The Caribbean College of Family Physicians

CCFP is an organization of Caribbean Family Physicians.

The College is dedicated to the delivery of people-centred primary care that is continuous from cradle to grave, contextual and comprehensive whilst at the same time empowering patients to be partners in managing their health and that of their communities.

CCFP has been accepted as a Full member of the World Council of Family Doctors (WONCA) since 2007 and therefore bears reciprocity with other sister organizations the world over.

Our members continue to serve on committees dealing with Essential National Health Research, Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety, Healthy Aging, Gender and Adolescent Health, Mental Health Reform, Health & the Disabled, Sports Medicine, Health & Wellness, development of Guidelines for management of Chronic and other diseases among other activities.

We have been involved in signal regional meetings which have resulted in the 2001 Nassau Declaration on Health –“The health of the region is the wealth of the region”; the Port of Spain Parliamentary Declaration of Commitment on HIV-AIDS in 2004; the CARICOM Summit on Chronic Non-communicable Diseases in September 2007 which gave rise to the Port of Spain Declaration on this occasion and we were also involved in the Civil Society Forum of the 5th Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad in April 2009.

We have served on regional and local Committees dealing with Health Reform, HIV/AIDS, ratification of the Caribbean Charter for Health Promotion, Preparation of a Patient Bill of Rights, formation of the Caribbean Association of Medical Councils (CAMC), formation of the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP), provided technical advice for the Caribbean Cervical Cancer Prevention & Control Project.

Our Head Office is based in Kingston, Jamaica for ease of registration, as is also our Central Secretariat. We hold elections every three (3) years and the Presidency and the composition of the Board of Directors is distributed fairly throughout the region. Our Constitution ensures that each territory has an equal voice in the running of the affairs of the College.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the College underscores the belief that Family Physicians in the Caribbean have an important role to play in addressing the health problems of the region.
The College further underscores the belief that effective action against health problems can only be taken if the physicians constantly seek to upgrade their knowledge, attitudes and skills. Given that there is no compulsion for physicians after graduation to continue to keep up to date in the ever changing field of medicine, the College believes its role should be to encourage and motivate physicians in the pursuit of excellence through the process of continuing medical education.
The College advocates the team approach to health care delivery and believes that regional cooperation and collaboration in training and research will contribute to effectively improve the health of the people of the region.

OUR OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the College shall be as follows: –
1) To sustain and improve the professional qualifications of members of the medical profession who are engaged in family practice in the Caribbean through Continuing Medical Education;
2) To promote high standards in family medicine in the region in cooperation with national and international associations;
3) To inform the general public of the role and value of Family Medicine;
4) To encourage and assist in the provision of a high standard of teaching and training for undergraduate medical students in Family Medicine;
5) To conduct, direct, encourage, support or provide for research in Family Medicine and allied health categories;
6) To publish and encourage publication of journals, reports and treatises in Family Medicine and allied health categories;
7) To establish a register of members of the College and to publish and revise same from time to time;
8) To undertake all such lawful acts and things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the foregoing objectives.

OUR MOTTO

Cooperating For Excellence