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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.
Our AMA agreement includes a letter of commitment for restoration of Good Faith claims, but the terms were not something that physicians could live with. Between the burdensome manual process and gaps in coverage for patients, it just wasn’t going to fly.
AMA members are fully behind our fierce advocacy for primary care and our efforts to save and support family physician and rural generalist clinics. Everyone agrees the system has no future without this foundation.
There is a lot going on! It can be challenging to keep members well informed about all that we are doing, so we’ve created a page on the website with a list of the key activities currently underway and what’s happening in each, including primary and acute care, agreement implementation and the health system reorganization.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Health announced a plan for what is being referred to as the Health System Refocus. I provided some information on this development in an earlier President’s Letter, and I have been actively engaged with government, AMA members and the media discussing some of the pros – and a lot of the potential cons – of this approach.
In the time frame of Budget 2024, Minister LaGrange has committed to stabilization and restoration of family medicine and rural generalist care.
Yesterday we cut through the fog created by government about who provides primary care in Alberta. Our colleagues across the health care spectrum deserve respect and support.
In February the government will introduce its budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year, and we are working to ensure that commitments made to support family medicine and rural generalists form part of the priorities that are included in that plan.
The Local Doctors, Local Issues tour has allowed me to engage with hundreds of physicians across the province and I continue to be impressed by your passion and insight. Wednesday night nearly 400 members joined our virtual town hall.
You are likely already aware the government has now unveiled plans to “disaggregate” health care services in our province. This restructuring will ultimately see the establishment of four separate crown corporations responsible for various aspects of health care
Yesterday afternoon, mid-way through my provincial Local Doctors, Local Issues tour, I held a news conference to broadcast what members have told me about changes needed in our health care system.