The Alberta Medical Association members and their patients benefit from our work on clinical and health issues.
Our Health Issues Council identifies health advocacy needs, produces resources and speaks out on behalf of the profession.
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The AMA has participated in many advocacy and health promotion initiatives over the years. Visit our interactive timeline to find out more:
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In this section, find more information about several recent AMA patient-centered initiatives:
- AMA Youth Run Club
- Indigenous Health
- Finding Balance – Prevent a Fall
- Protecting children from secondhand smoke
- HIC member only page (login required)
AMA Youth Run Club (2013-present)
Through the AMA YRC, a partnership of the AMA and Ever Active Schools, physicians, medical students and residents can meet with the children, teachers and families of your communities to encourage physical activity and healthy living.
Indigenous health
To address several calls to action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the AMA developed the AMA Policy Statement on Indigenous Health. Since the development of the policy, an Indigenous Health Committee has been formed to promote and operationalize the recommendations in the policy statement and support the TRC health-related calls to action.
More information: Indigenous health
Finding Balance – Prevent a Fall (2008-2011)
In Alberta, about one in three seniors fall each year. Ninety percent of hip fractures are attributed to falls.
Between 2008 and 2011, the AMA partnered with the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research (ACICR) to found an annual advocacy campaign known as the Finding Balance – Prevent a Fall campaign.
This campaign was designed to raise awareness among well seniors and their caregivers about the risks of falls and provide some simple ways to prevent them.
Injuries sustained in falls and the resulting loss of independence can be devastating to seniors and have a significant impact on the health care system in bed usage and costs.
The AMA is no longer directly involved with Finding Balance, but remains a supporter in principle of the advocacy campaign and its objective to reduce falls among well seniors. Finding Balance has continued each fall under the auspices of the Injury Prevention Centre (formerly ACICR).
More information: Finding Balance Alberta
Protecting children from secondhand smoke
Alberta doctors counsel parents about the dangers of secondhand smoke for children. The AMA handout for parents below explains:
- Why smoking in vehicles or at home is dangerous to the health of youngsters.
- What parents can do to minimize the risks.
- How parents can tell visitors they aren’t allowed to smoke in the home.
Protect children at home and in the car (AMA poster for physicians’ offices)