News

(Toronto, ON) — March 26, 2026 — The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) congratulates the Government of Ontario on the release of the 2026 Budget and welcomes the government’s continued commitment to strengthening access to primary care for patients across the province.

I am proud to welcome the 602 medical students who matched to family medicine in the first iteration of CaRMS in Ontario. By choosing family medicine, you are stepping into one of the most impactful roles in our health care system at a time when there is real opportunity to help shape its future.

Family Physicians Call for a Modern Referral System to Improve Patient Access to Specialist Appointments and Diagnostic Tests (TORONTO, ON) — December 23, 2025 — New polling conducted by Abacus Data reveals that patients and families are waiting too long for answers about their health, and Ontarians overwhelmingly support modernizing the province’s referral system so patients can access care when they need it.

The Ontario College of Family Physicians Recognizes 13 Family Physicians Nominated by Their Peers TORONTO, November 20, 2025 – At a virtual ceremony on November 19, 2025, the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) honoured 13 family physicians and future family physicians from across the province.

The Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) welcomes the 2025 Ontario Budget and recent government announcements as meaningful steps to improve access to family doctors and strengthen the province’s healthcare system.

Andree Decoste, of Brampton, credits her family doctor, Dr. Christopher Veenema, with coordinating care for her son, David, following a catastrophic car accident in 2019, while also supporting her through challenges of her own.  Thankful for his dedication and care, Andree successfully nominated Dr. Veenema to be recognized by the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) as part of a campaign to highlight the essential role of family doctors.

Dear aspiring Family Physicians,  I want to congratulate and welcome all who have just been matched to Family Medicine. The dedication that medical students and residents bring to our profession is exceptional, and we look forward to having you join this important and rewarding profession.

Enabling Family Physicians with the Right Technology Will Help Patients Receive Faster Care  Dr. Nicole Desmarais has seen the tragic consequences that can result from the lack of an effective referral system, as she tries tirelessly every day to connect her patients to the specialized care they need.  The sole family physician in Hanmer, a small town in Greater Sudbury, Dr. Desmarais has had patients with life-threatening illnesses waiting for months – their condition worsening – while she searches, unsuccessfully, for the specialized care her patient needs.

Family physicians share how using AI scribes allows them to give time back to patients.  Dr. Vineet Nair, family physician and Co-chair of the Middlesex London Primary Care Network, says the benefits of using an AI scribe were immediate – and now he’ll never go back to practising without one.