2024/2025 Membership Renewal is now open!
The "voice of the AMA" – Published regularly throughout the year, the President's Letter informs you about Alberta Medical Association positions on key and complex issues in Alberta’s health care.
Holiday Season 2024
This afternoon the Physician Comprehensive Care Model (PCCM) for primary care and the new rates for Family Medicine Alternative Relationship Plans (FMARP) were jointly announced by the AMA and government. These will go live April 1, 2025.
The provincial government has launched an online engagement survey regarding the provision of Medical Assistance in Dying in Alberta. They have also committed to direct consultation with stakeholder groups, but I imagine that the results of this survey will strongly influence such efforts.
Yesterday morning I met with Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange. I wanted to share some of the key points of our discussion with you.
I have a question for you
Every day we maintain our momentum, representing members in many venues. Next up: Workers’ Compensation Board negotiations. The April 1, 2020 agreement expires on December 31, 2024. Yes, this is late to begin a negotiation, but this was a decision of WCB relating to other discussions.
Comments on the most recent President's Letter are enabled and welcome. You may also contact the AMA President by email at [email protected].
Below you will find previous issues of The President's Letter. For older issues no longer on the website, contact us.
The all-party Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship is conducting a review of the Public Sector Compensation Transparency Act, better known to physicians as the sunshine list legislation. The bill became law in 2015 and provided for regular legislative reviews. The committee has invited public submissions to inform its 2019 review and the AMA was asked to comment.
AMA/CMA renewal notices will be sent out later this week. AMA and CMA dues remain unchanged from last year and we want to remind members that, starting this year, membership in the CMA will be optional for Alberta physicians. Through our renewed partnership, the AMA and CMA are working together to advance our shared priorities and to advocate for physicians at the national and provincial levels, and that is why we want to encourage all AMA members to continue to support the CMA when they renew this year.
Yesterday you will have heard about the release of the Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances. The report details government’s concerns over the growth and level of health expenditures, i.e., the issue of affordability. It conveys many of the same messages contained in the government’s election platform, although the focus there was more on value for patients and included creating a medical home for each Albertan, as well as issues related to seniors’ care, mental health and addiction.
The Alberta Medical Association advances patient-centered, quality care by advocating for and supporting physician leadership and wellness. Most of the time, this requires collaboration with others in the system. Relationships matter – and the one between the profession and the Government of Alberta is one of the most important. As I look back over the past few months with our new government in place, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you.
I’m writing as promised in my July 9 President’s Letter to provide all members with a copy of the Overhead Working Group Assessment and Review Report regarding the overhead study commissioned by AMA and Alberta Health for the Income Equity Initiative. It is available here: https://www.albertadoctors.org/leaders-partners/income-equity/related-documents (member login required).
In June, the government cancelled construction of the Edmonton laboratory hub lab project and is currently exploring the needs of the province for laboratory services. Yesterday, the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science added its voice to support appropriate investment in this area. We wanted to update members with our own assessment of the situation and to let you know what the AMA and Section of Laboratory Physicians have been doing.
You may have seen an update bulletin from the Physician Compensation Committee today, including reference to the recent Deloitte overhead study and the committee’s discussion. As I wrote to you April 25 in a President’s Letter, the Board of Directors formed a small working group in response to concerns raised by the Representative Forum and sections about the results provided by Deloitte. The working group was asked to review what has been provided and then recommend (i) what, if any, elements of the study are usable and (ii) the next steps for ensuring usable overhead information in the Income Equity Initiative.
At our annual planning retreat in a few weeks, the Board will be bringing together months of environmental scanning, analysis and discussion around the Board table. We will be planning for the year ahead in the interests of members and with a new government. Today I wanted to give you a sense of what that has involved.
Like me, perhaps you have lately observed a surge of headlines, reports and journal articles like these: "Why focusing on professional burnout is not enough", "Task force launched to tackle sexual harassment", "Addressing gender equity and diversity in Canada’s medical profession", "Understanding how patients perceive physician wellness and its links to patient care", "Most doctors have little or no management training, and that’s a problem."
In the March 25 President’s Letter, I wrote to you about the overhead (office expenses) study under the Income Equity Initiative. Concerns have been raised by the Representative Forum and sections about the results provided by Deloitte. In response, the Board has formed a small working group with delegates from the Specialty Care Alliance and sections of General Practice and Rural Medicine. The working group will review what has been provided and then recommend (i) what, if any, elements of the study are usable and (ii) next steps for ensuring usable overhead information for use in the IEI.