SRPC Conference 2000
CJRM 2000;5(2):74-5
Under the theme "Rural Health Care Through the Life Cycle," the SRPC held its 8th annual conference at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, April 4–8, 2000. Members reflected on their accomplishments, welcomed new partners to the fray, and planned for the future. It was a time of transition (a new president, vice-president, secretary-elect and treasurer-elect), a time to celebrate (reaching our goal of 1000 members by 2000, and the number of students and residents who have joined) and a time to demonstrate the reach and influence the Society has achieved over such a short period of time.
Representatives from the Royal College, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), PAIRO (the Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Ontario), CAIR (the Canadian Association of Internes and Residents) and the Canadian Federation of Medical Students attended, as did representatives from the allied health professions — most notably, nurse practitioners.
It was obvious that, because these annual meetings attempt to address both policy and practice issues (making the former more relevant, by reference to the latter), it is growing almost beyond the ability of one week to contain it all.
Monday — Day 0: The SRPC Council met to prepare for the AGM. This is one of the few face-to-face meetings the Council manages during the year. The CMA was kind enough to offer its premises for this meeting. The Royal College was active in the preparations for the conference and was there all week to coordinate its smooth flow.
Tuesday — Day 1: The "Society of Rural Physicians Day" sessions explored issues ranging from collaborative practice opportunities for rural physicians and nurse practitioners, to GP surgery, to sleep deprivation research. These sessions were building blocks for the next day's workshops.
The AGM was that evening. The SRPC welcomed David O'Neil as their new President, Dale Dewar as Vice-president, Conleth O'Maonaigh as Treasurer-elect and George Magee as Secretary-elect. The accomplishments, enthusiasm and support of the outgoing President, Dr. Patty Vann, were celebrated. To underline the huge amount of flying she has done in support of the Society's objectives, she was presented with an oriental rug to fly home on. As immediate past-president, however, she is not off the hook. She continues on the executive for another year.
Whether it was the lateness of the hour, the presence of the cocktail reception next door, or the superb organization by Lee Teperman, the meeting rolled through its business with minimal fuss. Most encouraging was Dr. Kate Miller's report of SRPC activities related to residents. Her participation dem-onstrated that resident/student members do in fact become paying members when they graduate.
Wednesday — Day 2: This was "Special Conference Day" on "Working Conditions." Many issues were addressed, both in working groups and in plenary sessions. Stress and family issues, on-call expectations and the effects on sleep patterns, and the dynamics of local groups of physicians were explored. Alternate payment plans were described, and the effect on physician providers of workforce issues that occur in other professions (e.g., nursing) were discussed. The discussions from the plenaries and from the small groups were collected, and the conclusions will be the subject of a future SRPC publication. Once again, the breadth of topics confronted was almost more than could be dealt with in the time allotted.
The Honourable Andy Mitchell, PC, MP, Secretary of State (Rural Development) (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario) attended the cocktail reception. He met many of the SRPC leaders and indicated his support for their efforts on behalf of rural communities.
Thursday — Day 3: The conference reverted to its clinical "Life Cycle" theme, with presentations on pediatrics, adolescence, and on the young adult. These were given almost exclusively by rural physicians from such places as Sioux Lookout, Terrace Bay, Revelstoke, Shawville, Chicoutimi, Hinton and Eganville, amply demonstrating that rural physicians are quite capable of stepping into the teaching role and of being a resource to their peers.
For those with the energy to continue the party into the evening, Tucker's Marketplace in Ottawa's Byward Market was entertained by the talents of rural docs and their spouses, both in song and on the fiddle. Shades of St. John's!
Friday — Day 4: The "Life Cycle" theme continued. There were clinical sessions related to adults and seniors, and a cluster of sessions on chemotherapy in rural areas, management of pain in palliative care and the issues that surround the setting up of a palliative care service in a rural area. It was evident that a great deal of knowledge exists in these areas which is rural-specific, but that there are barriers to extending its benefits to rural Canada in general.
Saturday — Day 5: New to the annual meeting, and a testament to the numbers of interested students, was a whole day devoted to their interests. It included a discussion of boundary issues and practical issues, such as casting and intubation.
Concurrently, the Society ran its Rural Critical Care Course, as well as ALARM (Advances in Labour and Risk Management) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support).
Sunday — Day 7: The organizers rested. . . .
Could any more have been stuffed into 6 days? I doubt it. Is there any other conference that addresses rural health issues in as comprehensive a manner? I don't think so. Will you be at the conference next year? I hope so. As a rural physician or healthcare provider, you owe it to yourself.
© 2000 Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
