EZMSA PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
NOTE: These presentations are current as of their release date. We recommend consulting with your advisors for current and individually tailored information.
April 11, 2024
Health Leadership Lessons from a War Zone with Dr. Scott McLeod
There are many analogies used in health care to a military experience. We talk about “frontline staff,” we had “war rooms” during COVID and I’ve heard more than once some physicians say we need to “go to war” over something that is controversial. It is my belief that we should not be equating our health care system to war unless we are also talking about things like camaraderie, building high performing teams, looking after the troops and developing leaders to succeed in challenging situations. During my career in the Canadian Armed Forces, I deployed on a humanitarian mission to Haiti, I deployed with a CF-18 squadron participating in the Kosovo air campaign and I was the commanding officer of the multinational trauma hospital in Kandahar in addition to all the Canadian medical personnel providing “front line” care on the battlefields of Afghanistan.
In this talk I will share with you my experience in a war zone and share with you some of my personal learning that came from that experience and how that has shaped my perspective on leadership in health care.
JANUARY 18, 2024
Women in Surgery and Operating on Women – Inequality in the OR
Join Dr. Vanessa Di Palma for a talk exposing the hurdles faced by women surgeons - fewer referrals, unequal pay, and persistent biases. Discover the paradox of superior outcomes amid pay disparities and the intriguing link between gender composition and reimbursement in surgical specialties. A revealing exploration into the past and present of women in the OR.
May 24, 2022
Stranger than Fiction: Alberta Politics in 2023 with Mr. Graham Thomson
Mr. Graham Thomson is an Edmonton-based political commentator who writes for the Toronto Star, CBC, and Alberta Views Magazine as well as appearing regularly on television and radio programs. Graham does his best to explain the chaos that is Alberta politics and what we can expect on election day.
November 29, 2022
Turning Our Differences into Successes and Conflict To Opportunity
View the recording here.
View the PowerPoint here.
Dr. Amanda Brisebois outlines an approach to conflict, equity, diversity, inclusion, wellness, and leadership to support practitioners in all areas of our healthcare organizations achieve goals and wellness in our workplaces. Techniques to use neutral language and simple strategies to turn uncomfortable situations into moments to honour the individualism on our teams will be shown. How these tips can lead to less conflict, and less need for formal complaints will also be shown. In addition, if the moment passes, and complaints do arise, a 4-step strategy to work through conflict, leading to open and collaborative conversations focusing on goals, and system improvement will be exemplified. These ways of integrating our differences into our workplaces will lead to less burnout, aligned expectations, and overall, more well workplaces that allow us to get back to the medicine that we choose to practice.
October 27, 2022
Why Medical Leadership is More Important Now than Ever
View the recording here.
View PowerPoint here.
Dr. Verna Yiu covers the following objectives:
• Share the journey of a reluctant leader
• Discuss the pros and cons of medical leadership
• Highlight why medical leadership is so important, especially now
• Discuss where we go from here and provide suggestions for the path forward
June 13, 2022
23 Physician Recommendations for the 2023 Provincial Government Election
View our recommendations here.
View the press conference here.
We believe Albertans deserve the best healthcare from their government. The provincial government, elected in 2023, must focus on strengthening the seven key areas during their four year term. This is a critical time to invest in Albertans and our health system. Our friends, neighbours and communities are suffering deeply from the pandemic, exacerbated by cuts to and gaps within the system. Our next government must rebuild what was previously a top healthcare system in this country.
April 7, 2022
Launch of Policy Recommendations on Safer Supply, Decriminalization and Supervised Consumption Sites
See our policy recommendations here.
View the press conference here.
The Opioid Poisoning Committee has been working together in consultation with front line workers, people with lived experience, and community partners for the last eight months and are ready to present their recommendations to the public. This press conference releases our policy recommendations related to supervised consumptions sites, safer supply and decriminalization.
April 4, 2022
Safer Drug Supply
What is Safer Supply? How is it being studied and rolled out in other provinces? How does it help people who use drugs and what happens when that is not available?
Panelists:
Tara Gomes is Director of the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network and holds a Canada Research Chair in Drug Policy Research and Evaluation. Her research program focuses on drug safety and drug policy research, with a specific interest in developing evidence to inform policies that address the ongoing drug poisoning crisis across Canada while integrating perspectives of impacted communities.
Based in lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territory (Victoria, BC), Corey Ranger [he/him] is a registered nurse and clinical nurse educator for the Victoria SAFER Initiative. He is also President of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association and a consultant for the Urgent Public Health Need Sites, Community of Practice.
Natasha Touesnard is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of People who Use Drugs. Natasha was among several local people who use(d) drugs who formed the first drug user group in the Atlantic provinces, the Halifax Area Network of Drug Using People (HANDUP). Natasha lives by the guiding principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us” is a strong proponent of harm reduction and advocates for the respect of and holds a commitment to people who use illegal drugs, who face insurmountable challenges due to drug prohibition-based laws and policies.
march 1, 2022
Drug Decriminalization, Legal Regulation and Policy Reform
Caitlin Shane is a staff lawyer at Pivot Legal Society, a human rights legal organization based in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. As the lead of Pivot’s drug policy campaign, Caitlin advocates for the decriminalization of people who use drugs and the legal regulation of all controlled substances.
Overdose deaths have reached devastating heights in provinces across the country. While Canada has committed to prioritizing public health over criminal justice in its approach to substance use, drug laws continue to play a central role in fueling a crisis of stigma, incarceration and a toxic drug supply. As governments contemplate the need for policy reform, decriminalization and legal regulation (or “safe supply”) are frequently posed as possible solutions. What are these policies capable of—or not?
This event will provide an overview of relevant federal, provincial, and municipal laws as they relate to Canadian drug policy. In particular, participants will learn about the legal and practical distinctions between decriminalization and legal regulation, as well as the roles governments can play to achieve these reforms. In addition, there will be discussion about current efforts in the Province of BC and the cities of Vancouver and Toronto to decriminalize drug possession through the federal exemption process.
December 2, 2021
Annual General Meeting and Speaker Don Iveson
Former Mayor Don Iveson opens the meeting with a thank you to physicians and the EZMSA for advocacy during the pandemic.
“I didn’t have the kinds of decisions to make that your folks have had. Your Association was carrying burdens on behalf of the community and you were filling a leadership gap by trying to provide advice to policy makers, in your spare time, after or before your shift at the hospital. There is no way we can thank you adequately for that.” - Mr. Don Iveson
Also view the last year of the EZMSA.
November 16, 2021
The Alberta Opioid Crisis
Dr. Elaine Hyshka, Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation and an Assistant Professor in the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health
Between 2016 and 2020 more than 21,000 Canadians died of acute opioid toxicity. Alberta is one of the most severely impacted jurisdictions. Opioid poisonings are exhausting EMS resources and emergency departments across the province, and in 2020 more Albertans died of drug poisoning than COVID-19. Yet the public health response to these deaths is not remotely comparable. Stigma and misinformation perpetuate drug poisoning deaths, and make it difficult to advocate effectively for policies and programs that can save lives. This session outlines the roots of the current drug poisoning emergency, dispelling simplistic narratives of how it started and what perpetuates it. It provides an overview of current epidemiology and outlines how the pandemic has impacted people who use drugs. Finally, it critiques what has (and hasn't) been done in Alberta to prevent drug poisoning fatalities and outlines the core components of an evidence-based public health response.
October 15, 2021
Opioid Memorial Weekend
View the press conference here.
The weekend of October 15-17, 2021 the Opioid Poisoning Committee of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association is running a Opioid Memorial Weekend to raise awareness of opioid related deaths. We will be placing a purple ribbon along with a white rose in a prominent place as a memorial in Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, and 76 neighborhoods of Edmonton where a death occurred between January and June 2020. We encourage people to participate and place their own ribbons and flowers to commemorate their neighbors who have died.
October 5, 2021
Mayoral Candidate Townhall
Login with your membership password here.
On October 5th candidates spoke with members and addressed questions on health topics.
September 9, 2021
NEW Opioid Poisoning Committee launch
View the recording of the September 9 Press Conference.
A new Opioid Poisoning Committee has been formed by the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association in response to the accelerated number of overdose deaths in our community. In 2020 alone, 1,154 Albertans died of opioid poisoning. Opioids are as equal of a public health crisis as COVID-19, given that 1,211 Albertans died of COVID-19 in 2020. This is an emergency that cannot continue to be ignored.
September 7, 2021
What is the Role of Arbitration in Labour Relations
A recording of the presentation is here.
Mr. Patrick Nugent, Lawyer with Nugent Law Office
Binding arbitration was singled out as one of the critical deciding factors for some physicians during the March 30, 2021 vote on the Alberta Medical Association’s Tentative Agreement Package (TAP) with government. Many felt that the mediation option mentioned in the TAP did not provide a suitable alternative to binding arbitration. Given the importance of this issue for members, this presentation will focus on answering your questions and building your arbitration knowledge.
This discussion will explore the role of arbitration in labour relations. It will explain the different ways and circumstances in which arbitration is employed and address the difference between rights arbitration, interest arbitration and mediation. As part of this discussion, the relationship between the right to strike and arbitration as a means of resolving bargaining disputes will also be discussed, as will the circumstances in which government legislation requires arbitration as a means of resolving disputes.
May 18, 2021
THE LONG HAUL: STORIES OF PERSEVERANCE AND RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
A recording of this public event is available here.
Every day we hear numbers - numbers of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths - but each number represents more than a statistic. It represents a person whose life may be altered for a very long time by COVID-19 infection.
Please join us for an intimate and heartfelt conversation about life in recovery after COVID-19. Our panel will speak with three survivors about their continued impact of Long COVID on their daily lives, followed by discussion and questions from viewers.
Speakers:
Dr. Mithani is an ER physician who works in both adult and pediatric emergency medicine in Edmonton.
Dr. Ladha is a pediatrician with a Master of Public Health, who is passionate about the health and advocacy of marginalized populations.
Katy Ingraham is the co-owner of Fleisch Delikatessen in Edmonton. Co-founder of The Edmonton Independent Hospitality Community (YEGIHC), she also agitates for change in the hospitality industry as part of the Canadian Restaurant Workers Coalition. She is a passionate Edmontonian, community builder and mother.
Ashley Antonio is a criminal lawyer in Edmonton. She got Covid-19 in March of 2020 and has been suffering with Long COVID ever since. She has also been diagnosed with POTS (an autonomic nervous system disorder), MECFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and arthritis which are quite common now in the Long COVID community.
Jen Elliott is a Senior Planner with Edmonton Public Schools. She will share details of her experience recovering from COVID-19, as a young healthy/active marathoner. She will talk about the long-haul recovery process, even after experiencing super mild symptoms initially, as well as the general feeling of shame associated with testing positive.
Kristoffer Harvey is the Owner/ Operator at The Chvrch of John, Geoscapes Events, and FKH Co & Co-Chair at Edmonton Independent Hospitality Association (EIHC or YEGIHC). Kristoffer will speak on the patient experience of having COVID-19 and the long-term issues he has been facing.
APRIL 13, 2021
An Overview of the Jason Kenney Government
A recording of this presentation is available here.
Mr. Graham Thomson, Edmonton-based political commentator
Is this the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end for Jason Kenney? Premier Kenney has spent more than 20 years as a politician but most of that was in Ottawa as an MP. He is a relative newcomer to Alberta politics, entering the arena in 2016 and becoming premier just last year. And what a year it has been: pandemic, recession, and a price of oil that at one point went negative. At times Kenney has poured fuel on the dumpster fire that was 2020: fighting with physicians, arguing with nurses, and outsourcing 11,000 health care support jobs. His approval rating keeps dropping. What is Premier Kenney's game plan?
Mr. Thomson will help explain what's going on.
April 7, 2021
Press Conference: Physicians fear rapid incline of third wave COVID-19 crisis
A recording of the full press conference is available here.
The presentation is available here.
Our modeling data shows that in a week from now, the number of COVID variant cases per day will be DOUBLE. This is incredibly concerning and without a timely and appropriate public health response, these numbers will continue to climb, causing our hospitals and ICUs to become overwhelmed before the end of April. Both the Calgary and Area Medical Staff Society and the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association are urgently calling for an immediate lockdown or circuit breaker.
The following physicians presented on these topics:
Dr. James Talbot, Co-Chair, Strategic COVID-19 Pandemic Committee of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association and Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of Alberta
Calgary COVID-19 Data Trends
Dr. Malgorzata (Gosia) Gasperowicz, Developmental Biologist, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary
Calgary COVID-19 Spread Projections
Dr. Craig Jenne, Assistant Professor, Department Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Calgary
Infectious Disease Implications
Dr. Daniel Niven, Intensive Care Physician, Peter Lougheed Centre and Assistant Professor, Departments of Critical Care Medicine & Community Health Services, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Calgary Clinical Care Implications
Dr. Shazma Mithani, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta and Emergency Physician, Royal Alexandra and Stollery Children’s Hospitals
Need to Take Action
march 18, 2021
Decision-Making in the Alberta Government
A recording of the presentation is available here.
Dr. Keith Brownsey, Professor of Political Science, Mount Royal University
The presentation will discuss how the Alberta government makes decisions – the process involved in creating policy and programs. The current United Conservative Party (UCP) government will be contrasted with its predecessor New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives. The presentation will also deal with the relationship between Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the provincial cabinet – Alberta Health establishes the policy and AHS implement the policy decisions of the Government of Alberta. All significant policy changes are directed by cabinet order and legislative fiat. It is the UCP government that sets spending, engages in contract negotiations and decides policy. Simply put, the deputy minister at Alberta Health and the AHS President carry out the instructions of their political masters, the Alberta cabinet.
February 22, 2021
Canada Health Act 101
A recording of the presentation is available here.
Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, Professor of Law, University of Calgary
This session will explore the Canada Health Act, its enforcement and its operationalization by provincial governments. It will address the conditions that provinces must meet in order to qualify for federal funding, along with the prohibitions on extra-billing and user charges. Despite these conditions, federal enforcement has historically been quite lax and they have often been reluctant to withhold transfer payments from non-compliant provinces. This session will address particular areas of concern identified by Health Canada, such as extra-billing by private surgical clinics, boutique primary care clinics that comingle uninsured and insured services, and Ontario's move to eliminate insurance for out-of-country emergency care. Perhaps most notably, the federal government has now taken steps to crack down on diagnostic clinics that allow patients to pay out-of-pocket to receive faster care. Finally, this session will address how provincial laws have operationalized the Canada Health Act, with a focus on the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act and recent health policy changes in Alberta.
January 28, 2021
Understanding the Federal and Provincial Governments’ Role in Health Care
Mr. Matt Jeneroux, Federal Shadow Minister of Health from January to September 2020
This is an opportunity for members to gain a better understanding of the difference between the federal and provincial government’s role in our health care system and delivery of care.
A recording of this presentation is available here.
December 8, 2020
Presentation to Edmonton City Council: Second Wave Crisis
A recording of the special meeting is available here.
The full PDF presentation is available here.
Drs. James Talbot, Noel Gibney, Neeja Bakshi and Lynora Saxinger presented to Edmonton City Council and Mayor Iveson in a special meeting to provide a review of the city’s current state, give examples from the hospital frontline and answer questions about the pandemic.
The Committee calls for an immediate circuit breaker of public health restrictions:
- minimize close indoor contacts;
- lockdown venues known to contribute to transmission (casinos, bars, in-restaurant dining, gyms, sports centres, and faith assemblies) until curve bent (R value 0.8 or less and new cases under 300/day);
- enforce strict limited numbers and masking in indoor spaces in stores and shopping malls; and
- work from home.
November 5, 2020
Year Review of Health Policy and Legislative Changes
A recording of this presentation is available here.
Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, Professor of Law, University of Calgary
The past year has seen significant changes in Alberta's health policy landscape, which have occurred against the backdrop of COVID-19, significant fiscal challenges and political tensions. Key among these changes have been the government's unilateral termination of its compensation agreement with the AMA and the passage of Bill 30, which sets the stage for new corporate/physician relationships and significantly expanded private surgical delivery. This presentation will address the changes that have occurred to date, and those that are or may be on the horizon, such as reforms to Alberta Health Services, amendments to the Health Professions Act that would increase the government's control over self-regulation, and a possible role for private finance in hospital and physician services.
October 1, 2020
Cambie Surgeries Corporation v British Columbia
A recording of this presentation is available here.
Dr. Lorian Hardcastle, Professor of Law, University of Calgary
The British Columbia Supreme Court recently handed down its decision in Cambie Surgeries Corporation v British Columbia. This case explored whether waits for elective surgery coupled with laws limiting private finance violated the plaintiffs' constitutional rights. After canvassing evidence from health care systems around the world, the judge upheld limits on privatization, which he found helped to protect the public health care system and ensure access based on need rather than ability to pay. This presentation will examine this case, its implications for the Canadian health care system, and its applicability in Alberta.
August 6 & 12, 2020
Bill 30 Health Statutes Amendment Act
Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu, Professor of Law, University of Alberta
This bill came into force July 29, 2020. It allows for private corporations (other than professional corporations) to provide and bill the government for insured services and significantly expands the volume of surgeries delivered in private surgical clinics. It also changes the independence and expertise of key institutions within the healthcare system. Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu is a law professor at the University of Alberta and recently resigned from the Health Quality Council of Alberta board to bring public attention to Bill 30.
The recording of these presentations are here:
May 4, 2020
Virtual Health
Dr. Jonathan Choy, Provincial Medical Director, Alberta Health Services
An update on virtual care during COVID-19 and beyond.
MAY 4, 2020
Connect MD
Lindsay Steward, Program Manager, Edmonton North Primary Care Network
Connect Care is a telephone line for Primary Care Providers (PCP) to get routine patient advice from specialists. It is similar to Specialist Link in the Calgary Zone. This presentation reviews the program to date and how to register.
May 4, 2020
Connect Care Portals
Dr. Steven Turner, ACMIO Central Zone
“MyAHS Connect” is the name of Connect Care’s patient portal. It extends Connect Care information services to patients, is a newer version of the existing eCLINICIAN MyChart and will replace MyChart and will have a different appearance with more services for patients.
May 4, 2020
Edmonton Zone Virtual Hospitals
Dr. Greg Hrynchyshyn, EZVH Medical Director Lesly Deuchar, EZVH Operational Lead
A vision on enhancing care in the community by developing a new operational model of care that will enable patient and family centered, community delivered, technology enabled integrated care across the continuum.
January 15, 2019
2019 EZMSA Patient Access Survey
The EZMSA completes an annual survey of physicians in the region with office practices. There are three separate surveys, one for family physicians, surgeons (including obstetrics and gynecology) and one for non-surgical specialists (medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry). The survey was sent to all physicians in active practice with whom we had a valid email address/fax number for. This year, the survey was sent to 1634 recipients with 224 responses received from family physicians in the region, 76 from surgical specialists, and 218 from non-surgical specialists. A total of 518 responded, or a 32% response rate, across all specialties surveyed. The survey was carried out from September to November 2019.
January 15, 2018
2018 EZMSA Patient Access Survey
The EZMSA carries out an annual survey of physicians in the region with office practices. There are three separate surveys, one for family physicians, surgeons (including obstetrics and gynecology) and one for non-surgical specialists (medicine, pediatrics and psychiatry). The survey was sent to all physicians in active practice with whom we had a valid email address/fax number for. This year, 296 responses were received from Family Physicians in the region, 85 from surgical specialists, and 180 from non-surgical specialists. A total of 561 responded across all specialties surveyed. The survey was carried out from September to December 2018.