montréal, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, University of Ottawa and McGill University) reunite for this symposium.

On May 17 and 18, 2023, the FMGSS organized the 8th Annual McGill Family Medicine Research Symposium, in collaboration with the Department of Family Medicine and the McGill Journal of Medicine. With the theme of “Improving Primary Care in Quebec”, this successful two-day event included workshops, networking and presentations.

Celebrating our graduating residents

Convocation was held in person, at the Rialto Theatre, for Family Medicine residents who had completed much of their residency training during the pandemic. This was the first such event in more than two years and an amazing opportunity to come together as a program “in real life”. We congratulate all our graduates and wish them the very best as they begin their next chapter!

/ Our Staff

Art, costumes and mummified bosses: Having fun for staff wellness

In 2022, a new Wellness Committee was formed to help staff, students and faculty build connections during this post-pandemic period, when many of us continue to work from home part-time.

On September 15, we kicked off the fall semester with a lunch event, during which participants were given paint and blank canvases so they could have fun and express their creativity. On October 20, Department members enjoyed a Halloween event that included a costume competition and a surprise game. Three teams were randomly assigned — each with members who don’t normally work together — to see who could create the best “mummy boss”. Department Chair Dr. Marion Dove, Associate Director of Administration Kennedy Kanyang’onda, and Postgraduate Program Director Dr. Fanny Hersson-Edery all graciously submitted to being mummified with toilet paper!

On December 8, we kicked off the holiday season with eggnog and gingerbread biscuits, along with a photo booth, beer pong, karaoke and other festive games. And on February 14, smoked salmon, bagels and chocolates were on the menu at the Department’s Valentine’s Day Breakfast, along with heartfelt messages of appreciation for the staff.

Thanks to Andrea Zdyb, Ruotong Wang, Maxime Pirenne and Kennedy Kanyang’onda for organizing these fun events.

On March 15, 2023, the staff at the Department of Family Medicine came together to campaign for McGill24, the University’s annual day of giving. The donations raised for the department totaled 34 gifts and over $5,000 which is more than double the amount from the previous year! The donations will go towards equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives which will help support Indigenous community engagement and support staff, students and trainees with diverse experiences, identities and perspectives. Thank you to all those who supported us!

$5,000

Educational Excellence

The Department of Family Medicine strives for educational excellence by teaching the principles and practice of family medicine to undergraduate medical students, residents and students from other health care professions. We provide research-oriented, thesis-based graduate programs in family medicine and primary health care at the MSc, PhD and postdoctoral levels. We promote the professional development of teachers of family medicine, as well as the continuing medical education of practicing family physicians. Through our clinical faculty, residents and students, we offer comprehensive, continuing care to patients and ongoing service to the community at nine teaching locations and across 33 rural sites.

We acknowledge and appreciate the relationship between health and the broader social context. We believe that:

n The family physician has a central role in the delivery of health care in Canada.

n The Department of Family Medicine must respond to the health care needs of our communities.

n An understanding of the principles of family medicine, as defined by the College of Family Physicians of Canada, is relevant to all future physicians.

n Research in family medicine is essential to the achievement of excellence in patient care and education.

n Faculty development and continuing medical education are essential to achieving our goals in teaching, research and service.

/ Our teaching sites (University

McGill’s Family Medicine Teaching Sites are devoted to creating, preserving, and disseminating knowledge and skills specific to the practice of family medicine. Their

Family Medicine Groups)

mission is to provide high-quality health services and offer university and community-based education for our medical students and residents.

Herzl Family Practice Centre (Jewish General Hospital) is located in Montreal, in the Côtes-des-Neiges area.

St. Mary’s Family Medicine Centre is located in Montreal, in the Côtes-desNeiges area.

Côte-des-Neiges Family Medicine Unit (CSSS de la Montagne) is located in Montreal, in the Côte-desNeiges area.

Gatineau Family Medicine Unit (CSSS Gatineau) is located in the city of Gatineau, in western Quebec, across from Ottawa.

Jardins-Roussillon Family Medicine Unit is located in Châteauguay, in the south-west area of Montérégie.

CSSS de la Vallée de l’Or is located in Val-d’Or in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

CLSC Metro is located in the heart of downtown Montreal.

Queen Elizabeth Family Medicine Group is located in Montreal, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace area.

CLSC Parc-Extension located in the heart of the multicultural neighbourhood of Parc-Extension in Montreal.

Our rural training sites

Through McGill’s Distributed Medical Education Program, residents and students are exposed to the practice of medicine and life outside the urbanbased academic centres in Quebec, across 33 different sites.

Abitibi-Témiscamingue

n Amos

n Rouyn-Noranda

n Senneterre

n Val-d’Or

n Ville-Marie

Nunavik

n Kuujjuaq

n Puvirnituq

Eeyou Istchee (Cree Territory of James Bay)

n Chisasibi

n Eastmain

n Mistissini

n Waskaganish

n Waswanipi

n Whapmagoostui

Gaspésie,

Les Îles and Côte-Nord

n Baie-Comeau

n Chandler

Montérégie, Estrie and Lanaudière

n Akwesasne

n Cowansville/Farnham

n Hudson

n Huntingdon

n Joliette

n Knowlton-Lac-Brome

n Lac Saint-François

n Ormstown

n Rigaud

n Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

Outaouais

n Buckingham

n Des Collines

n Gatineau

n Maniwaki

n Saint-André Avellin

n Shawville

n Thurso

n Wakefield

/ Undergraduate Medical Education

The undergraduate program supports the discipline of family medicine in the curriculum of McGill’s MDCM Program. Thanks to our team’s resilience during these challenging times, UGME Family Medicine continues to make a difference to our students and faculty.

Over the past year, we welcomed new additions and celebrated new appointments:

n Dr. Laurie Musgrave was appointed Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Family Medicine.

n Dr. Yvonne Quan was appointed Course Director of the Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience (LFME).

n Dr. Despina Harbilas was appointed Assistant Course Director of the LFME.

n Dr. Sarah McBoyle was appointed Assistant Course Director of Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP).

n Alexandra Karabatsos joined Family Medicine as the Undergraduate Medical Education Program Manager. Other achievements included:

n An updated curriculum for TCP was successfully implemented, ensuring that materials are aligned with the latest medical competencies and medical students are better prepared for their future careers as doctors.

n Continuing to establish new University Family Medicine Groups (U-FMG) has had the impact of extending the range of sites available to our medical students, exposing them to different medical practices and settings.

n Clerkship Course Director Dr. Katia Faustini successfully introduced the first Clerkship Orientation in August 2022.

LFME celebrates 10 years

The Longitudinal Family Medicine Experience (LFME), an innovative course which provides first-year medical students with early exposure to primary care, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2022-23. In August 2022, 185 students were welcomed to this milestone year with gifts of departmental tote bags at their orientation, during which LFME Course Director, Dr. Yvonne Quan, presented an overview.

On May 18, 2023, a very special thank-you event was hosted at Gibbys, Old Montreal’s renowned seafood and steak restaurant. Fifty preceptors were honoured by then VP-Dean David Eidelman and Dr. Marion Dove for their outstanding work guiding medical students on their first journey into the complex and stimulating world of clinical medicine. Here’s to another great 10 years!

/ Postgraduate Residency & Enhanced Skills Programs

Our mandate is to support our ten teaching units by delivering quality education and training to our residents in family medicine. It has been a busy, but also uplifting and inspiring year, filled with many new initiatives on the horizon.

Following a two-year hiatus, we were able to restore some of our in-person recruiting activities. We met prospective candidates at events during the recruiting season in Gatineau, at the Family Medicine Forum in Toronto, and at Thomson House. As we prepared for the annual Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), an exercise used to admit finishing medical students to residency, several of our units held in-person site tours, which allowed candidates to meet our teams, tour our units and learn first-hand about our residency training program. These initiatives have been instrumental in recruiting medical students from across Quebec to be matched at McGill Family Medicine.

We have also been working diligently with our teams at the upcoming new teaching sites. In July 2023, we opened our 10th clinic, namely the University Family Medicine Group (U-FMG) Clinique Mednam and welcomed our first cohort of family medicine residents on this site. Our next projects include Vaudreuil-Soulanges, opening in July 2024, followed by Lakeshore in July 2025. All this has involved much networking, planning, peer support and coaching, in collaboration with our teams as we prepare for the exciting opening of these McGillaffiliated teaching units.

The Postgraduate Division is proud to have been able to partner with our Indigenous Health colleagues in the Department of Family Medicine. We have implemented three academic half-day sessions on Indigenous Health and Inuit Health, which are being taught to our R1 and R2s.

Isaac Tannenbaum Family Medicine Resident Research Day

Held on June 3, 2022, this annual event brought together residents and clinicianteachers from our nine university family medicine groups. It recognizes the scholarly projects completed by our Family Medicine residents. Close to 200 people listened to the residents present their scholarly work.

scholarly presentations were offered at the Isaac Tannenbaum Family Medicine Resident Research Day

/ Distributed Medical Education (DME)

Distributed Medical Education’s (DME) mission is to provide the best possible experience for our medical learners as they embark on their rotations in rural and remote communities, outside of urban-based academic centres. We offer an enriching clinical experience in an environment where sophisticated technology and highly specialized resources are limited or non-existent. Trainees learn to work in a more independent fashion and gain confidence by developing diagnostic and therapeutic skills. The training’s objective is also to encourage residents and clerks to consider practicing medicine in rural or remote areas in Quebec.

In the past year, DME furnished a gym for Val d’Or and created plaques for each site which were sent as a thankyou. We hired a professional photographer to shoot videos and take photos of some of our rural sites. Our new video series included interviews with: Hamila Hagh-Daoust, a third-year medical student in Maniwaki; Dr. Simon Théberge and his team in Senneterre; Dr. Thomas Connor O’Neil and his team in Shawville; and Dr. Julie Massé and her colleagues in Val d’Or. Each described what they most appreciate about these meaningful work and training experiences.

/ Graduate programs

We offer research-oriented, thesis-based graduate programs in family medicine and primary health at both the MSc and PhD levels, along with postdoctoral training opportunities. With an interdisciplinary approach and an emphasis on community engagement, our programs provide rigorous training in qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, knowledge synthesis and participatory research approaches. Close links are maintained with the McGill Primary Care Research Network, as well as with family medicine clinical sites in Montreal and across the province.

Expanding the Indigenous curriculum in Family Medicine

Two unique new courses have been developed in our department to respond to the histories, perspectives and contexts of Indigenous and Inuit Peoples in Canada.

n FMED 527 Inuit Health in Canadian Context (1 credit)

Explores the histories, perspectives and contemporary realities of Inuit health in the four regions of Inuit Nunangat (the Inuit homeland) with a particular focus on the Nunavik region of northern Quebec.

n FMED 506 Indigenous Perspectives Decolonizing Health Research (3 credits)

Explores the nature of Indigenous peoples’ ways of understanding the world and cultural ways of knowing and doing, with a special focus on health and wellness. As well, a concentration in Indigenous Health has been in development for fall 2023, to be housed under our MSc in Family Medicine.

“Our Graduate Programs are uniquely positioned to create opportunities for students to develop their understanding of Indigenous perspectives and the need for inclusive, integrated and culturally safe health and wellness systems”

DR. MARION DOVE , Chair, Department of Family Medicine

/ Graduate programs

KAIROS Blanket Exercise helps learners experience Indigenous history

On November 17, 2022, the Department of Family Medicine held a participatory Indigenous history lesson called a KAIROS Blanket Exercise. The event was organized by Alex McComber, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, as part of the coursework for students enrolled in his course FMED 506 Indigenous Perspectives Decolonizing Health Research.

A new Master’s with a Global Health Concentration

Launched in fall 2022, the MSc in Family Medicine, Global Health Concentration, is a thesis-option graduate program designed to provide research training in the areas of global primary health care delivery and policy, as well as “global is local” primary care that recognizes the diverse needs of multi-cultural, vulnerable and underserved populations in Canada.

Rooted in the principles of social justice, cultural safety and health equity, this course leverages the department’s extensive global health research expertise and partnerships in practice-based, people-centred, and community-engaged research with disadvantaged populations, both internationally and in Canada.

/ Palliative Care: Science + Compassion

A key component of Family Medicine’s Enhanced Skills Program, Palliative Care McGill offers rich undergraduate, post-graduate and professional education programs that draw on the expertise of our interdisciplinary teams and highlight our attention to integrated, holistic care.

The 23rd McGill International Palliative Care Congress (MIPCC) was held at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal from October 18 to 21, 2022, after a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic. This international gathering of health care practitioners and palliative care specialists — McGill’s largest congress — has been hosted in Montreal every second year since 1976 and is the longestrunning congress of its kind. We are extremely proud of this tradition, which has contributed to the growth of this interdisciplinary field that strives to enhance care for those confronted with serious and lifelimiting illness.

The 2022 MIPCC attracted approximately 800 participants from 38 countries as well as a further 150 participants online. Co-chaired by Dr. Justin Sanders and Dr. Bernard Lapointe and supported by a multidisciplinary Scientific Planning Committee, the Congress offered a unique, bilingual experience covering a broad range of areas — research, pharmacotherapy, psychosocial issues, policy, education, nursing, pediatrics, community development

and the arts and humanities. As always, the Congress provided a welcoming, inclusive environment, in which the clinical sciences are intertwined with the humanities, the arts and compassion.

Another highlight was the Palliative Care McGill (PCM) Retreat held April 21, 2023. Sixty of our clinicians attended from all our sites, including Gatineau. Chaired by Dr. Justin Sanders, this highly participatory day included strategic planning exercises, the review and reworking of PCM’s vision/mission statements and brainstorming four key areas of a PCM action plan: Clinical Care, Education, Research and Advocacy. Post-retreat, multidisciplinary working groups have been formed to review member feedback and create a working plan for September 2023.

The enhanced skills palliative medicine education program was accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). We work on a continuous basis to update and maintain accreditation. The last external accreditation review was 2022 and we are in good standing.

McGill University’s International Congress on Palliative Care is the longest running congress for this field. Founded in 1976 by Dr. Balfour Mount and his colleagues, it is now organized and hosted biennially by Palliative Care McGill. Over 1,500 delegates, from more than 65 countries participate in making this one of the most interdisciplinary palliative care congresses. Every other year physicians, researchers, nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, music therapists, art therapists, physical therapists, spiritual care workers, volunteers and many others gather from around the globe to learn from and with each other for the betterment of palliative care.

The 2022 MIPCC attracted approximately 800 participants from 38 countries as well as a further 150 participants online.

Research and Innovation

Research in the Department of Family Medicine

Research in the Department of Family Medicine is committed to enhancing the discipline of family medicine and primary care through rigorous and relevant creation of original evidence to address important knowledge gaps.

Firmly anchored in the patient experience, our internationally recognized researchers investigate problems that affect patients and other populations, including multimorbidity, undifferentiated presentations and organization of care.

These problems can range from prevention and health promotion to the diagnosis, treatment and management of health problems. They span the spectrum from family and community intervention, to governance, access to services, economic and workforce development and the three C’s of high-quality primary care: Continuity, Coordination and Comprehensiveness.

This is done through the development and use of different research methodologies that equally value qualitative and quantitative evidence generated by researchers framed in multiple research paradigms. The richness of expertise, experience and interdisciplinarity ensures that our research program is actively contributing to our discipline and the health of local communities, across Canada and globally.

2022: A year of world-leading research

The Department of Family Medicine remains a world leader in topics such as mixed methods research, Indigenous health research, Alzheimer’s and HIV research, social prescribing and global health.

Our expertise in family medicine education research and in artificial intelligence in primary care are hot emerging topics, and we’re developing a patient cohort in our university family medicine groups that we will be able to use for a variety of research projects in family medicine and primary care.

Over the last year, our academics, clinician-scientists, and clinician-teachers have conducted a tremendous breadth of projects in family medicine and primary care, many of which have received local, national or international recognition.

Highlights from the 2022 Research Report

n Research on Organization of healthcare Services for Alzheimer’s (ROSA)

n Quebec SPOR SUPPORT Unit Method Development Component (SPOR: Strategy for Patient Oriented Research; SUPPORT: Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials)

n Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care

n McGill Practice Based Research Network (PBRN)

n Family Medicine Education Research Group (FMER)

n Community Information and Epidemiological Technologies (CIET)

n Advancing HIV Care: Highlights of Dr. Bertrand Lebouché’s Research Team’s Accomplishments

n Advancing Research for Equity and Empowerment: Highlights of Prof. Kathleen Rice’s Research Team’s Accomplishments

n Bridging Health Divides: Highlights of Dr. Alayne Adams’ Research

To read the full 2022 Research Report, please visit the following page: mcgill.ca/familymed/research/ annual-reports

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health supports McGill

HIV researchers

The 24th International AIDS Conference was held in Montreal from July 29 to August 2, 2022. More than 10,000 people from 161 countries participated. During the conference, two sexual health clinics run by McGill clinicianresearchers, Dr. Marina Klein and Dr. Bertrand Lebouché (Prélib and Clinique Quorum), were visited by Admiral Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, along with other dignitaries.

BERTRAND LEBOUCHÉ , Associate Professor and ClinicianResearcher in the Department of Family Medicine

B. KAYE HAYES , Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infectious Disease and Director, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy and Executive Director, Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/ AIDS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

MAUREEN M. GOODENOW , Associate Director for AIDS Research and Director, Office of AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health

MARINA KLEIN , Research Director, Division of Infectious Diseases/Chronic Viral Illnesses Service, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and clinician researcher at the RI-MUHC

ADMIRAL RACHEL LEVINE , Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

JEAN-FRANÇOIS LEFORT , Chief Executive Officer, Prelib Clinic

SACHA HUNI , Medical Director at Quorum Clinic

MIGUEL GOMEZ , Director of HIV.gov

Photo (L. to R.):

Research by the Numbers

/ A new space for Indigenous health and community outreach

“We come together to celebrate and to share our thoughts.” With these words, Professor Alex McComber, Kanien’keha:ka (People of the Flint, Mohawk), Bear Clan from Kahnawake Territory, opened a very special event held on September 13, 2022.

With representatives from Indigenous communities in attendance, the Department of Family Medicine officially opened a new space dedicated to Indigenous health and community outreach within the health sector — the first of its kind at McGill.

As master of ceremonies, Professor McComber introduced the first speaker, Mrs. Amelia Tekwatonti McGregor, Kanien’keha:ka, an Elder from his community, who offered Ohenton Kariwatehkwen/The Words That Come Before All Else, in the Mohawk language. She was followed by the mother and daughter duo of Nina and Sierra Segalowitz, who captivated the audience with their Inuit throat singing.

“Physical representation and symbolic recognition are so very important,” said Celeste Pedri-Spade, PhD, Ojibwe, McGill’s Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives. “It is imperative that we transform the spaces and places where we come together to learn, in ways that First Nations and Inuit and Métis people see themselves reflected.”

She noted this new space is a testament to McGill’s commitment to making its campuses inclusive, welcoming, and successful places for scholars and students from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

“Physical representation and symbolic recognition are so very important.”

CELESTE PEDRI-SPADE , PhD, Ojibwe, McGill’s Associate Provost of Indigenous Initiatives

A hub of scholarship on Indigenous health

Dr. David Eidelman and Dr. Marion Dove were on hand to provide words of support and praise for this special occasion.

“It’s not surprising that the Department of Family Medicine has taken the lead in creating an Indigenous space,” said Dr. Eidelman, then Vice-Principal (Health Affairs) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, who noted that Family Medicine has long championed primary care so that it is now front and centre in the Faculty. “We hope that, with these efforts, we go at least a small way towards making a difference, recognizing the importance of Indigenous communities, their contributions and relationship with the land.”

Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Dove described the vision for the space, which will serve as a hub of scholarship on Indigenous health. “We want this space to create a focus on integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into the Western academic world, ” she said. “We want it to be a place to maintain Indigenous traditions through a program that will include kitchen table conversations, fireside chats, storytelling, and films.”

Dr. Dove also thanked Professor Neil Anderson, Dr. Howard Bergman, and Nathalie Moragues for supporting the operations behind the space.

Heartfelt reflections from Indigenous scholars

“We hope this space will succeed and be full of life and energy. But the work doesn’t stop today — the work starts today,” said Professor Richard Budgell, Inuk. He described an Inuit health and well-being concept called Inuuqatigiitsianiq, which refers to harmonious relations among people who share a place. He noted that diverse Indigenous communities had helped build the new space to make it welcoming and comfortable.

Professor Budgell also shared his aspirations to reconceptualize medicine by bringing in Indigenous perspectives. “There is a revolution taking place in this Department and Faculty to reconceive health in ways that meet the cultures of the people who are so frequently maltreated in health care systems.”

Dr. Ojistoh Horn, Kanien’keha: ka, shared her experience as a student at McGill. “One thing that was obvious during my education was that I was the only Indigenous person I ever saw. It was quite a lonely experience. To be in a place right now that is dedicated to the Indigenous voice is incredible. It’s a huge change from when I was here 30 years ago.”

Dr. Horn also noted the current realities of her work as an obstetrician. “We’re seeing our health care system fall apart in front of us after COVID. I want to see how we can support doctors, when they leave to work in our communities, to provide holistic care.”

Dr. Jennifer Robinson, Algonquin, a resident physician at St. Mary’s Hospital, shared some of her expectations of the new space. “We have a responsibility to develop protocols around how we’re going to use this space, and we have the right to implement practices that are responsive to the needs of Indigenous communities.”

Dr. Robinson noted it wasn’t that long ago that a First Nations person could not become a doctor without being disenfranchised.

“It’s incredible that I am here with one of the few First Nations doctors working within the community who is imparting her knowledge to me. As a First Nations person, I can see myself in another doctor for the first time.”

/ Winter Indigenous Speakers Series

On Monday, January 30th, 2023, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) launched its first annual Winter Indigenous Speakers Series, in collaboration with various groups on campus including the Department of Family Medicine. The aim of this series was to bring diverse Indigenous voices to campus in the spirit of collaboration.

A lighting of the qulliq

On January 30, 2023, Inuk Elder Reepa Evic-Carleton (who was born in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, and relocated to the community of Pangnirtung when she was five years old) shared her knowledge and powerful stories with members of the McGill and Montreal community. The event was moderated by Inuk Assistant Professor, Richard Budgell, and featured a lighting of the qulliq, the traditional Inuit oil lamp. Attendees witnessed a conversation about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (which translates to “what Inuit have always known to be true”) between the two guests, as well as Inuit values and realities.

The Haudenosaunee Ceremony of Midwinter

On February, 2023, Sarah Konwahahawi Rourke, Ed.D., McGill’s Director of the Indigenous Health Professions Program and a member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation, spoke about the importance of the Midwinter ceremony for the Haudenosaunee people. Ms. Rourke’s presentation was about the balance between ancestral teachings, ceremonial practice, and contemporary challenges we all face. There was also a discussion about holistic approaches to healing by integrating traditional knowledge into everyday life.

“Our stories need to be told. Life was not the same after the forced relocation my people went through.”

MS. REEPA EVIC-CARLETON Inuk Elder

A career journey as an Indigenous resident physician

On March 15, 2023, Jennifer Robinson, MDCM, Algonquin, spoke about her professional journey as an Indigenous resident physician at St. Mary’s Hospital Center. Dr. Robinson spoke about being selected into the Quebec Indigenous Candidate Pathway at McGill, a specific admission program for Indigenous students. Despite systemic barriers and challenges that face many Indigenous students, she is grateful to have had Indigenous role models in the medical field who kept encouraging her to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor.

/ Hirsh Rosenfeld Annual Distinguished Public Lecture in Family Medicine

On May 2, 2023, the Department of Family Medicine in collaboration with the St. James’ Literary Society, hosted the Dr. Hirsh Rosenfeld Annual Distinguished Public Lecture in Family Medicine, inviting Dr. Justin Sanders, the Kappy and Eric M. Flanders Chair at Palliative Care McGill, to speak about “Relationships in Serious Illness and How to Build Them”. The event was a great success with over 100 participants attending both in-person and online.

/ All in the family: Our Gatineau campus

In November 2022, Dr. Gilles Brousseau, then Vice-Dean and Director of Campus Outaouais, penned an article reflecting on the launch of the Gatineau Family Medicine Unit in the fall of 1987.

At the time, the Unit occupied one supervision room adjacent to two examining rooms, a waiting room and a director’s office on the first floor of the Gatineau Hospital. The training program began with two residents completing the last six months of their program.

“Little did we know how much medical training in the region would grow,” wrote Dr. Brousseau.

Almost 35 years later, on May 16, 2022, Campus Outaouais was officially inaugurated by McGill’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, in the presence of the Minister of

Higher Education, Danielle McCann, and the MNA for Chapleau, Mathieu Lévesque. The campus and clinical settings will welcome some 150 physicians in training each year.

The result of a longstanding collaboration between McGill and the Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux (CISSS) de l’Outaouais, as well as l’Université du Québec en Outaouais and the Quebec government, the campus marks a major milestone for the region.

It now provides leadership in French-language medical education, contributing to the delivery of quality health care in the region and creating a hub of excellence focused on teaching, research and health care delivery in Outaouais.

Campus Outaouais now a leader in French-language medical education for the region

In June 2022, several members of our department visited the new Outaouais Campus. We were toured around by Dr. Gilles Brousseau and Dr. Catherine Savard-Woods, Medical Director of the GMF-U de Gatineau.

MARION DOVE (Chair, Family Medicine)

FANNY HERSSON-EDERY (Director, PGME)

CATHERINE JARVIS (Director, Faculty Development)

MYLÈNE ARSENAULT (Assistant Director, Faculty Development)

KATIA FAUSTINI (Director, Clerkship)

LAURIE MUSGRAVE (then Director, LFME)

YVONNE QUAN (then Assistant Director, LFME)

DOMINIQUE ARCHAMBAULT (Director, Distributed Medical Education)

“By training doctors locally, the Outaouais Campus brings a new vitality to the region that leads to more family doctors staying in the area to serve the local population.”

JOSÉE FILLION , President and CEO, CISSS de l’Outaouais

Award Winners

MYLÈNE ARSENAULT : Teaching Innovation Award (Learner and Faculty Awards)

HOWARD BERGMAN : 2022 W. Victor Johnston Award (College of Family Physicians of Canada)

MIRIAM BOILLAT : Outstanding Contribution to Faculty Development in Canada (Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada)

GILLES BROUSSEAU : Ordre de Gatineau and Family Doctor of the Year (Collège Québécois des Médecins de Famille Award)

ANITA BROWN-JOHNSON : David Johnston Faculty and Staff Award (McGill Alumni Association Honours and Awards)

MARION DOVE : Educational Excellence (Faculty Honour List)

VANIA JIMENEZ : Medal of the National Assembly (Assemblée nationale du Québec) and High Distinction Award (the Collège des Médecins du Québec)

BERNARD LAPOINTE : Order of Canada (Governor General of Canada)

BERTRAND LEBOUCHÉ : Excellence in Research Award (Canadian Association of HIV Research and the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research)

GOLDIE MARMOR : Contribution to the teaching of Family Medicine Award (Collège Québécois des Médecins de Famille)

VANESSA PASZTOR : Contribution to university / hospital and GMF-U life Award (Collège Québécois des Médecins de Famille)

MAXINE DUMAS PILON : Calvin L. Gutkin Family Medicine Ambassador Award (the Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine)

SAMIRA RAHIMI : New Investigator Research Award (North American Primary Care Research Group)

DAVID ST JACQUES : Order of Canada (Governor General of Canada)

Major Research Grants Awarded

ALAYNE ADAMS : Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

TRACIE BARNETT : Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

ANNE COCKCROFT : Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat (Formerly CRC)

JEAN HAGGERTY : Réseau-1 Québec

PIERRE PLUYE : Unité de Soutien SSA Québec and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

KATHLEEN RICE : International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

ROSARIO RODRIGUEZ : Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Société et Culture (FRQSC)

TIBOR SCHUSTER : Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

MACHELLE WILCHESKY : McGill UniversityThe Office of the Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations)

Student Awards

AMRITA SANDHU : Scarlet Key Award

YASMINE ELMI : 2022 McCall MacBain Scholar

ABDUL CADRI : International Doctoral Research Award

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