Member Newsletter

NAPCRG News is an electronic member newsletter published several times throughout year. 

September 2022 Newsletter

President's Message 

Greetings, My Friends,

With planning for the Annual Meeting and 50th anniversary celebration well underway, I am thrilled with what seems to be a new freedom to gather in person. While COVID continues to be a challenge in some areas, the landscape has changed significantly as vaccination, mask-wearing and acceptance of other public health policies have become more commonplace. We will continue to monitor local guidance in Phoenix, Arizona. Please familiarize yourself with NAPCRG’s policy on meeting attendance before you travel.

As I reflect on the past year as president, I would like to use what little time and space here remains to provide an update on several key initiatives. The strategic plan requires us to focus our efforts to a new structure, which represents a baseline necessity. The Board will continue its thinking with a consultant at our upcoming meeting on ways to align our committees with our strategic plan to focus our efforts. Ambitious goals require some new priorities and practices.

One of those ambitious goals is to increase the numbers and reputation of primary care researchers. We are committed to ensuring that family medicine and other primary care learners have research as a component of their career focus. Family medicine physicians need to be comfortable contributing to research in some capacity. NAPCRG supports the Canadian lead in increasing family medicine research and will build visibility and momentum for the larger aim, which is to expand research in primary care globally.

 

Workforce & Pathways

    • Elevate the presence and visibility of primary care research as a vital career commitment across the spectrum of academic and clinical primary care disciplines.
    • Develop strategies to encourage residents, medical students and graduate trainees to consider research careers in family medicine and primary care.
    • Develop strategies to encourage community clinicians to invest time, talent and/or treasure to primary care research.
    • Develop mentorship with AFMRD, CFPC family medicine residencies to develop research resources.

 

We are piloting an exciting new project to expand awareness of opportunities with primary care research with medical students in FMIG or on rotation or other community student event by local NAPCRG members in the United States. This presentation builds on an existing video on primary care research sponsored by NAPCRG. I am grateful for the help of other NAPCRG Board members and volunteers – Marty Player, MD, MSCR, Vivian Jiang, MD and Ed Bujold, MD – who have developed this new presentation. It will help make research seem attainable as medical students contemplate their career choices. We will deliver the presentations to a small group of allopathic and osteopathic schools and then refine it based on feedback we receive. The presentation will also create visibility for NAPCRG to ensure that we grow our presence as a professional home for those who wish to share their passion for primary care research with peers.  

Developing workforce and career pathways for primary care researchers is critical to sustaining this vital but small community. Several forces have moved in concert and are ripe for this goal to be achieved:

  • Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (U.S): ACGME standard-setting is underway to increase researchers in primary care through residency training. ACGME website
  • Opportunity: Create a 4th year residency that could have as one of its tracks a research track, learning from Canada on their experience.

  • Continue our wonderful partnerships with allied organizations that share our interest in strengthening the number and quality of researchers in primary care such as the American Board of Family Medicine, Association of Departments of Family Medicine, College of Family Physicians of Canada, and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. 

We have invested a good deal of time and effort in setting our new direction. It’s wonderful to have a road map and energy focused on where we have been and where we are going. Happy NAPCRG’s 50th anniversary! And many more to come!

 

Best wishes,

Diane M Harper, MD, MPH, MS

Meetings and Events

Celebrate 50 Years in Phoenix

Join us for the 50th Annual Meeting November 18-22, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Here’s why:

  1. We are gathering in person!
  2. There is so much great programming and networking sessions planned!
  3. It’s our 50th anniversary!

Join us as we learn, share, energize, network, and celebrate. Plan now to get the most out of your Annual Meeting experience.

  • Share Your Memories: We’re creating a 50th anniversary commemorative display. Send your digital or scanned photos of past NAPCRG events and activities to Priscilla Noland at pnoland@napcrg.org by September 30! Help us visualize a complete representation of the last half decade
  • Registration: Save $100 when you register by October 18. 
  • Travel: Be in the center of the fun and action. Our host hotel is the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown and offers a NAPCRG room block with special rates through October 18, 2022. 
  • Program Schedule: See what’s scheduled during our time together in Phoenix.
  • Presenters: Find helpful information for preparing according to your presentation format.
  • Partnership & Visibility: There’s no better time and place to get in front of the global primary care research community than our Annual Meeting. We have a variety of options for all levels and budgets. 
  • SIG Roundtable Discussions: SIG (special interest groups) and roundtable discussions happen every morning during breakfast. See details or submit a SIG reservation by October 14, 2022. 
  • Meeting Space Requests: See details or submit a request to hold a meeting or event at our host hotel during the 50th Annual Meeting

 

It's a Wrap for the 2022 ICPF

Thank you to everyone who played a role in making this year’s International Conference on Practice Facilitation (ICPF) in Savannah, Georgia possible September 8-9. These two days were an exceptional time of sharing, learning and connecting live and in person. 

Congratulations to our poster winners! The following presentations were selected for recognition by our ICPF attendees:

  • First Place: Expanding Recruitment Reach – Revamping the Recruitment Process for Remote Relationship-Building. Presented by Tiff Weekley, MA; Jacquelyn Hoffman, MPH; Victoria Sanchez, MS, PMP; Mary Patzel, MBA; Melinda Davis, PhD, MCR; Martha Snow, MPH.
  • Second Place: Curating Learning Content to Support Coaching and Action Planning. Presented by Molly Volk, MHS, PCMH CCE; Ann Romer, MS; Oyinkansola Ogunrinde, MHA; Megan Bowen, BA.
  • Third Place: Assessment and Action Planning as Coaching Tools to Address Clinician Burden and Wellness. Presented by Oyinkansola Ogunrinde, MHA; Ann Romer, MS; Molly Volk, MHS, PCMH CCE; Megan Bowen, BA.

Attendees can download a 2022 ICPF certificate of attendance from the NAPCRG website

Opportunities to Engage:
Research, Scholarship, Leadership

Share Your NAPCRG Memories

This year’s Annual Meeting promises to be very special as we not only gather together in person, but also commemorate the 50th anniversary of our unique organization. 

Help us celebrate this milestone by sharing your photos of past NAPCRG events, activities, and memories. We’ll use these visuals to create a commemorative anniversary display featured at the Annual Meeting November 18-22, 2022, in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Take action today to make your memories part of our celebration: 

  • Send digital or scanned photos to Priscilla Noland at pnoland@napcrg.org by September 30.
  • Include any available detail you have (e.g., member names, year or timeframe, name of event, etc.).
  • Don’t worry if your photos have faded with age, send them along. We have a creative team working on ways to use them.
  • Send as many photos as you like. We want a complete representation of the last half decade. 

 

Deadline: Oct. 14 Update for Annals of Family Medicine Publishing

Accepted Annual Meeting abstracts for completed research (oral presentations and posters) are eligible to be published in the Annals of Family Medicine, a top-ranked bimonthly primary care research journal. These conference proceedings will appear in digital form following the meeting.

Action is required on behalf of all lead presenters of eligible research. 

Information for published conference proceedings is pulled directly from our submission system. Lead presenters are responsible for ensuring a complete and accurate list of authors is supplied for each submission eligible for publication. 

Please verify or update your complete list of authors for publishing purposes by October 14, 2022. 

This is a fixed deadline to accommodate the publishing timeline. After this date, information for publishing with the Annals of Family Medicine cannot be updated or changed. To review and edit your list, please follow the steps below.  

Reviewing and/or Adding Authors:

  1. Log into https://submit.napcrg.org/
  2. Under My Current Submissions, you can see a list of current submissions
  3. Under My Current Submissions, select Update Participants
  4. Please review for accuracy
  5. If you need to add additional presenters, copy the text in the blue box and email it to the presenter that needs to be added

Additional instructions and visuals for this process can be found in our submission FAQ. 

Any presenter, author, or co-author wanting to update their credentials and institutions can do so in their NAPCRG profile. To do so, visit the NAPCRG website and click on “Member Portal” in the top right menu. NAPCRG uses information from this profile for all conference materials.

Thanks for ensuring we all get the most out of this valuable publishing opportunity tied to our 50th Annual Meeting. 

Other News

Golden Reflections on our 50th Anniversary

NAPCRG is 50 years old and our members are reflecting in many ways and places about what this milestone means for primary care research. We’re sharing highlights and links to these spotlights. 

  • CFP Podcast: As the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) celebrates its 50th anniversary, Dr. Nick Pimlott hosts Dr. Vivian Ramsden, NAPCRG Vice President, in a chat about the organization’s success and plans for the future. Dr. Ramsden shares insights about the evolution of patient-led research and the value of relationships in this work. Listen to the podcast. 
  • Canadian Family Physician: CFP is the official journal of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. In a recent issue, NAPCRG Vice President Dr. Vivian Ramsden offers personal reflections and commentary about Canadian contributions over the last half century. Read the full article in English or French. 
  • Family Medicine and Community Health: We’re committed to expanding our global footprint and improving the care of patients and communities around the world by advancing primary care research. Discover international reflections from some of our members in this recent Family Medicine and Community Health article by:
    • Tim olde Hartman, NAPCRG International Committee Chair
    • David N. Blane
    • Elizabeth Sturgiss, incoming International Committee Chair,
    • Pauline Boeckxstaens
    • Liesbeth Hunik

Read the full article here. 

 

NAPCRG Members Named as CAHS Fellows

NAPCRG is 50 years old and our members are reflecting in many ways and places about what this milestone means to our members and primary care research. We’re sharing highlights and links to these spotlights. 

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) recently announced newly elected Fellows for 2022, recognizing the accomplishments of those who have achieved excellence in health sciences. Congratulations to our three members included in this illustrious list:

  • Vivian R. Ramsden, RN, BSN, MS, PhD, MCFP (Hon.), incoming president of NAPCRG.
  • Sabrina Wong, RN, PhD, co-chair of NAPCRG’s research advocacy committee.
  • Catherine Hudon, MD, PhD 

The Canadian Academy of Health Sciences brings together Canada’s top-ranked health and biomedical scientists and scholars to make a positive impact on the urgent health concerns of Canadians. Fellows, drawn from all disciplines across our nation’s universities, healthcare and research institutes, evaluate Canada’s most complex health challenges and recommend strategic, actionable solutions.

Election to Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honors for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community and carries with it a covenant to serve the Academy and the future well-being of the health sciences irrespective of the Fellow’s specific discipline.

Catherine Hudon, MD, PhD – Université de Sherbrooke

Catherine Hudon is Professor at the Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine Department of Université de Sherbrooke and member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada. She conducts an innovative research program mobilizing many national and international partners to improve care integration, equity in health and health of people with complex care needs facing interacting challenges among physical, mental, and social health. Adopting a participatory approach, she uses mixed methods to develop, implement, and evaluate innovations to better answer the needs of this population and improve healthcare systems efficiency.

 

Vivian R. Ramsden, RN, BSN, MS, PhD, MCFP (Hon.) – University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Ramsden’s professional contributions and volunteer contributions are extensive. A Registered Nurse, Dr. Ramsden is a Professor & Research Director, Department of Family Medicine, University of Saskatchewan; facilitator of a partnership with a nursing college in Chennai, India; Chair of the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Section of Researchers; and incoming President of NAPCRG. As a participatory health researcher in primary health care, she engages individuals and communities in addressing the issues that impact their health. Thus, in long standing collaborations with Indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan and South India, and with individuals released from prison, the outcomes have transformed health.

Dr. Ramsden will begin her term as NAPCRG president on November 22 following the Annual Meeting. She led the integration of PaCE from a grant-funded program to a committee of NAPCRG and also led governance changes within NAPCRG’s structure in 2017-2018. 

 

Sabrina Wong, RN, PhD, Professor, The University of British Columbia

Dr. Wong is a Professor in the School of Nursing and the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia. Dr. Wong’s contributions as a scholar and leader in primary care research are widely recognized, nationally and internationally. She serves as the co-chair for the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network, playing a central role in the development of a primary care federated clinical electronic medical record repository that can be used for research, disease surveillance and quality improvement. She has a long-standing commitment to health and healthcare inequities, particularly in the area of primary health care.

Dr. Wong has served NAPCRG most recently in the role of chair of the research advocacy committee.

 

See the full list of 2022 CAHS Fellows. 

For information on the nomination process, please visit: https://cahs-acss.ca/nominations/

Career and Training Opportunities

Career Opportunities: Open Positions

Job seekers can view positions by clicking on links to find additional information or apply. More information is available for institutions interested in advertising available positions to our members.

Vice Chair of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico

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