Alberta’s health system is under extraordinary pressure. Physicians are feeling that pressure across the system, but the fundamental question for Albertans remains simple: can patients get the care they need, when they need it?
Primary care – The foundation we cannot afford to weaken
The AMA's second annual State of Health Care report shows Albertans are confident in the quality and skill of their physicians and health care teams, but have less confidence in the system's ability to provide timely access to care when and where it's needed.
Today, government announced a $172.3 million investment in physician compensation as part of the final year of the current Master Agreement (2022-26).
Last week, you should have received a link to complete the latest AMA Member Tracking Survey. I encourage you to take a few minutes to share your experience. Your feedback gives us timely insight into the realities you are facing in practice and helps ensure our advocacy, priorities and member support reflect what physicians are experiencing right now.
Over the past several months, many of you have raised important questions about what expanded dual practice could mean for patients, physicians and the future of our publicly funded health care system — especially since Bill 11 (Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 (No. 2)) was introduced.
Below you will find previous issues of The President's Letter. For older issues no longer on the website, contact us.
Progress continues toward implementing the agreement. Top-ups to the one-time recognition payments that were issued in December of 2022 will be made this week.
I wrote to you May 31 regarding the fact that our laboratory medicine colleagues have been without a contract for five years despite our continued efforts to advance one. Alberta Health Services agreed last May to the AMA’s proposal for arbitration and this is now scheduled to take place in November.
The Board meets next week in final preparations for the September 22-23 Representative Forum. The RF’s guidance will be more important than ever at this time and in this environment.
The 2023-24 annual membership renewal statements will be sent to all members next week. After five years of frozen AMA membership dues, the Board has decided to increase dues for some membership categories. This will help the AMA to continue providing support to members in these increasingly challenging times.
Last week, Minister LaGrange announced that Alberta Health Services has signed a memorandum of understanding with the ownership of Dynalife, which will see the private provider (Dynalife) transfer all of its staff, operations and physical locations in the province to the government-owned Alberta Precision Labs by the end of 2023.
This is another brief update on activity. There has been daily contact with government and AMA senior staff. There have been meetings between primary care physician leaders (Section of Family Medicine, Section of Rural Medicine, Primary Care Networks Physician Leads Executive) and the minister.
Alberta Health has released a bulletin regarding fee-for-service retroactive payments under the agreement. This is the second retroactive payment for the 2022-23 year. It covers the period December 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. Payments will be made Friday, August 18. Read the bulletin here.
You will have received an Income Equity Initiative Update from our AMA Compensation Committee Co-Chairs yesterday. I am writing to encourage members to review this update including the linked videos.
I promised to keep you apprised about discussions with government. There have been numerous government meetings in recent weeks including with the Board of Directors, primary care physician leaders and senior staff. We have communicated at every opportunity that there is a deepening crisis in primary care and that action is needed now to stabilize community family medicine clinics. The minister has listened to our concerns.
After more than 30 years of service to the Alberta Medical Association, our Executive Director Mike Gormley is retiring October 1. There will be more to say about his departure, but I am writing today to let you know that the Board of Directors has conducted an exhaustive search and appointed his successor.