• Montfort update
• Civic update
• Pembroke update
• Riverside update

Supporting Gender-Affirming Care Through Francophone Health Care and Education

In honour of Franco-Ontarian Day, we reached out to Dr. Stefan de Laplante, Assistant Professor, Co-directeur de site, résidence en médecine familiale, Hôpital Montfort, about the importance of French-language care and how the Équipe de santé familiale académique Montfort (ESFAM) is expanding access to gender-affirming care.

Responding to the Needs of Our Communities: For many patients, receiving care in their preferred language is an essential component of high-quality, patient-centred care. For Francophone individuals seeking gender-affirming care, access to French-language services can be challenging. Recognizing this need, the Clinique de diversité de genre (CDG) at ESFAM was launched in 2024. Modelled after the RIV-CIVIC TOH Academic Family Health Team Gender-Affirming Care Clinic, it operates as a direct-access referral service, providing timely gender-affirming care to patients in both French and English.

Advancing Francophone Care Through Education and Mentorship: The clinic was established primarily to serve patients across the Centre-East Ottawa region in response to the need for accessible gender-affirming care. To support the clinic's continued growth, a second physician, Dr. Alyssa Biagé, Lecturer, joined the team in 2025. While the clinic offers services in both French and English, it also provides valuable learning opportunities for Francophone Family Medicine residents and supports primary care providers in building knowledge and confidence in gender-affirming care. Through its clinical, educational and

mentorship roles, the clinic is expanding access to care while strengthening capacity within the health-care system.

Growing Impact Across Our Region: Since opening, the clinic has made a meaningful impact. Clinic physicians have seen 74 patients and have successfully discharged seven from care. While the clinic's primary focus is serving patients across the Centre-East region, it has also welcomed patients from communities as far away as Pembroke and Renfrew, highlighting the ongoing need for accessible gender-affirming care across eastern Ontario. The clinic is also supported by Alexi Shahabi, Coordinator of Teaching and Digital Academic Systems at ESFAM, whose excellent support and communication provide a welcoming and affirming experience for patients, learners and physicians. Demand continues to exceed available capacity, with a current wait list of approximately 12 to 14 months, as the clinic explores ways to improve timely access to care.

This Franco-Ontarian Day, the work of the ESFAM Gender Diversity Clinic highlights the important role French-language healthcare and medical education play in meeting the evolving needs of communities. By expanding access to care and training the next generation of Francophone family physicians, the clinic demonstrates how Francophone health-care leaders continue to innovate, adapt and respond to the needs of the people they serve.

The Civic Academic Family Health Team is excited to highlight some developments at our site in the last year! As of April 1, 2025, Dr. Michael Malek, Assistant Professor, stepped down as the Unit Postgraduate Director after leading the residents and team for 6 years. Dr. Leah Smith, Assistant Professor, has taken the position and is looking forward to working more with the postgraduate team!

Our team has had numerous presentations at different events in recent months. Several of our physicians presented at the DFM Facutly Retreat that took place from April 25-27, 2025. Dr. Anna Wilkinson presented on Transitioning to HPV-Based Screening. Dr. Cummings, Assistant Professor, spoke on Showcasing the Future: Emerging Voices panel. Dr. Taunia Rifai, spoke with colleagues Dr. Justine Callahan, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Stefan de Laplante,Assistant Professor, on Gender Affirming Care. Dr. Laura Visentin, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Taunia Rifai were on a panel for Climate Change and Planetary Health.

Dr. Taunia Rifai, Dr. Leah Smith and Dr. Justine Callahan presented their “Addressing the Gap – Collaborative Efforts to Expand Gender Affirming Care in Ottawa, Ontario” at Meridith Marks Day on May 3, 2025! This group has also been holding quarterly events to help connect with physicians in their practices. The group had a large launch at NEST back on February 12, 2025.

From spring through fall, once a week, a group from the clinic heads out for Ice Cream Rounds! It’s a fun tradition where anyone who is interested can join for a sweet treat and a chance to catch up with colleagues outside of our usual work routines. It has been a great way for people to connect and enjoy a little break together.

In June, we will be saying goodbye to one of our long-term physicians, Dr. Tarun Prashar, Lecturer. He has been with us since he was a resident, from 2016-2018 he locumed with us and then joined us full-time in 2020. Tarun is moving back to Manitoba to be with his family. Thank you for everything over the years! We are so excited for you!

Taking over Dr. Prashar’s practice is Dr. Ashley Gerber. Dr. Gerber graduated residency in 2022 from uOttawa. We are looking forward to having her back on our team starting June 2025! 

The Pembroke Family Medicine Teaching Unit (PFMTU) is excited share with you some highlights from the past year. Please enjoy this update provided by Dr. Richard Johnson, recently reclassified to the rank of Assistant Professor with our Department in recognition of his educational achievements, a Family Doctor in Pembroke, Site Director of the Pembroke Residence Program, Chief of Family Practice at the Pembroke Regional Hospital, Clinical Lead of the Ottawa Valley OHT and Co-Chair of the Renfrew County and South Algonquin Primary Care Network. He is 10 years into practice having graduated from the Pembroke Residency Program. His passion is maximizing the health of residents in Renfrew County, and he is supported by his wife and 2 lovely kids who attempt to keep him balanced.

Growth to 6 residents per year: We have doubled down on our strategy to maximize the learner pipeline, given the high percentage of unattached patients, and high rate of retention of our graduates to Renfrew County (60%) 5 years out into practice. A further 95% of our graduates have stayed rural upon graduation. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we went fully matched for 6 residents in CaRMS this year.

Expansion: Our growth necessitated physical space. We are wrapping up an expansion to house further staff physicians and learners at our clinic in PRH, tower D.

Remote pilot: In their first and second year, we allow residents that match to our program to choose to spend 3 months in Deep River or Barry’s Bay with an excellent set of preceptors. This program has been tremendously popular: all residents last year chose to participate. After reviewing feedback, including some continuity of care challenges and how to equitably provide learning opportunities, we have decided to modify the program to 2 months per year with the full support of residents, staff and remote sites. We were excited to welcome additional preceptors in both communities: Dr. Michael Sage, Lecturer, in Deep River, and Dr. Steven Chen, Lecturer, in Barry’s Bay.

Indigenous curriculum: Our residents and some staff physicians participated in the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan locally created Indigenous cultural awareness training in February. It was eye opening and sad to hear just how much language and culture this community has lost, and that a community 30 minutes down the road from us continues to be under a boil water advisory. We thank the department for the funding so our residents could participate. We are also piloting some days where our residents work with Derek Frew, NP, who is the main clinician working at the Pikwakanagan FHT. Initial feedback has been very positive from all parties.

Created a gender affirming care clinic: Doniya Quenneville, R2, came into our program with an interest in this population and saw the gap in Renfrew County. With training and relationship building with the Centretown CHC, Doniya and one of our local preceptors, Dr. Sylvie Cantin, Lecturer, were able to start a small clinic. Doniya has just signed to stay on in Deep River when she graduates, which means this care should be more accessible to local patients. She can also help run the curriculum for our learners.

Evaluation fatigue: Our preceptors commented on some redundant resident evaluations and so we are putting the final touches on optimizing this process prior to rolling it out for the new R1s in July.
 

The Riverside Academic team is happy to highlight some exciting developments at our site in the last year! Since July 2024, we have welcomed three new physicians to our unit: Dr. Osmaan Sheikh, Lecturer, who comes to us from B.C. and has a special interest in Medical Assistance in Dying; Dr. Jason Struyk, Lecturer, (a graduate of our program), whose focus is palliative care and procedures; and Dr. Jennifer Mitchell, Lecturer, (also a uOttawa graduate), who specializes in women's health and has already established a clinic at our site offering various procedures such as endometrial and vulvar biopsies, as well as menopause counselling. 

Our Academic team has made advancements in gender-affirming care over the last year. Dr. Justine Callahan, Lecturer, alongside her Civic colleagues Dr. Leah Smith, Assistant Professor and Dr. Taunia Rifai, Assistant Professor, have launched a Gender Affirming Care Clinic. This clinic has been instrumental in providing hormonal therapy and surgical consultations to our patients as well as patients in the community. Our residents rotate through this clinic every two weeks, gaining valuable exposure and building their competencies.

Cancer screening initiatives over the last year have resulted in over 150 women being screened for their cervical exams through special "Papapalooza" clinics during evening clinics with residents and staff. This has resolved our cervical cancer screening delay post-pandemic!