Chair's Message
This year at the Family Medicine Forum in Vancouver, the National Chairs of Family Medicine group had a unique opportunity to meet with the Minister of Health for Canada, Dr. Jane Philpott. This was the first and hopefully not the last meeting of academic family medicine chairs with the health minister to discuss national health issues.
As a family physician herself, Minister Philpott understands the importance of primary care to the state of health in the country, and she used the opportunity to point out two critical health issues for her department. The two issues of importance to her were 1. Indigenous Health and 2. Opioid Abuse.
Indigenous Health is a concern for all Family Medicine departments, including our own. There are several First Nations communities here in southwestern Ontario, including Oneida Nation of the Thames, Chippewas of the Thames, and Munsee-Delaware Nation, as well as Metis and Inuit peoples.
Rates of diabetes, mental health disorders, and suicide are higher in First Nations peoples and life expectancy is lower. These health discrepancies are most pronounced in the far north, but are also true here in our own communities, close to home.
As a Department of Family Medicine serving many First Nations peoples we need to enhance our knowledge of indigenous culture and health issues so we can better serve our First Nations patients. I hope we can do this through engaging in more educational endeavours such as Faculty Development and Grand Rounds and promotion of research initiatives in Indigenous Health.
I welcome your suggestions and ideas at: stephen.wetmore@schulich.uwo.ca.
