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.
I promised to keep you apprised about discussions with government. There have been numerous government meetings in recent weeks including with the Board of Directors, primary care physician leaders and senior staff. We have communicated at every opportunity that there is a deepening crisis in primary care and that action is needed now to stabilize community family medicine clinics. The minister has listened to our concerns.
After more than 30 years of service to the Alberta Medical Association, our Executive Director Mike Gormley is retiring October 1. There will be more to say about his departure, but I am writing today to let you know that the Board of Directors has conducted an exhaustive search and appointed his successor.
An AMA-Alberta Health Alternative Relationship Plan Working Group will begin meeting in September, as provided for under our agreement. This is essential work to remove many barriers that have existed in developing and implementing ARPs.
Community practices across the province are imploding and must be stabilized. We have been meeting with Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange and her team. The crisis in family medicine is the first priority at every table and it appears we are being heard.
The Board and I have provided briefing materials and have had numerous interactions with Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange in recent days. AMA senior staff are also in contact with their counterparts at Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services.
There have been multiple media reports regarding the resignation of Dr. Esther Tailfeathers from the AHS Indigenous Wellness Core. The AMA immediately commented on this with the essential voice of our Indigenous Health Committee. I also made a statement to commend a group of AHS physicians who courageously penned an open letter to media.
Connect Care is one of the topics about which members contact me frequently. The Specialty Care Alliance recently conducted a survey to assess the impact on members.
With the election behind us and the new government in place, there are many things to get done. Minister Adriana LaGrange and I had a brief conversation this morning. I appreciated receiving her call.
All specialties in our profession deserve due process for contractual discussions, with access to dispute resolution when required. I am writing you today to let you know that there’s one community in particular that is still waiting to see due process: laboratory medicine.
The United Conservative Party has won the provincial election and will form the government until 2027. I have written today to Premier Smith to congratulate her on the outcome of the vote.