Dr. Ingrid Cosio of Prince George is the recipient of the My Family Doctor Award for Northern Health, the BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) announced Wednesday.
Each year, five family physicians receive the patient-nominated award, which celebrates the doctor-patient relationship that supports good health.
Dr. Cosio has been a partner in a shared group family practice in Prince George for 18 years. Her nominator (a patient) shared that she, “exudes empathy and compassion.”
When describing their experience visiting Dr. Cosio’s clinic, they wrote, “Going in feels like you are receiving a warm hug! Dr. Cosio puts you at ease, makes you feel like no question is a stupid one, and is genuinely interested in you as a person.”
Dr. Cosio is a primary preceptor for the UBC Prince George Family Practice Residency program and recently completely a 10-year appointment as the Behavioural Medicine faculty lead at this site. More recently, Dr. Cosio started the Prince George Physician Peer Support Program.
She is also the Physician Lead for the Northern Gender Clinic which provides gender affirming care. A nominator describes Dr. Cosio as “very well respected by her Family Medicine peers and specialists alike, and has been providing gender affirming care to patients for over 10 years.”
The announcement comes ahead of Family Doctor Day on May 19, proclaimed in BC and globally, that recognizes family doctors as a resource to their communities who provide relationship-based, comprehensive, longitudinal care that improves overall health outcomes.
It also comes at a time when there is wide-spread acknowledgment that primary care is in a state of crisis in BC, and that transformation should include investment in team-based family medicine.
“Evidence shows that having a family doctor who knows you and cares for you over time results in better overall health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits,” Dr. Justine Spencer, Vancouver-based family physician and BCCFP President, said.
The awards program was launched as a way to celebrate the exceptional work of family physicians across the province. More than 400 British Columbians took the time to nominate their family doctor or family medicine colleague.
