“Dr. MacKinnon is an extremely dedicated family physician who has carried one of the largest practices on the Island,” said Minister Currie. “He has helped to shape the careers of many Island physicians whom he mentored. Dr. MacKinnon has managed to maintain a balanced career and family life, while keeping abreast of the latest clinical trials and is a wonderful example of the numerous dedicated family physicians we have on PEI.”

Dr. MacKinnon will be honoured with the Reg L Perkin Award from the College of Physicians of Canada (CFPC) later this month during an awards ceremony at the Family Medicine Forum in Calgary, Alberta. This award is given to one outstanding family doctor in each province who embodies all that a family doctor is meant to be, a caring, compassionate and skilled physician.

This week also marks the 6th Annual Family Doctor Week in Canada. Family Doctor Week is organized every year by the CFPC to help celebrate the important role that family physicians play in the lives of Canadians.

“This is a good time for Islanders to acknowledge the dedication of family doctors to their patients and the delivery of high quality health care,” said Minister Currie. “Family Medicine is a speciality on its own, with busy physicians ensuring that they keep up with the quickly advancing techniques and emerging diagnosis in a variety of areas of medicine.”

Family physicians are vital to the provision of health care on Prince Edward Island. They are skilled clinicians, teachers and researchers who are focused on keeping the needs of their patients at the centre of their practises. Family doctors across the province dedicate their time to diagnose and treat illness and injury as well as promote disease prevention and coordinate care to ensure that their patients receive the quality care they need.

The province of Prince Edward Island is committed to ensuring that every Islander has access to a family physician. Over the last two years, a number of initiatives and programs have been developed to help recruit physicians to the Island. Those initiatives include the establishment of the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat, the creation of the Island’s first Family Medicine Residency program and a very competitive compensation package for physicians.