Key Result Area 3

System Leadership and Partnership

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The AMA supports members in their role as leaders within the health care system. This includes supporting physician leadership in developing innovations in care delivery and integration of primary and specialty care. Other activities include the AMA’s key role, with Alberta Health (AH) through the AMA Agreement, in developing and implementing the physician payment strategy for the province; several programs aimed at quality improvement; activities related to eHealth; and supporting the development of physician leadership skills.

Goal 1 Working with Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services and other partners, lead and influence positive change in the delivery of services.

Priority activities

1. Continue to strengthen the Patient’s Medical Home for all Albertans:

  • Support members, clinics and their PCNs to improving relationship continuity to patients using the central patient attachment registry / community information integration (CPAR/CII) as an enabling tool and leverage the functionality in other areas including immunization, eReferral and Alberta Surgical Initiative.
  • Support PCNs in operationalizing new standardized, sustainable and shared services prioritized by the PCN Provincial Committee and PCN Zonal Committees.

2. Support activities that integrate care across the system and support the health neighborhood:

  • Support physician leaders in PCN zones to achieve functional partnerships with AHS zones to enable new ways of sharing care using sustainable approaches.
  • Work with PCA and SCA as well as AHS Primary Health Care Integration Network to promote virtual care capabilities including secure communication, eReferral and integration with community EMRs.

3. Support members on pandemic related issues as the situation evolves (e.g. 2nd wave, return to schools) including income stabilization, virtual care and personal protective equipment.

4. In collaboration with others including the Rural Municipalities Association and Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, advocate for an implementation plan to the AHS Ernst and Young report that provides value for patients and is fair to physicians.

Goal 2 Key incentives and supports for physicians are aligned with the delivery of care and toward overall system objectives of timely access for patients to quality care.

Priority activities

1. Complete all approved Income Equity Initiative studies:

  • Physician office overhead
    • Complete field work including office visits.
    • Present preliminary results for validation by the panel.
  • Hours of Work Study
    • Deploy survey instrument when necessary conditions are achieved (e.g. reasonable level of return to work is established during COVID relaunch).
    • Present preliminary results for validation by the panel.
  • Market Impact Study
    • Present preliminary report to sections for review
    • Approve final report
  • Seek government support for the initiative

2. Support strategic and tactical initiatives that improve informational continuity and enhance information integration:

  • Provide input into the operationalization of key provincial health information-related initiatives, including but not limited to the CPAR/CII initiative, eDelivery of results and the AHS Connect Care provider portal.
  • Represent community physicians and physicians in AHS facilities moving from community EMRs to Connect Care in areas such as: eDelivery, data migration, provider and patient portals.
  • Provide input into the design and development of a provincial virtual care strategy.
  • Advocate for an integrated and efficient rollout of systems needed to support new immunization regulations expected in January 2021.

3. Working with other stakeholders including the student associations, PARA, training institutions and communities, develop solutions to address needs based gaps in physicians supply.

  • Support the development of an effective needs based assessment.
  • Provide input into the development and implementation of PRAC ID regulations to ensure service gaps are filled in a way that is fair to new physicians, practicing physicians and communities.

Goal 3 Physicians and the AMA, in partnership with patients, play a leadership role in advocating and promoting a system characterized by Patients First®.

Priority activities

1. Continue to grow the Albertapatients.ca portal community to become the preeminent patient community in Alberta and Canada (Average 200 new members a month to 15,000 in the year)

  • Maintaining neutral, non-partisan space for those who join on that basis.
  • Migrate PatientsFirst.ca activists over to albertapatients.ca, offering a different, non-political experience helping to improve the system.
  • Seek opportunities to inform or support other priority activities in the Business Plan by testing concepts and learning about the way they wish to be involved in the health system.
  • Explore alternative platform provider and explore business case for making the move, including new ways to engage community members.

2. Provide advice to government on any proposed changes to the Health Professions Act following the white paper consultation process.

3. Support and advocate for improved health care delivery for the indigenous community. This will involve outreach to indigenous physicians and First Nations communities, participation in the Population Aboriginal Health SCN and continued activity of the AMA Indigenous Health committee.

Featured Items

Key Result Area 1

The AMA assists and supports members in maintaining their financial health. This includes negotiating with payers to ensure fair compensation, the provision of practice management services and the offering of financial products. Members in training are supported through a number of scholarships and bursaries.

Key Result Area 2

The AMA supports members in maintaining healthy work-life integration, including being a leader in the development of a comprehensive physician health program. The AMA promotes and supports physicians contributing to the broader community through activities like the AMA Youth Run Club and Emerging Leaders in Health Promotion grant program. The AMA also supports physicians in their efforts to attain safe, healthy and equitable work environments.

A Healthy AMA

Achieving the goals under the three Key Results Areas requires a healthy, vibrant and sustainable AMA. View Healthy AMA activities.

The AMA advances patient-centered, quality care by advocating for and supporting physician leadership and wellness.