The 2019 Ted Freedman Award for Innovation in Education was awarded to the Ontario College of Family Physicians' Collaborative Mentoring Networks (CMN) program today. The award was presented at the 2019 CAHSPR Conference at Halifax Convention Centre in Halifax, NS and was accepted by Dr. Arun Radhakrishnan on behalf of the OCFP.
Issued by healthcare publisher Longwoods in cooperation with the Canadian Association of Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR), the international award recognized the OCFP's Collaborative Mentoring Networks for outstanding contributions to education in health, health services or health management at a healthcare organization.
"The Ted Freedman Award is a great honour and recognition of the vision, efforts and dedication in building the CMN; an incomparable educational initiative that supports family physicians in delivering high-quality care," said Dr. Radhakrishnan, CMN Clinical Lead and co-Chair of the Collaborative Mental Health Network (CMHN) and Medical Mentoring for Addictions and Pain (MMAP). "Building on this honour, we look forward to extending the reach of this program to more clinicians, continuing to innovate in new clinical areas, and further deepen our understanding of how this program provides value - not only to healthcare clinicians, but patients and the greater health system as well."
The CMN programs support Ontario's family physicians in navigating clinical and practice areas that they have identified as challenging - such as managing patients with chronic pain amid the opioid crisis - by creating safe spaces that strengthen resiliency and practice retention among clinicians. The Networks also support knowledge translation, which improves competence and confidence among clinicians, resulting in increased capacity to deliver compassionate and evidence-based primary care on the front line.
For physicians facing complex primary care challenges, being part of the CMN has made a notable difference in their confidence and practice. The success of the first two networks has led to the expansion of the networks to other areas of practice, including Palliative and End of Life Care, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), Leadership in Primary Care, Rural Medicine, and Early Years in Practice.
"What makes the CMN program so powerful and unique is the way we construct the mentoring relationship," added Dr. Radhakrishnan. "We're able to make the mentoring experience dynamic and responsive to our network members' individual needs to create a supportive and safe space for them."
Mentees can choose to engage in a one-to-one format, and in small or large groups. Mentoring can take place in person, via telephone, email or an online community of practice, in addition to regional conferences and meetings that take place throughout the year in Ontario. The format of the mentoring sessions can also be adjusted throughout the mentoring relationship to account for the guidance needed, frequency, location and schedules as well.
"We are truly honoured to have received this prestigious award for the work of our Collaborative Mentoring Networks," said Leanne Clarke, CEO of the Ontario College of Family Physicians. "This program is an example of how the OCFP is working to advance comprehensive, person-centred care within the Patient's Medical Home and primary care, by equipping family physicians and other clinicians with the resources and insights they need to provide excellent patient care in challenging areas of their practice."
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About the Ted Freedman Award for Innovation in Education
The Ted Freedman Award for Innovation in Education was created in 2000. Ted Freedman was the surprised honoree of an annual award launched by Healthcare Quarterly in cooperation with Agilent Technologies. The award recognizes those people who inspire, advocate and enable education in healthcare. The winners are honoured with a self-portrait in bronze of the artist as a patient recovering from brain surgery by award-winning sculptor Amy Switzer of Barrie, Ontario.
About the OCFP's Collaborative Mentoring Networks
The OCFP's Collaborative Mentoring Networks provide tangible support for family physicians and other healthcare professionals to build their capacity in managing patients, while enhancing primary care delivery - regardless of patient complexity.
Questions? Contact us to learn more about our Collaborative Mentoring Networks.