Dr Sarah-Lynn Newbery is the 2013 recipient of the Family Physician of the Year Award. This award recognizes outstanding CFPC family physician members, one in each province, who exemplify the best of what being a family physician is all about.
In 1993, Dr Newbery completed her medical degree at McMaster University. She received Certification in Family Medicine in 1995 and became a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2006.
Dr Newbery has served as a Board Member of the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) since 2008. At the community level, she chaired the Marathon Groundwater Stewardship Committee and the Peninsula Harbour Remediation Committee, which was recognized with an Environmental Stewardship Award in 2013.
Dr Newbery has practised comprehensive rural family medicine with the Marathon Family Health Team since 1996. She also serves as Chief of Staff and chemotherapy physician with the Wilson Memorial General Hospital in Marathon, Ontario.
In 2009, Dr Newbery’s rural practice was recognized as Family Practice of the Year— one of two awarded by the OCFP that year. Her team practice was celebrated as Teacher of the Year by the NOMP in 2002, and again in 2010 by the NOSM.
In addition to her role as preceptor for the Northwestern Ontario Medical Program (NOMP)—now the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)—Dr Newbery is credited for her outstanding leadership in the restructuring of the curriculum and assessment model. She made significant contributions to the first teaching modules including session types, case content, and the Aboriginal Community Placement pilot module.
Canada’s Family Physicians of the Year – the Reg L. Perkin Awards
Since 1972, the CFPC and its Research & Education Foundation have honoured family physician members who exemplify the guiding principles of family medicine. Initially, one award recipient was selected to receive the Family Physician of the Year (FPOY) Award each year. Since 2002, ten family physicians have been recognized annually—one representing each CFPC Chapter.
Canada’s FPOYs are chosen by their peers, other health care colleagues, and community leaders for:
- Providing exceptional care to their patients
- Making meaningful contributions to the health and well-being of their communities
- Dedicating themselves as researchers and educators of future generations of family doctors
FPOY recipients must exemplify the four principles of family medicine:
- Be skilled clinicians
- Be community based
- Act as a resource to a practice population
- Recognize the central importance of the doctor-patient relationship
CFPC Chapters review nominations and select the FPOY for their respective provinces. The provincial FPOYs are honoured at their respective Annual Scientific Assemblies or Annual General Meetings. The national FPOYs are honoured at the annual CFPC Family Medicine Forum.