‘On your side:’ new CEO of College of Family Physicians of Canada is keen to listen to members

Like most Canadian medical organizations, the College of Family Physicians of Canada is poised on the brink of change. As family physicians move from the acute stage of the pandemic to a different—but no less difficult—stage, their college is initiating and advocating for system change on their behalf. One shift in the college is a new executive director and chief executive officer. Dr. Lawrence Loh recently took on the post after Dr. Francine Lemire retired in June 2022. Prior to his appointment with the CFPC, Dr. Loh was the medical officer of health for the Region of Peel in Ontario—a job that had him working with a diverse population through the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his tenure, the region went from being a COVID-19 hotspot to one of the most vaccinated in the country. As of October 2022, 88% of the population aged five years and older have received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. “I think that speaks to how our community has stepped up,” Dr. Loh told CBC News in Nov. 2021. Peel Public Health collaborated with local community groups who worked to remove barriers from getting vaccinations. This included providing information in different languages, ensuring transportation was available and setting up mobile clinics. Groups like the South Asian COVID-19 Task Force, the Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force, the Latin American COVID-19 Task Force and the Black Health Task Force “were indefatigable,” Dr. Loh said. “They were going door-to-door setting up bookings and transportation networks to get people to go to clinics, working with us to set up mobile clinics. That was actually really a big secret to our success.” Read: The focused FP While Dr. Loh credits these groups for stepping up, the groups also cited his leadership. “We didn’t do it by ourselves, we did it with the help of the Region of Peel, Dr. Lawrence Loh. They did an incredible job partnering with us,” said Dr. Raj Grewal, co-founder of the South Asian COVID-19 Task Force. “That was really a key to the success.” Many were sad to see him leave the post in June. Dr. Loh promises to bring the same passion and commitment to his work at the CFPC. He also brings with him the knowledge that diversity is a strength and that differing opinions can provide insight on various aspects of a problem. “There are many different opinions, but the reality is that they’re all coming from people,” he said. Holding empathy for people helps in understanding where the opinions are coming from, he said. There can be collaboration between groups with differing views, “as long as we can come together and have respectful dialogue,” he said. Dr. Loh graduated from medical school at Western University in London, Ont., yet, as befits someone leading a national organization, his career and travels have taken him out of Ontario to explore the breadth of the country. He was the medical health officer for Burnaby and the tri-cities in British Columbia, explored the Prairie provinces as an examiner for the CFPC, has family in Quebec, and has travelled to the Atlantic provinces. He’s never ventured to the Territories, but hopes to rectify that soon. It's important to note that Dr. Loh has held roles in all three levels of government. He served with the Public Health Agency of Canada in the vaccine safety division, as a consultant to Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, and as medical health in both B.C. and the Region of Peel. That experience in government could serve him well as the CFPC engages in both short-term and long-term change. The most pressing need is to address the current crisis in family medicine, with a shortage of family physicians and unworkable hours for many that remain. Dr. Loh said the college is keen to get the voice of family medicine heard, through open letters, meetings with members of parliament and provincial representatives, and reaching out to partners such as the Canadian Medical Association and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The CFPC is calling for better funding, more opportunities for practice and appropriate compensation. Governments need to remunerate family physicians using more effective models and provide family physicians with opportunities to work in interdisciplinary teams so they can focus on “the joy of practice,” Dr. Loh said. While there’s a provincial and territorial flavour to various issues, the needs and wants of family physicians are similar across the country. Governments also need to work on attracting people to the profession, he added. The CFCP will also continue to champion the importance of the Patient’s Medical Home, especially in the context of the growing complexity of patients’ needs and medical practice, he said. There’s also a commitment to act on the recommendations of the outcomes of training project, including looking at family medicine residency training. There have been no final decisions made about changes to family medicine training, he stressed. Any alterations in training will only work as an adjunct to improvements in the practice environment and compensation policies, he said. Read: Inside the decision to extend FP training Since starting at the CFPC this summer, Dr. Loh said he’s been inspired to see how passionate the board and staff are about supporting and advocating for family physicians. “I want (physicians) to know that the College of Family Physicians is on your side,” he said. While the CFPC will continue to communicate with members through emails, social media channels, the CFPC website and a monthly column in Canadian Family Physician, Dr. Loh said he hopes there will be more opportunities for in-person connections. For example, the CFPC annual general meeting takes place on Nov. 2. The CFPC will also host Family Medicine Forum in Toronto from Nov. 9 to 12 and virtually from Nov. 16 to 19. “I’m coming in here listening to members,” he said. Dr. Loh said he’s always open to hear from members and encourages them to email him directly. Read: New guide for family docs caring for veterans

‘On your side:’ new CEO of College of Family Physicians of Canada is keen to listen to members

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