AMHSP physicians – a vote and a new council

December 12, 2018

Dear Members:

Recent changes in Alberta Medical Association governance and the passage of legislation on the rights of physicians to representation provide important new vehicles for physicians to bring their issues forward. The focus of this President’s Letter is on those academic physicians who are or soon will be part of the Academic Medicine Health Services Plan, and who now have the ability to request direct support in negotiations from the AMA.

In past academic arrangements, there has been linkage to negotiated benefit programs and the AMA had some authority through the Physician Compensation Committee over the flow of payments for clinical work. What’s new is being able to be involved with academic members at the level of your own contractual arrangements, known as the Individual Services Agreements and Master AMHSP Agreement.

Now, we need to hear from you and engage you in work to be done.

The opportunity is before you to get together within your groups in the AMHSP. I encourage you to talk among yourselves and decide if you can benefit from AMA support. If the answer to that question is Yes, then we need you to make yourselves known on that basis. Ensure we know who and where you are as a group. In the New Year you will be asked to authorize us to engage with you and act on your behalf so we understand your roles and can seek the results you want.

We’ve been preparing to do our best for you and realigning the AMA to make sure that academic issues are heard. This includes working to establish an AMHSP Advisory Council. The council’s mandate will include providing ongoing advice to AMA representatives to the Provincial Operations and Strategy Committees as well as appointing the AMHSP Negotiating Committee for the 2020 renegotiation of the Master Agreement and the Individual Services Agreements. Additionally, as mentioned, we’ve changed our governance structure. Beginning this spring, AMHSP members will have four delegates on the Representative Forum.

More information will be coming to AMHSP physicians by email (tomorrow, December 13) concerning what is being developed and how to vote for 10 AMHSP group representatives who will select your RF delegates and serve on the council. (By the way, if you DON’T receive my email tomorrow, please let me know so we can make sure you’re included on the voter list for this and other future votes.)

I believe all physicians respect the value and importance of academic medicine. I feel privileged to be the first AMA president in a position to give you direct support. Please take me – and the AMA – up on our offer. We will be waiting to hear from you.

Feedback or questions are welcome to me at president@albertadoctors.org or to our dedicated email account amhsp@albertadoctors.org.

Thank you.

Warm regards,

Alison M. Clarke, MD, CCFP, FCFP
President