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The "voice of the AMA" – Published regularly throughout the year, the President's Letter informs you about Alberta Medical Association positions on key and complex issues in Alberta’s health care.
Read the October 23 President's Letter
Here is AMA Fact Checkup – Issue 2. In this issue, we check and correct government on statements they have made.
Every day, misinformation about the health care system – often coming from government talking points – gets amplified and repeated in media coverage and on social media. For physicians, evidence matters. The barrage of misleading commentary is beyond frustrating.
Today we are launching a major advertising campaign.
The main message is this: Government is not listening to physicians. Decisions are being made without application of relevant expertise. Our system needs informed reform.
This is my first President’s Letter. I am honoured to take on this role. I will have your back and fight with everything I’ve got.
Comments on the most recent President's Letter are enabled and welcome. You may also contact the AMA President by email at [email protected].
Below you will find previous issues of The President's Letter. For older issues no longer on the website, contact us.
After many months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are physically and professionally tired. Let’s take opportunities when they come to lift ourselves up by celebrating accomplishments. These are things that can unite us! In that spirit, I hope this letter will allow you to feel appreciated – while offering a chance to honor the efforts of some amazing colleagues.
The Board of Directors last met October 28-29. The ongoing discussions with government toward seeking a new agreement were a major focus of the meeting. Over the past year we have invited physician leaders to join us for these sessions to enrich the Board’s discussions. Once again, we were very appreciative of the time and engagement of these representatives.
Excerpt from Edmonton Journal, November 4, 2021 (Ashley Joannou).
During Dr. Paul Boucher’s term as president, he wrote to you several times regarding the COVID-19 care deficit. He shared with you what Albertans have told the AMA about their experiences, but it’s time to hear from some Alberta physician voices, also.
For many months now we have been working to support members with respect to Alberta Health Services stipend payments. As members know, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services have said they will be ending stipend contracts with over 120 groups of physicians on December 31. So far, there has been little productive discussion on developing agreeable, viable alternatives.
At the Fall Representative Forum, we received clear direction from RF delegates that the AMA needed to strongly – and publicly – advocate for a stronger response to the COVID-19 crisis Alberta is facing. In response to the most urgent motion passed at RF, we issued a media release on September 27 calling on government to institute a "fire-breaker," to aggressively control COVID-19 cases.
In this letter:
This President’s Letter is my last as AMA president and marks the official end of a term that was as unpredictable as it was eventful.
As you are aware, the 2021 Fall Representative Forum was held this past weekend and, unsurprisingly, COVID-19 and the current crisis we are facing in Alberta was a topic of major discussion. Delegates passed several related motions (I will update members on the details of these later), but I wanted to share with you the most urgent motion on which we have already taken action.
In this letter: