March 17, 2022

In this issue

• Reminders

  • AMA membership renewal

  • Serve on CMA Board/committees – apply by March 21

  • $7,500 scholarship applications due March 31

  • AMA Achievement Awards nominations due April 30

• Important update on test tube shortage

• Optimized Prescribing with Seniors: Care at the end of life

• Do you have patients recovering from COVID-19? WCB-AB post-COVID program.

• Apply today for the 2022 Tarrant Scholarship!

• Registration is open for the AMA's media relations and social media training

• New physician recruitment website and platform coming March 31

• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

• Spinal muscular atrophy newborn screening pilot program launches

• ACFP News

  • Chronic Pain Gains in Alberta: An ECHO® Series

  • Opioid Use in Older Adults – Ideal vs. Actual Patient Journeys

• New: MD Culture Shift issue #12

• Keep your tax bill in check

• Survey Corner

  • Screening cognition in patients with sensory impairment

  • Availability, cost and distribution of mental health services in Canada

  • Developing a roadmap for early diagnosis and rapid referral of probable ALS

Reminders

AMA membership renewal
If you haven't renewed your Alberta Medical Association membership yet, visit the AMA website and log in to renew. You can also sign up for pre-authorized payments (PAP) or update your PAP profile and banking information.

Canadian Medical Association Board/committees
Applications are due March 21

The Canadian Medical Association has vacancies opening in August 2022 for the CMA Board, Committee on Ethics and Nominations Committee. Learn more and apply.

$7,500 scholarship applications due March 31

The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex/Alberta Medical Association Scholarship was established to help physicians meet Alberta's changing medical needs. Every May, AMA and TD Meloche Monnex award four physicians each with a $7,500 scholarship. Learn more and apply.

AMA Achievement Awards nominations due April 30

The AMA is seeking nominations for its highest awards: the Medal for Distinguished Service (awarded to a physician[s]) and the Medal of Honour (awarded to a non-physician[s]). The awards will be presented at AMA’s fall 2022 Annual General Meeting. Learn more and nominate.

Important update on test tube shortage

The AMA is working with system partners for ongoing communication around the current shortage of test tubes for laboratory testing and the impact on ordering by physicians. A bulletin from Alberta Precision Laboratories, DynaLife Medical Labs and Alberta Health Services was issued March 14.

The message for physicians is that there are no formal restrictions in place and you should not hesitate to order any lab work needed to manage your patients’ health. Where you think testing could be delayed without detriment, holding on such non-essential orders will help. The parties continue to seek alternative supplies and take steps to minimize the number of tubes used during blood collections.

For advice on conserving resources due to the global shortage of medical-grade plastics, please refer to Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations for primary care and hospital testing: Using Labs Wisely During Global Blood Tube and Other Resource Shortages - Choosing Wisely Canada.

Optimized Prescribing with Seniors:

Care at the end of life

In this edition of Optimized Prescribing with Seniors, Sarah Burton-MacLeod MD CCFP(PC) discusses providing comfort at the end of life, with particular focus on the symptom management of "death rattle."

Do you have patients recovering from COVID-19?

WCB-Alberta's post-COVID program, designed with assistance from WCB-Alberta’s Medical Services, is tailored to each client, as each presents with slight variations of common symptoms. The program is evidence-based and will continue to evolve to include WCB-Alberta Millard Health's experiential findings of what works and new research.
 

The post-COVID program, rolled out in February 2021 by WCB-Alberta’s Millard Health, was one of the first of its kind in Alberta and reflected the best medical and clinical information available at the time. It is in line with provincial long-COVID rehabilitation protocols and evolves as more information is gathered by the treatment community.

Apply today for the

2022 Tarrant Scholarship!

The Section of Rural Medicine is now accepting applications for the 2022 Tarrant Scholarship, named in honour of the late Dr. Michael Tarrant, a dedicated family physician and champion of rural medicine undergraduate education. Applications are due by June 1!
 

Since its inception in 2004, the Tarrant Scholarship has been awarded to 45 medical students and has provided more than $465,000 in awards. The scholarship is presented to third-year medical students every fall.

Register today for the AMA's media relations and social media training

Wondering how to create strategic and engaging social media content for advocacy efforts, amplifying positive messages, mitigating criticism and more? Need some news media tips and tricks, do's and don'ts or perhaps practice with mock interviews? The AMA is offering members training in social media and media relations (beginner and intermediate) with several sessions to choose from:

Social Media 101 – Learn more and register
Dates: March 21, May 24, August 23, September 15
Times: All sessions are 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
 

NEW: Social Media 201 – Learn more and register

Dates: April 21, June 22, September 19
Times: All sessions are 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
 

Media Relations 101 – Learn more and register
Dates and times:

• March 25 – 12 - 1 p.m.
• June 8 – 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• July 14 – 12 - 1 p.m.
• October 5 – 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Media Relations 201 – Learn more and register
Date: April 12, June 21, October 20
Times: All sessions are 1 to 4 p.m.

New physician recruitment website and platform coming March 31

To streamline recruitment processes, Alberta Health Services is moving its physician career site to a new website and platform on March 31. As AHS moves to the new platform, users will notice the following changes:

• New website address
  The recruitment site’s web address will change from www.doctorjobsalberta.com to a new web address. Visitors to the old web address will be redirected to the new recruitment platform once it launches. 
• Change to website look and feel
  The new website will function similarly to the current site and will still be called “Doctor Jobs Alberta,” but it will have a different look and feel. 
• One central location for AHS physician job opportunities
  All physician job opportunities associated with AHS, including those for Alberta Precision Laboratories and Cancer Care, will be posted on this site. 

This change will not impact AHS’ staff career site, and the role of medical leaders in recruitment is not expected to change. Updates will be posted on the current Doctor Jobs Alberta website in advance of the launch.
 

Questions? Please email DrJobs.AB@ahs.ca. 

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and this month, the Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program continues raising awareness about the importance of colorectal cancer screening and the new Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) mail out initiative.

Launched: Spinal muscular atrophy newborn screening pilot program

As of February 28, all infants born in Alberta will be screened for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as part of a one-year pilot program.

SMA is a genetic disorder that affects motor neurons of the brainstem and spinal cord. This results in muscle weakness and wasting. SMA affects about 1 in every 10,000 infants.

News from the

Alberta College of Family Physicians

Chronic Pain Gains in Alberta: An ECHO® Series
 

The Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction is pleased to present Chronic Pain Gains in Alberta: An ECHO® Series, a free interactive learning opportunity.
 

All health care providers across Alberta are welcome! Learn more about the series, register and submit your cases for discussion at www.cmnalberta.com/ECHO. 

Opioid Use in Older Adults – Ideal vs. Actual Patient Journeys
 

The Collaborative Mentorship Network for Chronic Pain and Addiction is hosting a free session on March 24 at 7:30 p.m.: Opioid Use in Older Adults – Ideal vs. Actual Patient Journeys with Dr. Lara Nixon and Pharmacist Mareiz Morcos. CMN events are open to all health care providers.

New: MD Culture Shift Issue #12

In this issue of MD Culture Shift:

• AMA's Phyisician and Family Support Program offering small group support sessions
• International Women’s Day
• Canadian Women Physicians Day
• Equity in Medicine establishes the Dr. Pauline Alakija Trailblazer Award

Upcoming events:

• Trauma Informed Leadership
• MD Culture Shift Community of Practice resumes
• Research study: Professional Accountability Redefined: Theorizing Anti-Racism from Key Stakeholder Engagement (PARTAKE)
• Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership
• Canadian Women in Medicine & Equity in Medicine

MD Culture Shift is an AHS publication created by physicians for physicians through the Physician Diversity, Wellness and Leadership Development portfolio. It shares news of the constructive efforts happening in Alberta that support physician diversity, wellness and leadership. Visit ahs.ca/mdwellness to learn more and read previous issues.

Keep your tax bill in check

Sponsored advertisement
 

Don’t want to pay more tax than you need to? Then claim all available deductions and credits, and implement the right tax strategies for your career stage. Pay only the tax you should and keep more of your money. 

Survey Corner

Health care partners and other organizations often seek physician feedback through surveys. This month, the following is available for your consideration:
 

Screening cognition in patients with sensory impairment
Practicing Alberta physicians are invited to take a 5-minute anonymous survey exploring your current practice of administering cognitive tests to patients living with one or more sensory deficits. The goal of this study is to gain insight on the various adaptations and accommodations that Canadian health care practitioners report employing when performing cognitive screening tests to individuals with hearing, visual and/or dual sensory impairment.
Study approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Montreal: 2021-1252. You can take the survey in English or French. Questions? Please contact shirley.dumassais@umontreal.ca.
 

Availability, cost and distribution of mental health services in Canada

Are you a mental health service provider? University of New Brunswick researchers are looking for practicing mental health professionals to complete a brief survey describing their roles in mental health care. The goal of the project is to examine factors related to mental health services in Canada. If you complete the survey, you will have a chance to win 1 of 3 $75 Amazon gift-cards. This project has been reviewed by the Research Ethics Board of the University of New Brunswick and is on file as REB#2022-005. If you have any questions, you may contact ayoung8@unb.ca.

Developing a roadmap for early diagnosis and rapid referral of probable amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
The Physician Learning Program and Dr. Johnston’s research team at the Kaye Edmonton Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinic are working on a project to understand how patients with ALS flow through the health care system from symptom onset to diagnosis in a multidisciplinary clinic. The project is seeking physicians to participate in a brief interview (approximately 30 minutes) to discuss experiences with patients with potential neurological diseases, or more specifically ALS. The intended outcome of this work is to decrease the time it takes for patients with ALS to receive a diagnosis so that more patients are eligible for standard of care medications which can improve prognosis and quality of life. The study is approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Alberta: Pro00103667. Interested? Please contact mcguckin@ualberta.ca.

Editor's note: "Survey Corner" presents survey requests received and reviewed by the AMA, that may be of interest to our members. We will publish new opportunities as we receive them.

Spring 2022 RF
Reports & Resolutions

are now available online. Member login required.

Last issues' top stories
 

- How to withdraw funds tax-efficiently in retirement

- Rural Education Supplement & Integrated Doctor Experience (RESIDE)

- Five steps to minimize privacy breaches

In the March 17
MD Scope Classifieds
you'll find listings for:
 

- Physicians wanted

- Locums wanted

- Space available
- For sale
- Services

Presidential ghosts in your inbox?

Seeing the names of AMA past-presidents in the “From” field whenever AMA President Dr. Vesta Michelle Warren emails her President's Letters? The problem may be haunting your personal address book.

More from the AMA

© 2022 Alberta Medical Association; All rights reserved
 

The opinions expressed in AMA publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association, its Board of Directors or members.
 

The Alberta Medical Association does not assume responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice contained in these materials. Advertisements included in our publications are not necessarily endorsed by the Alberta Medical Association.
 

The Association reserves the right to edit any submissions that are accepted to appear in any of our publications or platforms. Please consult our editorial guidelines for tips on submissions or advertising.
 

Our mailing address is:
12230 106 Ave NW
Edmonton AB T5N 3Z1
Canada

Canada Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) - AMA compliance statement