Hundreds of family doctors, their loved ones, and colleagues gathered in downtown Vancouver on Friday to celebrate their hard work and honour exceptional B.C. students and veteran medical providers alike. May is Family Physicians Month, and the annual B.C. College of Family Physicians awards celebration is timed to recognize the challenges and achievements of their profession. “I love what this room represents,” said BCCFP president, Dr. Jennifer Lush. “When we elevate, we rejuvenate.” She went on to thank them for their work both inside and outside their clinics. “We live in a time when family medicine needs champions,” said Lush. “Too many of our colleagues are burning out under the weight of administrative burden and fragmented systems. “ And while the event is also an opportunity for doctors to enjoy the company of their peers, there were also emotional moments as recipients shared stories from their practices. “My family has sacrificed a lot so that I can do the work I want to do for my patients,” said Dr. Winnie Su of Vancouver. “I know there’s so many hardworking, humble, very diligent, very compassionate physicians out there.” Recipient Dr. Stephen Ferreira told attendees that in his four decades of medicine, 26 of those years in Prince George, he has learned how important it is to truly listen to patients. “You never know what is waiting behind that closed door when you walk into that office, and I am deeply touched by the trust and the faith of my patients to nominate me for this,” he said. “One thing I tell the residents is never tell a patient that you are too busy to listen to the second or the third problem – the third problem may be the crucial problem. The “My Family Doctor” awards are voted on by patients in each health authority across the province. The 2026 family physician of the year is Dr. Anita Ka-Fai Wong, who works at Langley’s Foundry centre providing gender-affirming care for youth as well as working as a locum. Her colleagues praised her 32-year career of focusing on others, including recruiting new doctors to the community and the profession. Student physicians accepting awards are now carrying on that spirit. “Let’s remember why we chose this work,” said Dr. Yonabeth Nava de Escalante, who left Venezuela for Canada and is now a second-year resident practicing in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, and Tumbler Ridge. “Our patients deserve our advocacy, empathy, and compassion.”
