Discussions continue with government

March 7, 2020

Dear Members:

I am pleased to advise you that discussions continue next week with the Alberta government in an attempt toward a physician agreement that provides value for patients, fairness for physicians and affordability for the system.
 
The AMA and AH have agreed to establish a small working group to discuss the challenges that have arisen between the two sides. The working group members are:

• Government: Dr. Kabir Jivraj, Dr. Lyle Oberg, Feisal Keshavjee, Ivan Bernardo
• AMA: Dr. Darryl LaBuick; Dr. Michael Giuffre; Mike Gormley; Hal Danchilla 

Here is the AMA’s statement on this development.
 
Over the past few weeks I have written to you about our preparations, including legal, social media and public information. Hopefully these upcoming discussions will replace the need for such actions: we shall see. A fair agreement between government and physicians is essential not only for ourselves, but for our patients as well. 

I want to say thank you to the physician social media community for their tireless advocacy and passion for patient care. Thanks also to every member who worked on a town hall, spoke to media, MLAs or local officials, drafted letters or contacted the AMA to offer your support. Finally, we can all appreciate the Albertans who have also joined in the debate, bringing a variety of perspectives.
 
This Friday the Representative Forum will receive the latest updates and provide commentary to help guide the profession.
 
I will keep you updated.
 
In your service,
 
Christine P. Molnar, MD, FRCPC 
President, Alberta Medical Association