As a family doctor , I would like to express my admiration for Jane Philpott's push for more mental health care resources. As family doctors, we are informed by our guiding principles and by our defined roles. The CanMEDS-FM framework for Family Medicine calls upon us to assume several roles, among them the role of the advocate. This means that  "as health advocates, family physicians responsibly use their expertise and influence to advance the health and well-­‐being of individual patients, communities, and populations." (College of Family Practice of Canada). In calling for more investment in mental health care, Dr. Philpott, Minister of Health,  is taking her patient advocacy role to a very high level, and on behalf of all of us who deal with these matters daily, I can only thank her for attention to this ongoing difficult problem.

Paul Philbrook MD
Mississauga, ON