President's Letter
Dear Members:
As promised, a new phase of AMA advocacy is beginning to help Albertans better understand what is happening in health care in Alberta. We are also hoping to identify ideas – with partners and stakeholders – for resolution, innovation and solutions.
Here is a very short video in which I describe the focus on the COVID-19 care deficit and what we are trying to achieve with our upcoming advocacy work.
Today we launch the Care Deficit Assessment Series (CDAS) on patient care issues across the profession. In these assessments, you will see the great breadth and depth of the care deficit’s impact and the backlog that will take years to resolve – and only with the efforts of all parties working together. Topics for this series are being developed based on member engagement, research and with the guidance of the Joint Physician Advocacy Committee.
Each CDAS issue will have three documents: (i) an executive summary, (ii) a detailed document linked from the executive summary and (iii) physician talking points for your use should you be questioned by patients or encounter conversations on these subjects. Every issue paper will contain:
- General description of the care deficit as physicians are seeing it in a particular group of patients.
- Description of the impact on patients through the pandemic.
- Issues and themes that have emerged in that experience.
- How physicians have managed and mitigated against negative impacts during COVID-19.
- What these physicians see as long-term solutions.
- Physician-recommended patient/family/care giver resources to help patients now.
Here is Issue 1: Pediatric Mental Health. More issues will be forthcoming soon. Please let me know what you think and if you have ideas or suggestions for JPAC’s consideration, we would be glad to receive them. Reply to me or to [email protected].
I am looking forward to seeing those of you who can attend our upcoming webinar on Negotiations, to be held on the evening of Tuesday, April 5. A registration link with an exact start time and further details - including how to submit questions - will be coming soon. For those unable to attend, we will record the session and post it on the members-only website. We will let you know when the recording is available for viewing at your convenience.
The negotiations update will include information about the latest progress on the Income Equity Initiative.
Your comments on these matters, or anything else that’s on your mind, are welcome at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Vesta Michelle Warren, MD, CCFP, FCFP
President, Alberta Medical Association