Newsflash Submission Guidelines

Do you have news to share? Read the submission guidelines for Division channels.

The Victoria Division’s communication channels provide our members – family physicians in urban Greater Victoria – with news on opportunities, programs and service updates that help them care for their patients and support the VDFP mission and vision.

The Division currently uses these channels for member communication:

• Website
• Newsflash newsletter
• Pathways resource platform for physicians

(Pathways Community Services platform for the public is managed by the provincial Pathways team)

The Board welcomes content submissions from our members, community partners and other stakeholders. It has tasked its Communications Committee to review all submissions and ensure they meet these criteria:

• Direct benefit for local family physician members
• Free from industry/pharmaceutical funding or association, and not a business
• Related to the VDFP vision and mission
• Research requests must be formally approved by a university research ethics board (confirmation required in submission form).
• Events that are private pay must be evidence-based and accredited, provide CME credits, and/or be offered in association with one of our partner organizations (e.g. DoBC, FPSC, BC Family Doctors, Island Health, FNHA, UBC, UVic).

Submissions can include:

• Primary care research and engagement opportunities
• Job postings
• Teaching opportunities
• Information on events, clinics or services
• Educational opportunities and resources
• Soliciting representation for a committee or seeking member perspective*

* Note that in this informal capacity, individual members do not represent the VDFP view or endorse a particular position on behalf of the VDFP.

The final decision to include or exclude a submission is at the discretion of the Division. If we are unable to post your submission, you may consider a mail out to all family physicians through an external direct mail provider.

How to submit news items

Please use our submission form and craft your submission using this format:

• A clear title that tells the reader why this matters to them and what you would like from them
• A brief summary (3 sentences) that must include:
  • Clear relevance/benefit to Victoria Division members. Why does this matter to Victoria family doctors and what would you like from them?
  • Clear indication of time commitment, deadline, or compensation/cost (when appropriate)
  • A website link for more information such as contact information, or for the full article if applicable. This information will be shown when the readers click to view more information.

Unfortunately, we are unable to process pdfs or non-digital submissions (fax, mail).

Your submission will be reviewed by the Board’s Communications Committee. If it meets the criteria and we have space available, it will be published on the most appropriate channel(s). We may edit your submission for clarity, style or length.

While the VDFP is committed to educating and informing our membership about events/opportunities for them in primary care, we cannot guarantee access to our membership. We typically receive more submissions than we are able to publish and will review each request independently, in a timely fashion. The final decision to include or exclude a submission is at the discretion of the Division.

Please submit your item at least two weeks before the desired publication date.

If you have questions about your submission, please email [email protected].