Dear Members,
Following arbitration, a new Cancer Care Alberta (CCA) Physician Agreement has been reached. The new four-year agreement provides an 11% increase in the first year, retroactive to April 1, 2024, with a 20.1% compounded increase over the agreement term. After 18 months of dedicated advocacy and negotiation, this agreement recognizes the need to remain competitive with other jurisdictions. It represents a fair resolution that will enhance Alberta’s ability to recruit and retain cancer care physicians – an outcome that is essential to ensuring Albertans diagnosed with cancer will have improved access to high-quality and timely cancer care services.
Dispute resolution, though, does not happen in a vacuum. In parallel with the AMA’s Acute Care Stabilization Proposal, the AMA has worked tirelessly to advocate for cancer care physicians, and this achievement reflects the strength of our collective efforts. I want to recognize the personal efforts of our immediate past-president, Dr. Paul Parks, and our cancer care leaders who consistently shone a spotlight on the challenges facing cancer care in Alberta. Through President’s Letters, media engagement, social media interactions and the AMA’s Acute Care Concerns initiative, they ensured these issues were heard and addressed.
This success underscores the vital role of the AMA in advocating on behalf of physicians and working collaboratively with government to achieve meaningful results. It also demonstrates the importance of having the stability of an agreement in place – with fair dispute resolution mechanisms if required. No matter the endeavour, we continue to strive for stability in the health system and to ensure that physicians have a strong, unified voice in discussions about health care policy, funding and working conditions.
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the Cancer Care Alberta Negotiating Committee and the many oncologists who contributed their voices. The issues faced by cancer care physicians are not unlike those faced by other specialists in acute care, and I remain optimistic that maintaining a collaborative approach, reinforced by evidence-based advocacy and standing together to support the profession, will result in better solutions for all.
Sincerely,
Shelley Duggan, MD, FRCPC
President, Alberta Medical Association