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Winnipeg hosted the national Family Medicine Forum last week, drawing family physicians from across Canada — and plenty of attention to Manitoba’s progress. 

Why it matters: The Doctors Manitoba booth was a hub of activity, with staff connecting both with local members and with out-of-province physicians curious about practicing here. 

• Interest was especially high in Family Medicine Plus (FM+), Manitoba’s funding model for longitudinal family medicine — and it even caught the Winnipeg Free Press’s eye. In Saturday’s feature story, Dr. Nichelle Desilets, President of Doctors Manitoba, called the model ​“a game-changer” for physicians. 

📈 By the numbers: Since Family Medicine Plus was introduced over a year ago, we are seeing significant improvements: 

• 184 more physicians practicing longitudinal family medicine. 

• 104,000 more patients connected to a family doctor. 

• 85% of Manitobans now attached to a family doctor — the second-highest rate in Canada.

• 33% reporting they can get a same- or next-day appointment — the highest rate in Canada.

👀 Between the lines: Doctors Manitoba emphasized that recruitment can’t stop here. While family medicine growth is encouraging, Manitoba must also focus on attracting and retaining specialists to keep up with demand across the system. 

🩺 What we’re hearing: Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara agreed, noting the province’s priorities now include retaining physicians and recruiting more specialists. 

• “We make a lot of effort to go out and listen directly to doctors and health-care providers,” Minister Asagwara said. ​“By working together, we’ve shown we can make improvements to health care — and it’s great to hear physicians see that as valuable.” 

Bottom line: Manitoba’s collaborative approach — through FM+ and beyond — is paying off, strengthening both physician recruitment and patient care.