Good news regarding WCB and support for member wellness

June 18, 2020

Dear Members:

Good news regarding WCB

Voting closed Tuesday, June 16 for the tentative Alberta Medical Association-Workers’ Compensation Board agreement. Voting opened May 28. The proposed four-year agreement carried the endorsement of the Board of Directors and I am pleased to report that the vote was overwhelmingly positive, with 98% of voting physicians in favor of the agreement.

This arrangement represents successful work by the two negotiating teams to identify common interests at the table. It aligns payment with incentives toward the kind of care we want to deliver. It effectively establishes the relationship between WCB and the AMA, and fairly recognizes the special requirements of WCB work in caring for this unique patient population.

Support for member wellness

We have talked about many things that unite us as physicians in recent months. One of the most important things we share is our humanity. As physicians we are first and foremost people, sharing various strengths and weaknesses with our fellow humans. In the face of that reality, we are doing our best to help others find healing. Although we are disciplined and resilient from our many years of studying, training and practice, it is very important that that we do not neglect to care for ourselves. Let us not forget that dimension of compassion - particularly now in our rush to care for our patients, find ways to keep our practices viable and keep our families and ourselves safe. Like all Albertans, we have endured much change in the past few months. This loss of normalcy is stressful and difficult to deal with for all.

That’s why I particularly appreciated a new AMA webinar that was held this week. The AMA’s Physician and Family Support Program collaborated with Well Doc Alberta to offer a 1.25 hour session on physician wellness. Well Doc Alberta is funded by the Affinity funds through Scotiabank, MD Financial Management and the Canadian Medical Association. This successful funding was one of the first facilitated by the AMA’s Memorandum of Understanding with the CMA.

I had the pleasure of participating in the webinar in real-time and I can tell you that it was a wonderful experience. I am happy to say that those who missed the event will be able to access the recording of the webinar on the AMA website early next week. We are just completing some edits to make it optimally friendly for your use.

Along with knowledge offered by content expert Fleur Yumol, the webinar co-facilitators will guide you through short pauses for self-reflection and provide opportunities for sharing the experiences of physician peers. This webinar is designed for physicians, but interested family members are also welcome to join.

I invite you to invest some time in yourself by accessing the webinar soon. As you take care of others, please take care of yourselves.

In your service,

Christine P. Molnar, MD, FRCPC
President, Alberta Medical Association