Update on Ontario’s PCMR RFP
Dear SGFP Members,
The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Primary Care Medical Record (PCMR)s initiative has officially been released. Over the past few weeks, our digital team has completed a detailed review of the procurement documents to evaluate its direction, alignment with SGFP's digital health roadmap, and core gaps.
While SGFP is not leading or managing this provincial procurement, we are aiming to have a stronger seat at the table to shape its success and deployment to ensure the final system serves family doctors, not bureaucratized admin processes.
Here is what we have seen so far:
- Key Alignments: The strategy aims to reduce EMR fragmentation while maintaining physician choice (rather than forcing a single provincial EMR), backed by technical mandates for data portability and privacy.
- Identified Gaps: The procurement framework relies heavily on technical, vendor-to-government language. Crucial areas such as clinical governance, physician voice, and daily workflow enhancements remain unaddressed; however, this is not unexpected, and we are actively seeking further clarification.
- What We Are Pushing For: We are challenging partners on critical operational details—demanding dedicated change management funding, transition supports for practices, and clear clinical governance.
What This Means for You Right Now
Considering that this represents a major step toward achieving the PCMR, it would be prudent to avoid making any long-term EMR commitments for now as we gather more details. The government is working on an aggressive schedule, aiming to conclude contract negotiations with vendors by the end of 2026, with hopes of implementation starting 2027.
We continue to work closely with the OMA, OCFP, and AFHTO to amplify your voice and needs in this space.
We want to hear your perspectives directly. You can:
- Reply to this email with your thoughts at ChairLetterSGFP@outlook.com
- Sign up for SGFP On-Call, one-on-one sessions with SGFP leaders. Registration for September and October slots is opening next week.
- Attend AGM & Town Hall in person in Goderich on Sept, 17 2026. Register here by September 8.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Dave Barber, Chair, SGFP
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Other Resources
Join us on Thursday, September 24, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. EST for Managing Asthma in Adults and Children: Importance of Understanding Severity and Control. The session will be led by Dr. Tom Kovesi, Pediatric Respirologist, and Dr. Harold Kim, Adult Respirologist. This session will equip participants to accurately diagnose and confirm asthma in children and adults by applying evidence-based diagnostic pathways, using objective and alternative testing methods, and distinguishing asthma from common mimics. It will also explore the impact of diagnostic errors or delays and highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient care and outcomes.
See the registration link for accreditation details.
For more information and to register, click here.
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Help Inform Future Resources on Tick-Borne Illnesses
Ticks and tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in Ontario. While clinical guidance for Lyme disease is already available, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health would like to understand whether guidance on the assessment and management of other tick-borne illnesses would be helpful for family physicians. If you have not already done so, take the brief survey now to share your thoughts: https://insights.oma.org/c/r/OMA_Poll_on_Tick_Borne_Illnesses
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The Long-Term Care Community of Practice (LTC CoP) connects physicians and nurse practitioners working in Ontario LTC homes to discuss real-world clinical challenges, share practical solutions, and learn from peers and researchers.
Session Details:
Topic: Frailty in Long-term Care: The session will explore frailty in LTC and will provide an overview of the RESPECT tool.
Host: Dr. Benoit Robert; Guest speaker: Dr. Amy Hsu
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (7pm–9pm)
Location: Zoom
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/4yNLZGxyRPqjvvLUy8o4Rg
If you are interested in joining our mailing list or have any questions or, please contact Alexis Aomreore, project coordinator at aaomreore@bruyere.org
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New Resource Available: Choosing Between Epinephrine Devices
Description: A new OMA resource is available to help physicians counsel patients on epinephrine options in Canada. Developed by the Section on Allergy and Clinical Immunology with OMA support, the tool follows Health Canada’s approval of an epinephrine nasal spray for individuals weighing 30 kg or more. Now available in Ontario pharmacies, the spray may be familiar to physicians experienced with other intranasal devices. The resource supports informed patient discussions and was created with contributions from Emergency Medicine, General and Family Practice, and Pediatrics.
Link: Choosing Between Epinephrine Devices
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Join Peer-to-Peer “Amazing and Awesome” Rounds on September 10, 2026, 12:00–1:00 PM EST for “The Big Shift: mBIG, Peer Physicians & Transforming Brain Injury Care.”
Topic: Case-based review of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage care using the mBIG pathway.
Learning Objectives: Identify patients meeting mBIG criteria; apply mBIG to guide imaging, observation, consultation, and disposition decisions; and integrate mBIG with Peer support to optimize neurosurgical and emergency medicine care closer to home.
Presenters: Drs. Steve Lin, Andrew Petrosoniak, and Kylie Booth.
Physician learners, especially those interested in rural practice, are welcome. Email edpeer@ontariohealth.ca for the invite.
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OntarioMD’s Digital Health Conference 2026 Keynotes
Healthcare leaders sharing practical insights on leadership, innovation and the future of digital health.
- Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an anesthesiologist, author of The Outrage Cure and first Indigenous president of the CMA.
- Dr. Michael Evans is a physician, educator and health innovator transforming the way health information is communicated.
- Dr. Nandini Gupta is an advanced heart failure cardiologist, educator, and Art in Medicine founder.
- Dr. Chandi Chandrasena is OntarioMD’s CMO, family physician and recognized digital health and AI leader.
Early bird registration extended exclusively for SGFP with code SGFP50D – save $100 until Sept. 11!
Resource Sharing: If you have information about a news item, policy, survey or event you wish to share with SGFP members, please review the criteria and provide the following required information for us to include in this section of the newsletter. Please send this submission to: ChairLetterSGFP@outlook.com