2022-23 Update on Healthy AMA

Capability

Activity

Update

Governance

• Implement the governance process improvement activities identified by the Board:
  • Social media policy development.
  • A review of the AMA Vision once an agreement is in place and mandates are clarified.
  • Improvements to onboarding and orientation processes for Board and RF.
  • Enhance supports for sections (e.g., governance training, conflict resolution, etc.).
  • Enhance supports for regional RF Delegates (e.g., support two-way engagement between Delegates and members).
• Implement the Board Working Group on Nominating Committee recommendations to advance EDI principles:
  • Increase EDI literacy and language skills for Committee members.
  • Review committee position descriptions for EDI best-practice language.
  • Implement a two-year pilot of an aspirational quota.

• The Board has approved a social media policy to guide activity.
• The Board undertook a comprehensive review and update of the business plan for 2023/24, including a revision to the AMA mission statement and adjustments to the Well Being and System partnership and leadership goals. These adjustments highlight the importance of the AMA’s role to advocate and support members and strengthen physician leadership of the system.
• Following a survey of section executives, the Governance Oversight Group is developing a set of recommendations aimed at improving governance practices (e.g., templates for code of conduct, conflict of interest, equity/diversity training, etc.), and making improvements to the welcome and orientation material for incoming section executives.
• The equity, diversity and inclusion training provided to the Nominating Committee is now mandatory for all hiring committees.
• The aspirational quota pilot is in place and outreach to underrepresented groups is occurring as needed to reach the aspirational goal of 50%.

Workforce

• Optimize workforce in the hybrid work environment and develop measures to ensure member value generation remains high in the new environment.
• Optimize AMA workforce under a new agreement (e.g., supporting growth in ARP’s, future arbitrations, etc.)
• Complete a review the AMA’s employee benefits program.

• A hybrid working group has reviewed the effectiveness of the hybrid environment that was launched in May 2022 and put forward several recommendations that support continued connection and information sharing amongst staff and between staff, physician leaders and members.
• Staff responsibilities have shifted to support agreement deliverables, and capacity has been added, particularly in the areas of advocacy and physician representation.
• A comprehensive review of the AMA’s employee benefits package by Mercers, showed that the total plan value is competitive and that some plan design adjustments are needed to better align the AMA plan with others. Design changes are expected to be implemented for 2024.

Financial

• Judicious use of AMA contingency to support essential deliverables and sustain the organization.
• Through the Committee on Financial Audit, review the AMA’s investment beliefs and principles.
• Effective stewardship of program funding.

• The steps taken to ensure organizational stability following the termination of the AMA Agreement, have ensured we remain in a strong financial position.
• The COFA complete a review of the AMA’s investment beliefs and principles as well as the asset mix for the various portfolios (e.g., contingency and insurance reserves).
• Grant agreements supporting the physician support programs are being finalized with government, after which, the required financial reporting will be prepared.

Relationships

• Optimize our relationship with the CMA under evolving governance structures and leverage available affinity funding programs and other CMA supports.
• Improve connections with other health professions to enable creative development of team-based care.

• We work closely with the CMA on matters of common interest.
• Efforts have been made to engage with other health professions to begin building the necessary relationships to support team-based care.

Knowledge

• Improve our understanding of members through surveys, focused research, and engagement.
• Modernize the AMA website content and structure to improve member experience.
• Continue redevelopment of our member information system.

• The member tracker survey was relaunched in January 2023, which will provide important insight into the interests, concerns, and sentiment of members.
• The redevelopment of the AMA website is underway and included steps to engage members for ideas and feedback. The launch is anticipated in summer 2024.
• We are roughly halfway through the multi-year project to redevelop the aging AMA member information systems. Funding was secured as part of the AMA Agreement to redevelop the government funded programs as well, which will ensure a common platform and consistent member experience for all AMA systems.