title: An analysis of the development of a successful medical collaboration to create and sustain family physician anaesthesiology capacity in rural Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Initial efforts to increase the availability of training positions, standardise training, and obtain national recognition for family physicians who wished to practise anaesthesia had stalled.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the work undertaken to create and sustain family medicine anaesthesiology capacity in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our review, we examined the critical aspects of successful intersectoral work, namely, involvement by key stakeholders; the development of decision-making mechanisms; clearly defined objectives, roles and responsibilities; official support and legitimisation from participating organisations and adequate resources for partnership building.
  
  
  METHODS
  Canadian rural family medicine anaesthesiology practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A small steering committee obtained funding for a national meeting of stakeholders and subsequent committee work over an 18-month period. The national meeting brought together the necessary stakeholders to review and discuss the issues and agree on a group-determined agenda, determine a work plan, identify priority areas and allow the College of Family Physicians of Canada to be the lead organisation in moving the work ahead. Within 18 months, the boards of the key organisations had accepted a common set of standards for training and a national curriculum. Work remains in the longer term to identify sustainable funding for training of family physician as well as the provision of continuing medical education for those trained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appropriate attention to the key components of successful intersectoral work may enable previously stalled and complex work to move ahead despite opposition.
authors.affiliation: Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development, University of Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada. lockyer@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Jocelyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lockyer
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Norton
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002170:Canada; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003406:Credentialing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*