Canadian Family Physician Cover Stories 2017
The importance of partnerships and building relationships
Dr. Sarah de Leeuw,
© Credit: UNBC Communications
Dr. Sarah de Leeuw has been writing a series of monthly cover stories for Canadian Family Physician (CFP) since 2016. These stories feature anecdotes and real world examples of initiatives being undertaken by physicians across Canada who are making a difference in how health care services and programs are delivered, especially in rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities. Over this past year, she has touched on a wide range of topics, including: how the performance of family practice should be measured, in ways that balance doctors’ and patients’ expectations and maintain harmony (November); actions to address racism and discrimination within health practice (October) and in educational settings for Indigenous students in health fields (June); actions to address environmental determinants of health, including advocacy to bring water safety issues into the realm of public health in Newfoundland (August) and to mitigate environmental impacts of healthcare facilities on human health (April); initiatives to improve the quality of health services by breaking down elitist ideals about medicine (May), recognizing the humanity in all individuals (February), and valuing and integrating different ways of knowing in medicine and health care practices (January); and improving health outcomes for patients through increasing health literacy (March) and ensuring family practitioners have access to evidence that is relevant to their patients and practice (September). She concludes this year’s series with a piece highlighting the important and diverse roles family physicians take on to promote health and well-being, especially for marginalized populations, including as educators, researchers, advocates, artists, social justice activists and innovators (December).
Each of de Leeuw’s stories touch on topics either directly or indirectly relevant to Indigenous and marginalized populations. They focus on aspects of social justice, equity and fairness, and emphasize the importance of partnerships and building relationships to engage patients in taking actions to improve their health and well-being.
Read the CFP 2016 cover stories | Health Arts Research Centre | UNBC: Dr. Sarah de Leeuw
July 2017
Citations
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Putting calls into action: Treating aboriginal patients in collaboration with Indigenous healers and elders. Canadian Family Physician, 63(1), 56-59.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Medicine inside: Prisons, participatory research, and practising with hope behind bars. Canadian Family Physician,63(2), 147-9.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Poetic medicine: Adding rhyme and reason to the literacy of health. Canadian Family Physician, 63(3), 229-31.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Honesty, not forgetting, and our fragile world: Linking ecological action and clinical encounters. Canadian Family Physician, 63(4), 308-311.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Thinking like a rebel: Listening to patients, partnering with disease, finding the inspiration in suffering. Canadian Family Physician, 63(5), 392-5.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Indigenous medicine: Approaching the challenges with courage and humility. Canadian Family Physician, 63(6), 468-471.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Poisoned perfection: Welling concerns about arsenic, drinking water, and public health in rural Newfoundland. Canadian Family Physician, 63(8), 628-631.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Courage, relationships, and applicability: Big research from small places. Canadian Family Physician, 63(9), 708-711.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Learning the truth first-hand about reconciliation: Community-based research and First Nations health in rural Manitoba. Canadian Family Physician, 63(10), 784-787.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). The ideals of balance and harmony: How to measure performance in family practice. Canadian Family Physician, 63(11), 872-875.
de Leeuw, S. (2017). Stories I learned from: What I didn’t know about family practice in Canada (and what I suspect many Canadians don’t know either). Canadian Family Physician, 63(12), 954-957.