A brief history...

In the 70s, when Dr. André Lapierre was an Assistant General Secretary at the Collège des médecins du Québec, distressed colleagues regularly dropped to confide in him, telling him about health, substance abuse or personal problems. Dr. Lapierre tried to be as helpful as he could in looking for solutions.

In 1975, following a request by the Collège des médecins du Québec, Drs. André Lapierre and François Laramée attend as delegates the first AMA conference on the subject of Impaired Physicians. From 1975 to 1985, the issue of physician health was a recurring topic until the Annual General Meeting of the Collège des médecins du Québec in 1985. A symposium on physician health was held during that event. One of the guest speakers was a highly regarded anesthetist who has his practice at a major detoxication and rehabilitation center in Atlanta, Georgia. He was known to the audience because, in the past, he had held in Quebec and in the Canadian medical community several prestigious positions–department head, president of several professional associations, including the Canadian Association of Anesthetists, member of review and exam boards, etc. As he stepped up to the podium, to celebrate his first return to Quebec after leaving for Atlanta, he decided not to deliver his speech. Instead, he talked about his own experience, about his drug addiction, breakdown and downfall leading to his leaving the country for Atlanta where, after treatment and recovery, he decides to settle and establish a new practice. He then devoted his career to helping physicians, pharmacists, dentists and nurses with addiction problems. The audience was stunned, riveted. The emotion was intense. His revelation was so earth-shaking that the impact ripples beyond the audience throughout the medical community.

This event marked a turning point in the discussions between permanent and elected physicians at the Collège who concluded that help must be made available to doctors before their practice is harmed. But how? Create a service with the single purpose of helping physicians dealing with problems? Add such a service to those already available from the Collège? Set up an independent organization outside College governance? To examine the issue and present recommendations, the College created a committee composed of specialists in mental health, drug addiction and support programs. In 1987, Dr C. Thibeault, then president of the AMLFC committee contacts the general practitioners’ and specialists’ federations to drive the creation and implementation of a health program for Quebec physicians. The College fully supported this initiative. The members of the working committee – Drs. C. Thibeault (AMLFC), W. Barakett (FMOQ), J.M. Albert (FMSQ) and A. Lapierre (CMQ) – drafted and submitted a steering paper to their four respective medical organizations. The AMLFC, CMQ, FMOQ and FMSQ jointly decided to create and finance the QPHP, which was established as an independent organization on February 8, 1990. Some time later, the FMRQ joined the Program.

Since then, reporting to the Board of Trustees, Dr. André Lapierre heads the QPHP. In 1994, the QPHP chose private premises to locate its head office in the Fides Building, 235 René-Lévesque East in Montreal. Dr. Michelle Cousineau joined the QPHP now staffed by a team of consulting physicians and discreet and efficient administrative support personnel.

From its head office the QPHP carries on its mission throughout the province, either by phone or on location, with the help of physicians who will travel to meet colleagues or to participate in information or prevention seminars.

The QPHP has also created a province-wide network of resources and assistants with the skills and abilities to meet the various needs of practitioners, residents and students. Given the demand, the QPHP’s Board of Trustees extended access to these services to doctors’ immediate families.

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