Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) and our Executive Director Terri Potter, I would like to thank you for your participation, wisdom, and contributions to the Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction (CMN).
Achievements
With the CMN’s Health Canada funding coming to an end next month, we would like to use this final Catch Up to celebrate all we have accomplished together. This program has allowed the ACFP to reimagine how we provide support, education, and skill development in chronic pain and addiction for family physicians and interdisciplinary colleagues. It has introduced a new platform for expanding mentorship and peer-to-peer connections and explored other continuing professional development (CPD) program formats such as case-based learning (project ECHO) and a shadowing program (Observership) to complement traditional didactive sessions (Virtual Collaboration Forums). This multi-faceted approach to CPD has fostered an “ecosystem” of learning opportunities for team-based care.
Continuing Community
The collaboration across disciplines and with individuals with lived experience (IWLE) has provided a rich, diverse, and deep knowledge of the complexities of managing persistent pain and substance use disorders. This intentional effort enhanced the program and highlighted the need for interdisciplinary and patient co-developed CPD opportunities to improve care of complex conditions and acts as a model for future CPD at the ACFP.
The ACFP will continue supporting the CMN community of practice (ACFP Networks) by maintaining its discussion boards, and resource libraries. Technical support for PCN Pain Rounds and Pain BC licences will continue to be offered by ACFP.
Mentorship – Expanding the Ecosystem
As a CMN member, you are the first to be informed about the ACFP’s new program called Mentor Match, launching on ACFP Networks later this summer. Mentor Match is a unique self-matching networking and professional development tool that helps members connect and share common experiences and expertise on a one-to-one basis. Areas of interests and expertise covers a broad range of topics. I encourage you all to consider sharing your skills and passion for patient care by being a mentor, a mentee, or both. Consider areas where you would like to learn from your colleagues and sign up as a mentee.
Stay tuned for more information on the online community and upcoming invitations to join Mentor Match. If you have further questions about the community or Mentor Match, I encourage you to join ACFP’s weekly office hours hosted every Wednesday at noon.
It has been a privilege to be part of the CMN, thank you all for participating over the years. I look forward to what the future holds for mentorship and all the doors the CMN has opened.
Take good care,
Cathy Scrimshaw, MD, CCFP
CMN Medical Director
Alberta College of Family Physicians
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