To All Ontario Family Physicians                                December 7 , 2005

Navigating the Perfect Storm
COFP Celebrates its 10th Anniversary by Launching Our 2006 Membership Campaign

Dear Colleagues,

Ten years ago, we embarked on a voyage together. We travelled through the storms and gales of government policies created to control our professional lives. We were uncertain where these transformations would lead and whether we would successfully navigate through these tides of change.

With Bob Rae's Social Contract, we provided free medical services for every tenth patient as a result of the NDP's dreaded “clawbacks”. The Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris that followed continued to disrespect the profession having introduced Bill 26 – perhaps the most offensive and odious piece of legislation directed at Ontario's physicians. This was subsequently followed by the Liberals' Bill 8, which further refined Bill 26 into the most hostile legislation directed at physicians in Canada. Throughout all this, the media published stories about “incompetent, greedy, unethical doctors”, who cared more about themselves than their patients.

At that time, the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) seemed uninterested in supporting its members. Many members expressed their concern that the Rand funding formula made the OMA simply unaccountable to its members; annual funding was guaranteed regardless of performance.

Ten years ago, in the climate of cynicism and limited funds, the Coalition of Family Physicians of Ontario was born – and the medical/political landscape in this province gradually began to change.

From the outset, our philosophy was simple. The Coalition was the voice of frontline physicians, a grassroots organization dedicated to the protection of the rights and freedoms of the family physicians of Ontario and the provision of top quality health care to the people of Ontario.

Our mission statement was solid then, and it remains solid today.

However, our work is hardly finished, and despite our accomplishments during the past decade, much more needs to be done. The adage, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, is especially relevant today, with the potentially dramatic changes presently occurring in our health-care system.

Some argue that we should abandon our efforts, citing the demise of the Specialist Coalition of Ontario. These people say that having served our purpose and made our point, furthering our mission statement will only damage the relationship the OMA and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have developed as a result of the last contract.

Some do hold these opinions, and they tend to be the same people who wish we had never existed in the first place.

However, the Coalition of Family Physicians of Ontario is here to stay and continue its work.

But we cannot do it alone.

Over the past few weeks, you have received a series of communications from us, outlining our concerns and laying the groundwork for the future. We have talked about the nature of leadership, warned against being fooled by political rhetoric, and appealed to those transforming our health-care system to take a more balanced approach. Throughout, we have taken the high road – to share ideas and creative solutions, not to trade insults. While not everyone may agree with what we say, no one can question our integrity.

So, here is the first step in our plan to fulfil our obligations to family physicians:

If family medicine is to have a future, we must work together to create positive change for physicians. It is sometimes necessary to act decisively to bring about change, the kind of change that allows us to evolve and have more control over our own practices.

Today I am asking that you join with us in creating the conditions that will bring about some positive change. Remember that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Please join us in taking the first step; to find out how, please read on.

For years, family physicians have been forced to either provide services for free or cut them out entirely, simply because successive governments have chosen to devalue our services and underfund the health-care system. In the end, those most affected by such political expediency are patients. They understand the value of the services that we provide. They also understand that it is impossible to continue providing many such services without compensation. The result is profound dissatisfaction amongst family physicians, loss of interest in family practice, and the striking shortage of family physicians that we have today.

The Coalition has decided to lead by example and encourage family physicians to offer these services, not covered by OHIP, to their patients at reasonable rates. They include telephone advice, prescription renewals, sick notes, missed appointments, and insurance forms. By providing a simple means of paying for these services, patients can have access to family physicians on their terms, instead of having their healthcare controlled by nameless, faceless bureaucrats. This will restore the value of the work you do and provide needed services to patients.

To this end, we have secured an agreement with a service called CallerMD that will work with you and your staff to help you effortlessly collect these fees. Experience in other practices where CallerMD has been used has shown between $18,000 and $30,000 in additional income per year, depending on the number of uninsured services the physician provides. In fact, nearly the entire COFP Board has begun using CallerMD, and the results have been excellent. CallerMD guarantees that if you are a typical practice and follow their guidelines, you will earn at least $6,500 per annum in additional income, and will top up to that amount in case of a shortfall.

As a member of the Coalition of Family Physicians of Ontario, you will receive a 33% discount off of CallerMD's regular billing rates. Moreover, you can receive a $50 rebate off your 2006 COFP Membership Dues simply by having a representative of CallerMD visit your office to show you what this system can do for you and your staff. The CallerMD service is seamless, efficient, and requires no financial investment on your part. We believe that this service is definitely worthy of your consideration in these trying times.

After ten exciting, tumultuous, and inspiring years, the COFP still believes in the vital importance of family medicine, for now and for the future. We invite you to show your support for the Coalition of Family Physicians of Ontario by filling out the Membership Form below.

On behalf of the Coalition of Family Physicians, I thank you for all your support throughout the years and for continuing to believe in us.

Sincerely,

Douglas Mark MD, President
and the Board of the Coalition of Family Physicians of Ontario

P.S. Don't forget, if you'd like to learn more about CallerMD , just check the box on your COFP Membership Form.

Join, renew, give feedback, make political action & legal challenge contributions online at www.cofp.com

THE COALITION OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS OF ONTARIO
45 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 900, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 5W9

Tel.: (416) 412-1474 Toll Free Tel.: 1-866-495-4346
Fax: (416) 412-7297 Toll Free Fax:1-866-495-4349