October 3, 2024

In this issue:

• 2024-25 AMA membership renewal: United for the health of the profession
• Membership dues waived for Jasper colleagues
• Apply to join the AMA Negotiating Committee
• AMA staff announcements: Service milestones and retirement
• Got presidential ghosts in your mailbox? How to fix that.
• PCCM Panel Prep - Part 2 - Register for a session
• Have your say on the design of the new Regional Networks
• AHS Updates:
  • Active health advisories
  • Serum/plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total protein menu changes at multiple rural laboratories
  • Change in Respiratory Pathogen Panel Testing
  • For Calgary Zone - Specialist Link: Pediatric palliative care and suspected child abuse and neglect (SCAN)
  • Watch a Q&A about Recovery Alberta
  • Connect Care access not required for referrals to AHS
• MD Financial
  • Medicus Pension Plan for incorporated physicians
• Community Connections
  • Are you interested in shared care planning with complex patients?
  • Call for nominations - Dr. Peter B. R. Allen Lifetime Achievement in Health Award

2024-25 AMA membership renewal: United for the health of the profession

The 2024-25 membership year begins October 1 and membership renewal is now open.

This past year the AMA has advocated relentlessly on behalf of members, the profession and our patients. Whether through countless meetings and phone calls with government or our compelling advocacy campaigns and hundreds of media interviews, we have been fighting for you with everything we’ve got. 

But the severe instability in almost every part of our system persists. We have done everything possible to work with government and have presented them with two proposals to help stabilize primary care and acute, hospital and community specialty care: 

• Physician Comprehensive Care Model
• Acute Care Stabilization Proposal 

We continue to wait for meaningful action on both fronts and are strengthening our advocacy efforts. Our members need action NOW and we need you to make that happen.

Renewing your membership bolsters us to continue standing together for the good of our profession, and the strength of the AMA lies in the collective expertise, experience and passion of members like you.

Questions?
If you have any questions about AMA membership, please contact:

Jennifer McCombe,

AMA Membership and Benefits Team Leader
780-732-3359 |toll-free 1-800-272-9680 |
email jennifer.mccombe@albertadoctors.org.

Membership dues waived for Jasper colleagues

The devastation of the late-July Jasper Complex Wildfire collectively broke the hearts of all in our province. Our thoughts are with our Jasper colleagues as well as all others who were affected, including the local health care team members, first responders and community members. 

As the Jasper community continues to recover and repair, the Alberta Medical Association is waiving membership dues for our colleagues in that area for the membership year of 2024-25. We hope this small gesture will help to alleviate some financial pressure from these physicians so that they may focus on rebuilding and healing in the days, months and years ahead.

Apply to join the AMA Negotiating Committee

The AMA is currently recruiting for AMA Negotiating Committee members.  The deadline for applications is November 10 at 4 p.m. 

Our online application process makes it easy to apply!  Visit AMA committee recruitment to view posting, committee description, criteria and apply (member login required). 

The AMA is committed to diversity and inclusion in its committee appointment process.  

AMA staff announcements: 

Service milestone and retirement

Hal Zalmanowitz, Director, Economics has reached his 30-year milestone with the AMA.
 
Throughout his 30 years with the AMA, Hal has provided economic expertise and advice to the organization and its members. Our Health Economics team has observed daily, the incredible impact that Hal has on our teams, our credibility and our product. Hal has been a national leader and AMA representative on economic issues and shared understandings with other PTMAs and the CMA. He has effectively represented physician membership on provincial master agreement negotiations as well as a multitude of fee-for-service and non-FFS negotiations, and he continues to advise staff and physicians in each of these areas. Thanks to Hal for a strong 30 years with the AMA and for everything he continues to do on behalf of our members and the Health Economics team.

Christine Fleck, Manager, Executive Office retires from the AMA this month after 32 years of service.

Cris has been responsible for working closely with the CEO, President and Board of Directors to guide the association through many years of complexity and dedication. Respected by all who have had the privilege of working with her, Cris possesses a superb ability to keep calm in all situations, an encyclopedic knowledge of AMA corporate history and an unequaled grasp of good governance and diplomacy.

With a ready smile, unflagging passion for the AMA’s mission and her amazing professionalism, Cris has been a fixture at the AMA. We can’t imagine her not being here, but we wish her well — every day in her future. 

Got presidential ghosts in your mailbox?

How to fix that.

It's October, which means that we have installed our new president, Dr. Shelley Duggan. 

As Dr. Duggan sends out her President's Letters, you may see the names of past AMA presidents (e.g., Dr. Paul Parks) in the "From" field. 

The problem may be haunting your personal address book, which might still be connecting the email address president@albertadoctors.org with a past president's name. 

Ghost busting 

Search your personal address book for the older contact linked to president@albertadoctors.org. Delete that contact. 

Create a new contact called "AMA President" with the email address of president@albertadoctors.org.

PCCM Panel Prep - Part 2

Register for a session

Join Dr. Heidi Fell and AMA-ACTT for Part 2 of the PCCM Panel Prep webinar series, which will focus on EMR-specific steps that physicians and teams can take to ensure their EMR panel is being fully uploaded to CPAR. You may be surprised how much this can improve your panel size estimates for PMSP payments. Ensuring that your panel size is accurate is also a great way to prepare for the launch of the new Physician Comprehensive Care Model (PCCM), which has a panel-based payment component.

This is a three-part webinar series for family physicians and rural generalists:

• Part 1 -  How panel sizes are calculated for PMSP (and potentially for PCCM), why managing your panel using CII/CPAR is by far the best way to improve your panel size estimate, CII/CPAR Q&A, and how to get started today. Watch the recording here!
• Part 2 -  How to compare your EMR panel vs CPAR panel and how to find and fix any discrepancies. Includes helpful tips and resources for each EMR. See registration below.
• Part 3 - Understand what CPAR Conflicts and Demographic Mismatches are, how they impact panel size estimates, and how your team can address them. Registration coming soon!

Take control of your panel size today!

Physicians and teams can register for one of the two available sessions for this webinar.

• Oct 15, 2024 12 - 1:30 p.m.
• Oct 16, 2024 5:30-7 p.m.

Have your say on the design of the new Regional Networks. Complete the survey

To support the transition from Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to Regional Networks, Alberta Health is gathering input to identify current strengths of PCNs to carry forward, challenges to avoid and key considerations for the new Regional Networks. Alberta Health will be sharing the raw data with AMA to support our own understanding of how physicians feel about this transition. The survey will remain open until October 18.

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please contact health.MAPS@gov.ab.ca 

AHS Updates

The following AHS updates have been provided for your information:

• Active health advisories
• Serum/plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total protein menu changes at multiple rural laboratories
• Change in Respiratory Pathogen Panel Testing
• For Calgary Zone - Specialist Link: Pediatric palliative care and suspected child abuse and neglect (SCAN)
• Watch a Q&A about Recovery Alberta
• Connect Care access not required for referrals to AHS

Medicus Pension Plan for incorporated physicians

Sponsored article

Imagine joining a pension plan now that provides you with a predictable monthly income in retirement – for the rest of your life. Join a webinar on Tuesday, October 15 at 5:30 p.m. to learn more about the Medicus Pension Plan, specifically designed for Canada’s incorporated physicians.

Managing Director of the Medicus Pension Plan, Simone Reitzes, and other pension experts, will discuss:  

• How the plan works.
• What you can expect to receive in retirement.
• How to get started. 
• How Medicus is ensuring financial peace of mind for Canada’s physicians and their families.  

Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about how you can secure your financial future today. 

Community Connections

Are you interested in shared care planning with complex patients?

A multi-partnered project led by the University of Alberta is seeking primary care physicians across Alberta to partner with them to use their care planning tools with patients living with advanced stage chronic disease. Patients from your panel are identified for you, a care plan template is in all provincial EMRs and auto populates from a patient’s chart. There are funds to support this work. For more information, contact either Lynn Toon at toon@ualberta.ca or Tanya Barber at tkbarber@ualberta.ca.

Call for Nominations - Dr. Peter B.R. Allen Lifetime Achievement in Health Award

This year, Alberta Health is recognizing the career achievements of a health professional with the Dr. Peter B. R. Allen Lifetime Achievement in Health Award. This award recognizes the extraordinary efforts and achievements of an Albertan who has dedicated their life to improving the health and well being of people in this province. 

Nominations are now open and will be closing on October 17. 

The nomination form, eligibility criteria and submission information are available from the Health Awards website. 

Promoting a local charitable health-related event?

Recruiting physicians and medical learners for a medical study?

Seeking AMA member participation in a survey?

The AMA receives many requests to promote local events, research participation opportunities and surveys to our members. We consider all requests based on specific criteria and general relevance/appropriateness. Please note that, unless explicitly stated, the AMA is not associated with or responsible for items listed in Community Connections.

In case you missed it...

Submit a one-step nomination for the CMA Awards

Upcoming events

International Conference on Physician Health

October 17-19

Alberta Society of Radiologists 2024 Annual Scientific Conference

October 18-20

Navigating the inner storms of uncertainty

November 28

View all upcoming events on the AMA website.

Have an event you'd like to promote?

Review our criteria and submit your event.

Recognition Roundup

Below are special dates deserving recognition:

October:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

World Mental Health Awareness Day

October 10

Recommend a special date.

Last issue's top stories

AHS Updates

Optimized Prescribing with Seniors

In the October 3
MD Scope Classifieds
you'll find listings for:
 

- Physicians wanted

- Locums wanted

- For sale or lease
- Services

More AMA publications

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