Early Career Webinars
The first few years of practice are a major milestone in your medical career. We’re here to help you navigate this transition in your journey as a physician. Our Early Career webinar is intended for physicians in their first five years of practice, residents who are approaching the end of their residency, and physicians who have recently relocated their practice to Manitoba.
This webinar will cover:
- What Doctors Manitoba offers you
- Benefits, rebates and insurance options for physicians
- Billing tips and common questions
- Physician health and wellness supports
- Introduction to our brand new New to Practice program for early career physicians
- Q&A
Two sessions are planned:
- Sep 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM — Family Practice Focus — Register here.
- Sep 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM — Specialist Practice Focus — Register here.
You can submit questions while registering, or live during the webinars.
Respiratory Season Prep / Return COVID Vaccine Doses
A bulletin was issued this week from Manitoba Public Health asking physicians to return any unused or expired COVID-19 XBB vaccine doses, in preparation for a new vaccine this fall for the KP.2 strain. This aligns more closely with the standard procedure for influenza vaccines. You can see the memo and instructions to return here.
Clinics are also encouraged to register to participate in the upcoming fall/winter seasonal immunization program, including flu, COVID and pneumococcal vaccines. All clinics, including those registered in previous years, must register. Please visit the Public Health flu distribution page to review the program requirements and then complete the registration form here.
WEBINAR REMINDER – AUG 28
Get ready for the upcoming respiratory season with the latest information about the influenza and COVID immunization program. Physicians, clinic managers and staff are welcome to attend.
When: Wednesday, August 28 at 12:00 noon
Where: Zoom
RSVP: Click here to register
Presenters include Dr. Brent Roussin, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer; Dr. Richard Baydack (PhD), Director, Communicable Disease Control; Dr. Davinder Singh and Dr. Natalie Casaclang, Medical Officers of Health, Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care; Inga Hossack, Manager of Policy and Operations, Communicable Disease Control; and a medical remuneration officer from Doctors Manitoba.
The webinar will be recorded and available on demand for those who cannot attend live.
Last chance for Golf!
There are still a few spaces left in our Getting Healthy Golf Tournament on Tuesday, September 3! Spend the day warming up at the practice facilities, enjoying lunch and dinner, and playing a best-ball round with your team across 18 holes!
Prizes will be part of every moment of the day. From a GPS golf watch courtesy of Canada Life to a Jets Ticket giveaway provided by Bokhaut, and cocktail samples at various holes, there will be exciting prizes from entrance all the way through the course!
Find out more and register at doctorsmanitoba.ca/golf24. Deadline to register is Tuesday, August 27.
The tournament is presented by MD Financial and Scotiabank with support from Bokhaut CPA.
Welcome to the Largest Medical Class Ever!
The largest medical class in UM history – the Class of 2028 – put on their first white coats as part of Inaugural Day Exercises for the Max Rady College of Medicine on Wednesday.
Dr. Randy Guzman, our President, warmly welcomed the students:
Manitoba has a record shortage of physicians, which is why Doctors Manitoba is very excited to welcome the largest class in history to medical school this week. Manitobans are counting on you, because today they are living with the realities of our record physician shortage, including unacceptably long wait times, frequent ER closures, and difficulty finding a family physician. As you begin your journey, remember that Doctors Manitoba – and each and every physician in Manitoba – are here to support you, every step of the way.
The class includes 14 Indigenous students and 48 students with rural attributes, meaning they have rural roots or rural work, volunteer or leadership experience. Two French-speaking students are enrolled in the bilingual stream.
You can see some of the media coverage as linked by UM Today here.
Free Birth Control Coming Oct 1
The provincial government announced today that starting October 1, Manitoba will have universal coverage for birth control, meaning everyone can access birth control free of charge.
According to the announcement:
- The free coverage will include 60 commonly used birth control methods, including the pill, IUDs, hormone injections, and others.
- People will continue to get a prescription from their doctor or nurse practitioner, and fill it at a pharmacy.
- If they have no other coverage, they will present their prescription and Manitoba Health Card to receive the product for free.
Doctors Manitoba will share additional details, including how coverage will work for products like an IUD, as they become available.
Winnipeg family physician Dr. Jacqueline Gougeon described how universal coverage will improve reproductive health. She said it “empowers women to make decisions around their education and careers that are based solely on their own hopes and dreams and not around unintended pregnancies. This decision represents renewed choice and opportunity for so many of my patients, and removes a tremendous barrier to adequate health care and gender equity.”
Access to free birth control is one of the many things Dr. Helen Pymar has advocated for as an obstetrician gynecologist, and one of the reasons she received a Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence earlier this year. See her story here.
McCreary Tragedy
Three members of a western Manitoba family were murdered last week, in what police have described as an incident stemming from intimate partner violence. Physicians mourn with our fellow Manitobans at this loss of life and offer our support and sympathy to the families and community impacted.
An incident like this, in a small community, has a broad and widespread impact and physicians play a unique role in the community’s healing and recovery. As a reminder, we offer this link to Shared Health’s mental health and wellness resource finder.
Help for Doctors
A tragic event like this can affect physicians who work in a rural community, where they are part of the heart of the community. Doctors Manitoba has special resources available to help you or your colleagues through Doc360. Please reach out for help and support at any time. It may be useful to review the signs and responses to traumatic events. We have pulled two short resource sheets from our Doc360 Physician and Family Support Program:
The Doc360 Physicians at Risk Program is available to support medical students, residents, practicing physicians, their spouses and adult children with a variety of issues, including trauma, anxiety, loss and bereavement.
Health System Updates
Transitional care beds added
The Manitoba government is adding 68 transitional care beds to facilities across the province.
The province is investing $1.7 million in capital and $3.7 million annually to maintain operations for and open:
- 15 transitional care beds in Selkirk to support seniors and patients receiving additional care;
- 8 transitional care beds to Misericordia Health Centre to support seniors and patients receiving additional care;
- 25 transitional care beds to Holy Family Personal Care Home to support seniors waiting to be admitted into a personal care home of their choice; and
- 20 transitional care beds to St. Boniface Street Links’ 24 – 7 safe space program for patients discharged from hospital without housing in place.
You can read the full news release here.
St. Boniface Hospital COVID-19 time capsule sealed
A time capsule has been sealed at Saint Boniface Hospital, to honour health care workers, for their dedication and challenges-faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can see CityNews TV coverage of the story here.
Listening tour continues
On Monday, Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara visited Thompson General Hospital as part of the ongoing health-care listening tour.
Stops on the tour have included Grace Hospital, St. Boniface Hospital, Selkirk Mental Health Centre, Victoria Hospital, Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg and Brandon Regional Health Centre. A visit to Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach is anticipated in the coming months.
Provincial health-care staff are invited to share their experiences and suggestions on how to improve Manitoba’s health-care system through EngageMB.
You can read the full news release here.
ICYMI
Here’s the latest and most popular stories, in case you missed them:
Province Introduces Biosimilars Initiative: We received feedback from several physicians about the province’s new Biosimilars Initiative, including raising concerns about transitioning patients from designated biologics to biosimilars by the January 31, 2025, deadline. Please continue to send us your feedback as we raise these concerns with the government.
Scope of Practice Expansions: Several physicians have expressed an interest in joining our working group to look at the opportunities and concerns related to scope of practice expansions for other professions. Please read more and contact us if you are interested.
Other recent updates of note:
• The Right to Safety in Health Care
• Have you claimed our new $1,000 CPD Credit Rebate?
Upcoming Events
You can always review upcoming events on our events calendar page.
MAiD assessment education
Attention to MDs who want to learn more about the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) Service in Manitoba.
There will be a free CPD accredited virtual education session called “How to do a MAiD assessment” available to all interested Manitoba physicians October 19, 2024. This session will be led by Dr. Kim Wiebe (MAiD Medical Director) and Dr. Maegan Springman (MAiD Assessor/Provider) who have both been certified by the Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors and Providers (CAMAP) to teach this session. The session will cover what is involved in a MAiD assessment, the difference between the two MAiD tracks (those who have a reasonably foreseeable death and those who do not) and provide tools for self-care.
Note: this is not a session intended to recruit MAiD providers. The session is intended to provide more information about the Manitoba MAiD program so that you can help your patients through the process, answer their basic questions and know when to refer your patients.
Click here for more information and to sign up for the session.
CADDRA 2024 Early Bird Registration
Registration is open for CADDRA 2024 at the Fairmont Hotel in Winnipeg this September. The educational event is for professionals in ADHD research and healthcare. Pre-conference options on Friday, September 27th, include ADHD Research Day and ADHD Primer for Healthcare Professionals. The main conference is on Saturday and Sunday, September 28 – 29. Check the schedule and register by August 23rd for early bird rates!
Canadian Surgery Forum
For the first time ever, the largest surgical meeting in Canada will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba from September 25 – 28. To help celebrate, the Canadian Surgery Forum will do a draw of all Manitoba surgeons who register and attend to receive a refund of their conference registration post event.*
Held at the RBC Convention Center at 375 York Ave., the Canadian Surgery Forum includes scientific and educational sessions offered through interactive symposia, panel discussions, postgraduate courses, debates, plenary sessions, video sessions, and ‘Meet the Fellowship Director.’
The theme of CSF 2024 is “Surgery Through Inclusive Innovation.” Delegates can expect over 50 accredited sessions across all participating sub-specialties, with full and half-day post graduate courses, content geared towards community and rural surgeons, and free child care!
Visit canadiansurgeryforum.com for speaker bios, the conference program, travel and accommodation information, and to register!
Members of CAGS and CSF partner sub-specialty societies qualify for special discounted member rates!For all conference information, including registration information and pricing, and the scientific program, please visit the CSF 2024 website.
*Draw excludes the cost of post-graduate courses.