Hard times, anger, but we will remain united!

May 19, 2023

Dear Members,

This letter is a bit longer than my usual style but please allow me to vent. Links are provided that outline our actions and progress to date.

Every day, angry and frustrated members write to me about their financial challenges. I understand. I have the same issues. But we are the AMA. We don’t approach challenges as an organized labour group would. Negotiating fair and competitive compensation is a most important Key Result Area, but we seek to do this in a way that benefits patient care. We are more than dollars and cents in a contract. We seek value for patients and fairness for physicians.

It is difficult to get beyond the anger. We look at other jurisdictions where action has been taken to address practice survivability, unremunerated workload and patient access.

We are going to bat for you and know the urgency. I urge you also to visualize the AMA in a larger space beyond just dollars: to see the influence and power in organized medicine; and to continue to pressure and guide the new government towards a better future for health care. We are stronger together; together we are better able to support all of our colleagues.

Thanks to those of you who have sent encouraging letters. They are very appreciated.

Thank you for allowing me to vent. Read on to update or review relevant AMA activities.

THE LAY OF THE LAND

Achieved

Our AMA agreement got us back to the table where decisions are made. We have a voice and that matters. We’ve achieved some things for members. It’s a big agreement, so there’s a lot to be done when the new government resumes business in June. Some implementation issues are running behind schedule but in general progress has been made.

Urgent Asks

While agreement implementation proceeds, there are urgent problems that threaten sustainable patient care, destabilizing practices to the breaking point. Community Family Medicine is in deep trouble; specialties are having extreme difficulties too (stipends, overhead, on call).

We directly proposed short-term solutions to government. Success was zero before the election.

We will hear nothing more until the new government is in place. The minister wanted to discuss ARPs and how better to support their development and uptake. We never got that far. Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System (MAPS), a ministerial initiative, was conceptually supported by the AMA; final recommendations were not released before the election.

Post election

The AMA will remain united.

We will re-emphasize the urgent asks to sustain medical practices, decrease burn-out, and improve appropriate access.

We will have a seat at the table in health care planning/reform.

You are always welcome to share your thoughts with me. You can email me via president@albertadoctors.org. You can also comment on this letter on the AMA website.

Regards,

fred Rinaldi, MD, CCFP, FCFP, LLB, MBA, MPA(HSA), BCom
President, Alberta Medical Association

"Fate whispers to the warrior, 'You can not withstand the storm.' The warrior whispers back, 'I am the storm.'"