For Immediate Release
OTTAWA, ON – April 1st, 2025 – The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC) is proud to announce the launch of the Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative: Towards Improved Provider Safety (CAMI-TIPS), a transformative three-year project aimed at enhancing efforts to promote Physical, Psychological, and Cultural (PPC) Safety across the faculties of medicine in Canada.
Funding for CAMI-TIPS was made possible by the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank as part of a $115 million commitment to support the medical profession and advance health in Canada.
Building upon the foundation of the original Culture of Academic Medicine Initiative (CAMI), which encouraged academic institutions to adopt best practices fostering respectful and inclusive environments, CAMI-TIPS represents a significant step forward in embedding provider wellbeing into the fabric of academic medicine by leveraging the strategic pillars of the Okanagan Charter. By doing so, the initiative aims to create safer, more inclusive, and health-promoting environments for medical professionals, learners, and faculty members while encouraging institutional policy enhancements and active medical community engagement.
A major component of the initiative is the continued efforts of the Okanagan Charter Collaborative (OCC), established in 2022 to share best practices and advance the principles of the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges within faculties of medicine. The OCC includes representatives from all Canadian faculties of medicine, members of Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS), Black Physicians of Canada (BPC), the Indigenous Physician Association of Canada (IPAC), the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities (CAPD), as well as a patient representative, a LGBTQ2S+ representative, and a graduate student representative.
CAMI-TIPS will officially launch at the International Congress on Academic Medicine (ICAM) 2025, scheduled from April 3 – 6, 2025, at the Halifax Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where key events will bring together physicians, learners, researchers, faculty, and staff from diverse academic backgrounds to explore the impacts of Physical, Psychological, and Cultural Safety in their environments.
“The CAMI-TIPS initiative is about creating sustainable change,” said Dr. Constance LeBlanc, AFMC President and CEO and CAMI Co-Chair. “By prioritizing PPC Safety, we are fostering a culture where medical learners and professionals can thrive, ultimately leading to better patient care.”
Dr. Victor Do, CAMI Co-Chair, highlights the importance of collaboration: “We are working closely with national groups, including the CMA and the National Collaborative on Workforce Wellbeing, to ensure that the principles of the Okanagan Charter and PPC Safety becomes a standard, and that health-promoting principles are embedded within the fabric of academic medicine.”
Looking Ahead
Over the next three years, CAMI-TIPS will continue to evolve through collaboration with medical education leaders, national organizations, and faculty members dedicated to fostering a healthier academic medicine learning and working environment committed to creating lasting impact.
For more information about CAMI-TIPS, please visit our website: https://cami-icmu.ca/ or contact cami@afmc.ca