November 23 2023 – Dr. Farhan M. Asrar of Mississauga has been named a 2023 Regional Family Physician of the Year by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
“The Ontario College of Family Physicians thanks Dr. Asrar for his dedication and service. At a time when Ontarians are facing a crisis because they do not have a family doctor, many of our colleagues continue to go above and beyond for their communities,” said Dr. Mekalai Kumanan, President, OCFP.
“We appreciate Dr. Asrar and the significant contributions he has made during these challenging times.”
Nominated by their peers, the Award is presented annually to six family doctors across Ontario who provide exemplary care to their patients and contribute to excellence in family medicine. Dr. Asrar is the award recipient for the Central Region.
“Dr. Asrar excels as a comprehensive family physician, as a leader, as a health and physician advocate and as a scholar,” says Dr. Mehdi Aloosh, Assistant professor at McMaster University. “Throughout his career and especially in recent years, he has been a champion for innovation, collaboration and partnership in medicine, teaching, education and research.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Asrar provided support and leadership as one of the clinical leads at the Trillium Health Partners vaccination clinic. Among his most recent initiatives, he led an international team of over 100 professionals and experts from over 30 different countries, to explore how innovative technology can help support the COVID-19 relief efforts, which led to a publication in Nature Medicine. His work has been featured in local, national and international media highlighting the leadership roles family doctors are playing in academics, teaching and in medicine.
Dr. Asrar is a practicing family physician in Mississauga; Trillium Health Partners’ Physician Lead for THP@Home and Physician Research Lead for Credit Valley Hospital’s & Mississauga Hospital’s Family Medicine Teaching Units. Dr. Asrar is also Associate Professor with the Dept of Family & Community Medicine at University of Toronto, Cross-Appointed with the Dalla Lana School of Medicine, Global Faculty member with the International Space University and Adjunct Faculty at McMaster University.
“Ontario’s family physicians are the foundation of our health care system,” says Dr. Kumanan. “The OCFP continues to advocate on behalf of family physicians, so that family doctors, like Dr. Asrar, have the capacity to continue to make vital contributions for their patients, colleagues, learners and in their communities.”
Dr. Asrar exemplifies the vital role family physicians play across Ontario as clinicians, advocates, teachers, and researchers. This award was presented to Dr. Asrar at the OCFP’s Awards Ceremony on November 22, 2022. A list of all awardees is posted on OCFP’s website.
About the Ontario College of Family Physicians
The Ontario College of Family Physicians represents more than 15,000 family physicians across the province. We support our members by providing evidence-based education and professional development, promoting, and recognizing leadership excellence in family medicine, and advocating for the vital role family physicians play in delivering the highest-quality care to patients and families across Ontario.
