Reactivate.

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My first engagement with the global rural medicine community began years ago when I attended the Rural Medicine Australia Conference in 2013. That early international meeting – convened by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) – sowed seeds that helped lead to the first World Summit on Rural Generalist Medicine and to successive global gatherings of rural generalists. These early experiences instilled in me a deep appreciation for the value of cross-national collaboration: for sharing insights, blending perspectives, and learning from different health systems about how to sustain and support comprehensive rural practice. As such, I was especially pleased this fall to travel with the SRPC’s President-Elect, Dr. Sarah Giles, to Australia and to formally sign a memorandum of understanding between the SRPC and RDAA establishing reciprocal membership. This agreement means RDAA members will have access to SRPC membership benefits, and our members may now tap into RDAA’s substantial resources, supports, and educational offerings. In doing so, we deepen our international connection and broaden opportunities for rural physicians on both sides of the Pacific. At the same time, the SRPC remains strongly engaged in domestic advocacy. In early October, on either side of our Fall Council Meeting, we met with a number of Members of Parliament and national health organizations in Ottawa to advance priorities essential to strengthening Canada’s rural physician workforce. Since then, we have continued to build on these discussions through regular virtual meetings. Notably, we have engaged the federal health minister’s office multiple times around the issue of national licensure and physician workforce portability – a priority that we are pursuing in close collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association. These discussions are beginning to yield real momentum. We are also continuing to push for dedicated federal and provincial-territorial funding to support the National Advanced Skills Training Program – a crucial initiative to ensure rural physicians can acquire and maintain enhanced competencies that meet the needs of their communities. Conversations with funding agencies and ministries remain active and constructive. Parallel to this, the SRPC is advancing components of a broader Health Human Resource Strategy, recognizing that a sustainable rural physician workforce requires coordinated training, recruitment, retention, and system-design efforts. Finally, within the SRPC, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of our bylaws and governance structure, to ensure that our decision-making remains representative, resilient, and responsive – and that the SRPC is equipped to continue this important work for years to come. The challenges facing rural health care are complex, but we believe they are not insurmountable. Through international collaboration, sustained advocacy, and strong organizational governance, we remain optimistic about the path ahead. The SRPC is committed to ensuring that rural physicians – and the communities they serve – receive the support, recognition, and resources they need to thrive.