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EZMSA Speaker Videos

The Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association hosts speakers on various topics of interest to zone members. The event is available to zone medical staff association members. The videos below are recordings of these speakers and available to all AMA members to watch.

For upcoming EZMSA news and future speakers please visit albertazmsa.com/ezmsa.

Click the links to jump to your desired video

April 11, 2024: Health Leadership Lessons from a War Zone with Dr. Scott McLeod

There are many analogies used in health care to a military experience. We talk about “frontline staff,” we had “war rooms” during COVID and I’ve heard more than once some physicians say we need to “go to war” over something that is controversial. It is my belief that we should not be equating our health care system to war unless we are also talking about things like camaraderie, building high performing teams, looking after the troops and developing leaders to succeed in challenging situations. During my career in the Canadian Armed Forces, I deployed on a humanitarian mission to Haiti, I deployed with a CF-18 squadron participating in the Kosovo air campaign and I was the commanding officer of the multinational trauma hospital in Kandahar in addition to all the Canadian medical personnel providing “front line” care on the battlefields of Afghanistan.
 
In this talk I will share with you my experience in a war zone and share with you some of my personal learning that came from that experience and how that has shaped my perspective on leadership in health care. 

January 18, 2024: Women in Surgery and Operating on Women – Inequality in the OR with Dr. Vanessa Di Palma

Join us for a talk exposing the hurdles faced by women surgeons - fewer referrals, unequal pay, and persistent biases. Discover the paradox of superior outcomes amid pay disparities and the intriguing link between gender composition and reimbursement in surgical specialties. A revealing exploration into the past and present of women in the OR.

May 24, 2023: Stranger than Fiction, Alberta Politics in 2023 with Mr. Graham Thomson

At the roughly half-way point in the election campaign – and on the anniversary of Jason Kenney's leadership vote disaster – Graham will do his best to explain the chaos that is Alberta politics and what we can expect on election day.

November 29, 2022: Turning Our Differences into Successes and Conflict To Opportunity

Dr. Amanda Brisebois outlines an approach to conflict, equity, diversity, inclusion, wellness, and leadership to support practitioners in all areas of our healthcare organizations achieve goals and wellness in our workplaces. Techniques to use neutral language and simple strategies to turn uncomfortable situations into moments to honour the individualism on our teams will be shown. How these tips can lead to less conflict, and less need for formal complaints will also be shown. In addition, if the moment passes, and complaints do arise, a 4-step strategy to work through conflict, leading to open and collaborative conversations focusing on goals, and system improvement will be exemplified. These ways of integrating our differences into our workplaces will lead to less burnout, aligned expectations, and overall, more well workplaces that allow us to get back to the medicine that we choose to practice.

October 27, 2022: Why Medical Leadership is More Important Now than Ever

Dr. Verna Yiu covers the following objectives:

  • Share the journey of a reluctant leader
  • Discuss the pros and cons of medical leadership
  • Highlight why medical leadership is so important, especially now
  • Discuss where we go from here and provide suggestions for the path forward

March 1, 2022: Drug Decriminalization, Legal Regulation and Policy Reform

View video on YouTube for full description. This event will provide an overview of relevant federal, provincial and municipal laws as they relate to Canadian drug policy. In particular, participants will learn about the legal and practical distinctions between decriminalization and legal regulation, as well as the roles governments can play to achieve these reforms. In addition, there will be discussion about current efforts in the Province of BC and the cities of Vancouver and Toronto to decriminalize drug possession through the federal exemption process.

December 2, 2021: EZMSA 2021 Annual General Meeting with guest speaker former Mayor Don Iveson

November 16, 2021: The Alberta Opioid Crisis with Dr. Elaine Hyshka

Dr. Elaine Hyshka, Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation and an Assistant Professor in the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health, recently presented on Alberta's opioid crisis.

This session outlines the roots of the current drug poisoning emergency, dispelling simplistic narratives of how it started and what perpetuates it. It provides an overview of current epidemiology and outlines how the pandemic has impacted people who use drugs. Finally, it critiques what has (and hasn't) been done in Alberta to prevent drug poisoning fatalities, and outlines the core components of an evidence-based public health response.

October 5, 2021: Edmonton Mayoral Town Hall

The City of Edmonton municipal election is set for October 18, 2021. We have invited the mayoral candidates to meet with you and discuss their health agenda for the city. The following candidates will each have five minutes to present their health priorities for the city followed by answering three previously selected questions.

Mr. Patrick Nugent presenting on the “What is the Role of Arbitration in Labor Relations"

Binding arbitration was singled out as one of the critical deciding factors for some physicians during the March 30, 2021 vote on the AMA’s Tentative Agreement Package (TAP) with government. Many felt that the mediation option mentioned in the TAP did not provide a suitable alternative to binding arbitration.

An Overview of the Jason Kenney Government with Graham Thomson, Journalist

Decision-Making in the Alberta Government

The presentation discussed how the Alberta government makes decisions – the process involved in creating policy and programs.

Canada Health Act 101 with Dr. Lorian Hardcastle

This session will explore the Canada Health Act, its enforcement, and its operationalization by provincial governments. It will address the conditions that provinces must meet in order to qualify for federal funding, along with the prohibitions on extra-billing and user charges.

Understanding the Federal and Provincial Governments’ Role in Health Care with Mr. Matt Jeneroux, MP

This is an opportunity for members to gain a better understanding of the difference between the federal and provincial government’s role in our health care system and delivery of care. Mr. Jeneroux served as the federal Shadow Minister of Health from January to September 2020.

Year Review with Dr. Lorian Hardcastle

Dr. Hardcastle describes the policy and legislative changes the health system in Alberta has faced in 2019/2020.

Year Review with Dr. Christine Molnar, Alberta Medical Association

Dr. Molnar describes the changes the AMA has faced in 2019/2020.

Year Review with Dr. John Bradley, College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta

Dr. Bradley describes the changes the CPSA has faced in 2019/2020.