We Are Family Physicians: Upholding Our Identity

Dear SGFP Members,

Across our section, many of you have shared how deeply the erosion of respect for family medicine is being felt. We are all practicing in a moment where dismissiveness and polarization have become normalized, in politics, across social media, and unfortunately within healthcare environments. Family physicians experience this in unique and often painful ways: through administrative pressures that strain our practices, limited engagement in decision‑making that directly impacts our day‑to‑day work, policy directions that undervalue our care, and language that collapses our distinct professional identity into generic labels.

Restoring identity and respect to the profession is an SGFP priority. It is foundational to the work we do, and it is essential to the future of family medicine in Ontario.

A Resource to Support These Conversations

In response to member requests, we have created a one-page resource, We Are Family Physicians: Not Providers, drawn directly from our January 2025 Keystone paper. It outlines why the term “provider” is not an appropriate substitute for family physician, and how language that erases professional identity contributes to broader system-level misunderstandings about our role.

This resource is already being used by SGFP representatives in our work with provincial partners, and it is designed to support you in your own environments as well, whether you are engaging with colleagues, administrators, or partners. It offers clear language you can use to reinforce the value and specificity of family medicine.

‍

Why SGFP Funding Matters

Producing resources like this, responding quickly to member concerns, and advancing the identity of family physicians across the system all require sustained capacity. Much of this work is funded directly through the voluntary $310 annual SGFP constituency fee.

These contributions support:

• Advocacy and direct involvement in negotiations
• Development of policy (system-level and digital health focussed) and member-requested tools
• The operational infrastructure needed to represent our section effectively

We are able to do this work because of you, and we are at risk of doing less if more members do not contribute. We also recognize that, for some, the current method of contributing is antiquated at best. You can make a contribution any time through MyAccount, or by calling OMA membership toll-free at 1.800.268.7215.

If you have not yet supported the SGFP this year, I encourage you to consider doing so. Your support strengthens our collective voice at a time when it is urgently needed.

Moving Forward Together

Thank you to every member who raised concerns, shared experiences, or asked for clearer tools to support these conversations. Your engagement shapes our priorities and ensures that the SGFP remains responsive to the realities of practice.

As an Executive, we are committed to modeling the respect we seek for the profession, in how we engage with one another, how we represent family physicians across the system, and how we ground our work in clarity and integrity. We hope this new resource helps you advocate for the recognition that family physicians deserve.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Dave Barber

Chair, SGFP

‍