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In today’s message you will find:

Priorities for Next Budget

Based on your feedback, we submitted recommendations for the next Manitoba budget, the first for the new government. 

The priorities are no surprise, with a focus on retaining and recruiting more physicians and improving access for patients. 

We are hoping to see significant investments into recruiting more physicians, recognizing Manitoba has one of the biggest shortages in Canada. While we are encouraged the government has committed to adding over 400 more doctors, we are eager to see how this will be achieved. We have suggested continued expansions in training here in Manitoba with additional resources for mentors and teachers, expanding recruitment incentives, a streamlined path for international medical graduates, and considering an out of country recruitment mission. 

Of course, actions are needed to better support the physicians already practicing in Manitoba, to improve retention. This includes actions to reduce burnout, and to make more meaningful improvements to administrative burdens. 

Finally, physicians are concerned about their patients’ access to care. Whether it’s long ER wait times, the surgical and diagnostic backlog, or delays in accessing a family physician or community specialist, access is a significant issue. 

Immediate actions could include expanding physician-led team-based care and expanding hospital capacity for both medicine and surgery, while focusing on improved care for the elderly and making HIV PrEP and treatment medications available to all at no charge. 

You can read the full budget submission here. 

We will be monitoring closely when the provincial budget is introduced on Tuesday, April 2. 

What a Match Day!

Match Day on Tuesday resulted in 154 residency spaces in Manitoba being filled in the first round.

“Match day is always an emotional day and we’re happy to see so many graduates match in the first round, and a record number of Manitoba’s residency spaces filled in the first round. These are positive signs for students, and for Manitobans as we all work together to train and recruit more physicians to our province,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, Dean and vice-provost (health sciences) of the Max Rady College of Medicine.

Twenty spaces remain open for the second iteration, including 10 in family medicine and nine in other specialties, including two in neurology, two in obstetrics and gynecology, and one each in psychiatry, public health, internal medicine, pathology, and cardiac surgery. The full results are available here.

Doctors Manitoba was happy to be present for Match Day with our Doc360 team on site. 

Sick Notes and Other Employer Requests

Come to a special workshop next month to help reduce or eliminate sick notes and streamline other routine requests for medical information from employers, insurance companies and other third party organizations. 

One of the top administrative burdens physicians identified include sick notes and other requests from employers and educational institutions, such as return-to-work and accommodation notes.

We are inviting physicians to take part in a Think Tank on Thursday, April 11 to look for ways to reduce these requests and/​or make them more efficient. We need a strong physician voice at this session to ensure the employer, insurance and union organizations present understand why a change is needed. 

Learn more and request attendance here by March 28.

Reminder: Submit your Claims Within Six Months

Physicians are reminded to ensure their claims are submitted to Manitoba Health within six months. Extensions to this rule are very limited and reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please see this article from our Practice Advice Team about claims submission, when an extension might be considered by Manitoba Health, and how to request an extension or submit a late claim. 

Celebrating Dr. Stephen Kowalski

Dr. Stephen Kowalski is the 2024 Doctors Manitoba Awards Distinguished Service winner. His dedicated attention to the care of patients in anesthesia and critical care, clinical research, education and administration have contributed to the lives of those here in Manitoba and beyond. Please join us in honouring Dr. Kowalski and our other award winners May 11 at our gala event!

Only two weeks remain for early bird pricing!
Get your tickets to connect with friends and colleagues for the biggest night of the year celebrating doctors in Manitoba.

Thriving in Medicine (new DRMB series)

I am Human

Welcome to a new series from Doctors Manitoba about thriving in medicine. Whether it’s about improving the culture in medicine, breaking down the systemic barriers that cause burnout, or helping physicians individually, this series will offer expert perspectives and evidence-based information.

Our medical community, from first-year medical learners through to retirees, includes people from all walks of life and backgrounds, bringing with them the wisdom of their lived experience to create a rich tapestry, woven together. It is a thing of both beauty and strength.

In my role at Doctors Manitoba, I hear a number of stories where a physician or medical learner has been embraced and supported by their colleagues, mentors, and leadership in times of crisis, loss, or illness. We can and do come together when there is need.

Oftentimes though that need is not visible, and people can carry a significant burden with them, unseen by even those closest to them.

This video from Stanford Wellness portrays this truth well… 

I am Human. As are you.

And that is a truth to be celebrated. After all, it is our humanity that we bring to each clinical encounter, to our exchanges with families and colleagues. It is what brought us to this career in the first place. And it is what lies beyond that same career, beyond the clinic and hospital walls.

As physicians and lifelong learners, we bear the weight of others’ and our own expectations to be the best, work hard, make sacrifices and dedicate ourselves fully to our patients and careers, while also somehow finding room for our own health, relationships and commitments with family and friends… our very humanity. Read the full story.

CPSM Employment opportunity

The CPSM Physician Health Program is recruiting a (0.6EFT) medical consultant to lead the operations of the Physician Health Program (PHP), Quality Department as well as support the lead medical consultants in Standards and the Quality Assurance Programs of CPSM. The ideal candidate must be committed to reducing the stigma for health-reporting behaviours and ensuring participants feel safe seeking help and reporting their health issues to CPSM. More information can be found here.

Women Physician Well-being Workshop

Take part in an empowering workshop dedicated to enhancing the mental and physical well-being of women physicians. Sessions include physical self-defense and mental resilience training. The workshop takes place Sunday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Gimli. The cost is $225 per person. To register or for further questions please reach out to drastridguenther@​gmail.​com.

View the flyer here.

Dr. Wawryko: A Celebration of Life 

Last December, Pathologist Dr. Paul Wawryko passed away at the age of 41, an immeasurable loss to his family, colleagues and community. He began his career at St. Boniface Hospital in 2011. A dedicated Manitoban, Dr. Wawryko completed his undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate training in the province. He returned to Manitoba last fall after completing a fellowship in pulmonary pathology at Mayo Clinic, ready to use his new expertise to support critical diagnoses for Manitoba patients. 

A celebration of life will take place on April 27 to honour him and remember the incredible impact he had on the lives of all who knew him and lives and the community.

Click through for more information and to RSVP for the Celebration of the life of Dr. Paul Wawryko here.

As a reminder in times of loss and grief, if you, a colleague, or a family member needs support, please review our Doc360 resources or contact Physicians At Risk directly by calling 204−237−8320

ICYMI

Upcoming Events

You can always review upcoming events on our events calendar page.

CMA AGM May 29

This year’s Annual General Meeting for the CMA is special for Manitobans, as CMA President-Elect Dr. Joss Reimer will officially become president. Register to hear from her and other CMA leaders. The CMA AGM will be held virtually on Wednesday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 pm. Learn more and register.

Meeting information, including the agenda, is available at cma​.ca/​a​g​m2024. The annual report and additional resources will be added in advance of the meeting.

Questions? Contact memberservicecentre@​cma.​ca.

IPAC Mentorship Gathering 

Registration is open for the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada’s Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM July 12 – 14 in Halifax. The gathering is an opportunity for Indigenous medical students, residents, and physicians, both members and potential members, to come together to share stories of their academic journeys, grow their networks, and enjoy cultural activities. The theme of IPAC’s 2024 Annual Mentorship Gathering and AGM is: Our Stories. Our Medicine.

Early bird pricing ends March 29.

Community Engagement of Sexual and Gender Minorities 

Dr. Murdoch Leeies will lead a discussion April 24 from noon to 1 p.m. focused on patient and community engagement of sexual and gender minorities for research leading to health policy change. The engagement process used in a successful research program will be reviewed. Explore the challenges and lessons learned, and discover different strategies for engagement that you can apply in your own work. CHI’s Lunchtime Learning is open to all researchers, decision-makers, clinicians, patients and members of the public who want to learn more about the theory and practice of meaningful, inclusive, and safe patient and public engagement. Register now.

Physicians ​‘Into the Cold’

A group of Manitoba physicians will be walking, jogging, running, and doing other outdoor activities throughout March in support of Main Street Project. While each physician has their own personal reasons for participating, they share a common recognition of the essential contributions that MSP makes to the lives of Winnipeg’s most marginalized community members. MSP works to provide safe housing, nutritious food, community, and mental health supports. Help this team of physicians support Main Street Project! Learn more and donate.

2024 Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership 

Lead the change our healthcare system desperately needs! Attend the CCPL2024 in Montréal May 4 – 25, where you’ll gain invaluable insights and skills to drive transformation.

View the conference program here. Register now.

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