President

Hello and Welcome!  I’m Maryam Zeineddin, your new President of BC Family Doctors. 

Like many of you, I’ve had ebbs and flow in my 19 years of being a family doctor. As the co-owner of a longitudinal family practice clinic on the Northshore, I have loved being able to get to know my patients. But by 15 years in practice, it got to the point where I was so fed up with the system, I wanted to quit medicine altogether. 

I created a not for profit called Zilicare, a preventative healthcare platform, as much for me as for my patients. It’s about keeping myself accountable in knowing how to care for myself. But more than anything, what has helped is finding at home here at BC Family Doctors. It’s my community, where I can speak my truth and feel heard. It’s where I find connection with all of you, my family physicians colleagues. 

I joined the Board five years ago, and eventually took on the role as your statutory negotiations’ representative for the 2022 Physician Master Agreement (PMA) negotiations. I was at the table representing you on the last Master Agreement negotiations and the birth of the new payment model LFP. Those were big wins for us and we still have a long way to go when it comes to change.

What my message for you is – I want us as a Board and members to get more engaged. I want us work together to create actionable change on the provincial level. The stronger and more united we are as family doctors, the more powerful our voices will be.

Regardless of where you work, what you do as a family doctor, be it hospital work, ER shifts, longitudinal care, locum work, extended care, maternity care, we all need to know that we can engage and navigate the various organizations advocating for family physician to thrive.

I think we are at a crossroads of finally getting our voices heard. We are being valued as family doctors. Now we need the resources and supports to care for our patients, run our practices, and most importantly, to care for ourselves and our families.

My request to you is to please join us at BC Family Doctors. Tell your colleagues why BC Family Doctors is their home too. We are your political voice. 

We want to hear from you. Give us your feedback, get engaged. This is your organization. We are fully member driven and it’s up to all of us to guide our profession towards a brighter future. 

I can’t wait to hear from you. Have an amazing summer.
Love,
Dr. Z

Dr. Maryam Zeineddin
President 2024-2025
BC Family Doctors