Dear Members,
The Board of Directors met Thursday and Friday, September 27-28. This was our first meeting since the new agreement was ratified and an opportunity for assessing where we are and why as we move into implementation. I will share further details of what was discussed with you in another letter. In this one, however, I want to convey that the most striking aspect of the entire meeting was the number of topics in which issues of physician wellness/burnout, practice survivability and workload capacity came forward.
On behalf of the AMA, I would like to acknowledge the heroic efforts of all members – physicians, residents and medical students – over the past two years (with thanks also to all members of the health care team). In particular, the Board recognizes the precarious position of physicians now, both personally and professionally.
We need to congratulate and celebrate each other. We need to remember those who were unable to navigate this rocky road and chose to exit Alberta or modify their first-chosen practice. To those colleagues I would say: You are all heroes and well deserving of our thanks.
You are always welcome to share your thoughts with me. You can email me via [email protected]. You can also comment on this letter on the AMA website.
Regards,
fred Rinaldi, MD, CCFP, FCFP, LLB, MBA, MPA(HSA), BCom
President, Alberta Medical Association
"Fate whispers to the warrior, 'You can not withstand the storm.' The warrior whispers back, 'I am the storm.'"