2024/2025 Membership Renewal is now open!
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 November 22 President's Letter
As part of a cross-ministry effort by the provincial government, Alberta Health has invited the Alberta Medical Association to complete a survey on behalf of members. It relates to “legislative changes to safeguard freedom of expression for regulated professionals.”
Right now, the AMA is engaged in more advocacy than at any other time in our history. In the category of fact checking, we coordinated yesterday with section experts to respond to comments made by the premier in a news conference.
Here is AMA Fact Checkup – Issue 2. In this issue, we check and correct government on statements they have made.
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.
Many of you will have received an Alberta Health Services bulletin last week: Physician On-Call Program Changes Effective October 1, 2019, that highlighted changes in the number of on-call categories from five to three, and a reduction of stipends paid for those services.
It is a great honor to represent our profession as AMA president. I have been a physician for 43 years. I have practiced my dual specialty in Calgary at the Foothills Medical Centre and in EFW Radiology’s community clinics for 34 years. I now come before you simply as a physician devoted to our profession.
As my tenure as President comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a challenging and rewarding year. Looking back, I am proud of what the Alberta Medical Association tackled this year.
This week we will hold the 114th Annual General Meeting of the Alberta Medical Association, in conjunction with our Fall Representative Forum. We will have many discussions at both events about the challenges and opportunities facing physicians in caring for our patients.
The all-party Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship is conducting a review of the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act, better known to physicians as the sunshine list legislation. The bill became law in 2015 and provided for regular legislative reviews. The committee has invited public submissions to inform its 2019 review and the AMA was asked to comment.
AMA/CMA renewal notices will be sent out later this week. AMA and CMA dues remain unchanged from last year and we want to remind members that, starting this year, membership in the CMA will be optional for Alberta physicians. Through our renewed partnership, the AMA and CMA are working together to advance our shared priorities and to advocate for physicians at the national and provincial levels, and that is why we want to encourage all AMA members to continue to support the CMA when they renew this year.
Yesterday you will have heard about the release of the Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances. The report details government’s concerns over the growth and level of health expenditures, i.e., the issue of affordability. It conveys many of the same messages contained in the government’s election platform, although the focus there was more on value for patients and included creating a medical home for each Albertan, as well as issues related to seniors’ care, mental health and addiction.
The Alberta Medical Association advances patient-centered, quality care by advocating for and supporting physician leadership and wellness. Most of the time, this requires collaboration with others in the system. Relationships matter – and the one between the profession and the Government of Alberta is one of the most important. As I look back over the past few months with our new government in place, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you.
I’m writing as promised in my July 9 President’s Letter to provide all members with a copy of the Overhead Working Group Assessment and Review Report regarding the overhead study commissioned by AMA and Alberta Health for the Income Equity Initiative. It is available here: https://www.albertadoctors.org/leaders-partners/income-equity/related-documents (member login required).
In June, the government cancelled construction of the Edmonton laboratory hub lab project and is currently exploring the needs of the province for laboratory services. Yesterday, the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science added its voice to support appropriate investment in this area. We wanted to update members with our own assessment of the situation and to let you know what the AMA and Section of Laboratory Physicians have been doing.