October 2019 Newsletter
Taking it to the Streets
Dr. Andrea Sereda is providing care for at-risk people through two street-level programs and is advocating for change on how to combat the country's opioid crisis. Via the 2019 issue of Rapport.
Chair's Message – e-Consult
No doubt you have noted the increasing complexity of family medicine care in your practices. You probably also have noticed increasing difficulty in accessing certain specialty services, long wait times for consultations, and patient’s experience with referral to specialists being less than positive. Advances in technology can be helpful in dealing with these issues. One technological advance that we are using with more frequency in the SWLHIN is e-Consult. Learn More.
Postgraduate Program Report
The Postgraduate team has been working extremely hard in preparation for the upcoming Accreditation Visit taking place from November 24 to November 29, 2019. We would like to thank all of those involved in planning for the visit as well as those that will be meeting with the accreditation team members. This is a tremendous team effort and we couldn't do it without your support!
Graduate Program Report
Congratulations to Drs. Sherine Kamel, Amanda Pendergast (MClSc) and Les Lee (PhD) on completing their programs; they were celebrated at Western's Convocation ceremony on October 23, 2019. Congratulations also to Drs. Tesshu Kusaba and Melad Marbeen who successfully defended their thesis work recently. Our online graduate courses have commenced on OWL and students are well engaged.
News: Dr. Scott McKay appointed Chair, Medical Advisory Committee at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)
The Department of Family Medicine would like to congratulate Dr. Scott McKay on his appointment as Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). The MAC Chair is a senior leadership position within the hospital at LHSC. As Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee, Dr. McKay hopes to support the evolution and improvement of the healthcare services delivered at LHSC. “With the quadruple aim as a guiding framework, I believe we can improve patient outcomes and experience, control or decrease health delivery costs, while also improving the healthcare provider experience in the delivery of care,” he said.
In the media: Exercise study aims at improving heart function to prevent dementia
The Heart and Mind study, led by Dr. Robert Petrella and funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, is investigating the effects of high-intensity interval training on dementia risk in older adults with hypertension. The study has recently enrolled a second wave of 60 new participants. Media coverage by CTV News.
Lifestyle Research Team – New Staff Updates
The Lifestyle Research Team welcomes Nathan Christopher, a recent graduate from Western University with an Honors Specialization in Kinesiology, and Melissa Majoni, who recently graduated from her Master of Science degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics here at Western University. Nathan is excited at the opportunity to assist with both the Hockey FIT and Heart and Mind research studies, and Melissa will be working with our Hockey FIT team remotely from Vancouver, BC.
Interdisciplinary Primary Health Care Research Training Program Now Accepting Applications
TUTOR-PHC or Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research – Primary Health Care, is a one-year, pan-Canadian interdisciplinary research capacity building program that has been training primary and integrated health care researchers and decision-makers from family medicine, nursing, psychology, epidemiology, social work, occupational therapy, education, policy and other disciplines since 2003. Deadline to apply is December 2, 2019.
United Way popcorn sale
Thank you to everyone who came out and participated in our United Way Elgin Middlesex popcorn sale. The Department raised $82.75 in support of Western's United Way Campaign and freshly popped popcorn was enjoyed by all.
Dr. Firas Al-Dhaher is hoping to inspire rural-based health research
By exploring issues of access and availability for rural patients, Dr. Firas Al-Dhaher is hoping to inspire rural-based health research. As the Site Director for the Petrolia Medical Clinic, he sees an under-serviced patient population, one that faces distinct socio-economic concerns and limited access to health care resources.
Funding Announcement: Caskey/Francis Family Award in Clinical Research
Co-investigator, Evelyn Vingilis, PhD, and team were awarded the Caskey/Francis Family Award in Clinical Research for their study, "Social Media Use and Mental Health: Exploration at the Individual and Population Level." The grant runs from September 2019 to August 2021.
Obstetrical Skills Day
First year family medicine residents will attend the annual Obstetrical Skills Day on November 6. A dedicated group of faculty will come together under the leadership of Dr. Laura Lyons to present an informative 1/2 day workshop with hands-on rotating work stations covering everything from the mechanics of a normal vaginal birth to diagnosing and treating a shoulder dystocia. Note: All PGY1 residents are to attend in person.
Family Medicine Forum
Family Medicine Forum (FMF) will be held from October 30 to November 2 in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC). This is the largest annual conference for family physicians. Many of our research and clinical faculty and residents will be presenting posters, workshops or education sessions.
NAPCRG 2019
The North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 47 Annual Meeting will be held this year from November 16 to 20 in Toronto, Ontario at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. Members of the Centre for Studies in Family Medicine and Department of Family Medicine will be attending to make oral presentations and poster presentations during the conference.
Symptoms in Family Practice: New Findings using EMR Data
Please join Dr. Tom Freeman and colleagues for an afternoon discussing “Symptoms in Family Practice: New Findings using EMR Data,” supported by the Citywide Department of Family Practice, the Department of Family Medicine and Centre for Studies in Family Medicine. When: November 13, 2019, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Where: Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine, 4th floor – Rm. 4006. Learn More and Register Today. When: November 13, 2019, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Where: Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine, 4th floor – Rm. 4006
International Multimorbidity Symposium
You are invited to attend the International Multimorbidity Symposium on Friday, November 15. This Symposium is being co-presented by the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and the Department of Family Medicine. Learn More and Register Today.
Annual Family Medicine Mix & Mingle
The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) is hosting a Mix and Mingle on Wednesday, December 4 and we are looking for Family Physicians to participate (residents and staff). The event will take place at the Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine and include dinner at 6:30 p.m. followed by "Speed Dating" from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The Speed Dating involves speaking to a group of 2-3 pre-clerkship students for 8 minute intervals about topics such as why you choose family medicine, what your practice is like, and any questions they may have. If you are interested in attending, please email the FMIG exec via Julia Petta.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Graham Briscoe
Dr. Graham Briscoe's current medical practice consists of academic sport medicine at the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic and emergency medicine at the Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital. "I enjoy the diversity between providing specialized care in an academic teaching sport medicine clinic and caring for ill and injured patients in a community emergency department setting. A large proportion of what I see in the emergency department is musculoskeletal injuries, so my sport medicine knowledge is an asset to me when providing patient care."
October 2019 Research and Publications
The Department of Family Medicine is at the forefront of research in primary health care. Among the areas of focus for research are patient-centered care, clinical practice guidelines, health promotion, population health, care of the elderly, health services and information technology.
Events
Join us for Family Medicine Grand Rounds: Epidemiology and prevention of cardiometabolic disease in the era of multimorbidity: a global perspective on November 6. Save the date for Hands-On Injection Workshop for Family Physicians on November 13, and the Palliative Care Journal Club on November 21.
Top stories from our September newsletter
Missed the September e-newsletter? Take a moment to read the top stories: Meet our new resident leaders, Chair's Message – Longitudinal Clinical Experience, and Hands-On Injection Workshop For Family Physicians.
