Contact Us Member Area

Search

In today’s message you will find:

Help Following Tragic Crash Near Carberry

By now, most of you have heard about the devastating mass casualty crash yesterday near Carberry Manitoba. A semi-trailer truck and a bus carrying 25 people, mostly seniors from the Dauphin area, collided at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5, just north of Carberry. A Code Orange was called to prepare hospitals for supporting a response to the incident, along with a massive response from first responders. Based on reports yesterday from the RCMP, 15 people are dead, and 10 have been taken to hospitals with injuries. Today,we heard that six are in critical care and four are being care for in a surgical unit. Patients, who range in age from early 60s to late 80s, are being treated for a variety of serious injuries.

“Doctors join all Manitobans in offering our support and sympathy to all those impacted by the tragic incident near Carberry yesterday, along with our support and appreciation to the first responders, physicians and other health care workers who assisted with the response,” said Dr. Boroditsky, President of Doctors Manitoba. ​“Physicians are here for all those impacted, whether it is treating the injured immediately following crash, or supporting the families and communities connected to this tragedy in the days and weeks to come.”

Shared Health has posted information for families impacted by the incident, with family rooms set up at HSC in Winnipeg (1−877−499−8774) and Brandon Hospital (204−578−4080). A family centre was also set up in Dauphin at the Lutheran Church at 2 Kirby Avenue East (204−647−5058). They have also posted their mental health and wellness resource finder.

Help for Doctors

A tragic event like this can affect physicians too, whether or not you are involved directly in the response. 

“In small towns and rural communities, physicians are part of the heart of the community and they are called on for support and leadership in moments of crisis and tragedy,” said Dr. Shelley Anderson, Medical Lead for Physician Health and Wellness with Doctors Manitoba. ​“This is part of the privilege of practicing medicine, but it’s also a heavy responsibility. 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 partner HumanaCare:

The Doc360 Physician and Family Support Program is available 24/7 for personal and work-life issues for physicians, learners and your households. You can contact them confidentially at 1 – 844-433-DRMB (1−844−433−3762) or online (company ID: DRMBhealth). 

Doctors Manitoba has reached out to physicians in the Dauphin area and in communities near the crash to offer our support. The CMA has also reached out to Doctors Manitoba to offer their support to our members as well. 

Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day

Next Wednesday, June 21, is National Indigenous Peoples Day, part of National Indigenous History Month. Join us is celebrating and honouring the diverse history, cultures, resilience, contributions, and accomplishments of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, physicians included! 

We have created a celebration resource page where you an learn more and take part. You will find a wealth of information about Indigenous history, culture and traditions. We also profile some of the many Indigenous physicians working in Manitoba:

Non-Indigenous physicians are also doing incredible work with Indigenous communities, like our 2021 Medal of Excellence recipient, Dr. Sabina Ijaz, who works in the Pine Falls and Sagkeeng area providing culturally safe and holistic health care.

We are also displaying the Doctors Manitoba Indigenous logo, demonstrating our connection and commitment to health and healthcare rights of Indigenous Peoples. We use this logo on days of awareness and celebration, as well as those times in which we collectively grieve for the past and current harms against Indigenous Peoples. You can learn more about the logo and its symbolism here.

Upcoming Events:

CMA Taking Steps Towards Apology

Building on past work in Indigenous health, this year the CMA announced an Indigenous health goal to set aside space in their long-term strategy and health system advocacy. This week the CMA announced the beginning of an apology process for harms to Indigenous Peoples in health care, part of its commitment to walking the path of reconciliation.

We will share resources for physicians next week and keep an eye on our socials for ways we are celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day! Visit the National Indigenous History Month page.

Top 40 Under 40 

You’ve only got two weeks to nominate an excellent student, resident, or early career physician for our Top 40 Under 40 awards! This award is not just about achievements and excellence in medicine, it’s also about the potential and dedication young physicians and learners demonstrate. And, it’s a special award for this year only.

Check out the inclusive eligibility and simple nomination form for the Doctors Manitoba Top 40 Under 40! Nominations are due by June 30.

This fall we will host an event to celebrate the Top 40 Under 40 physicians and medical learners in our province. Do you know an incredible physician or medical learner under the age of 40 who is making waves? We want to hear about them. Nominate them today.

Help us Recruit a New Mentorship Coordinator

Our Mentorship Coordinator Maclean Boyd is moving to attend law school in Ottawa. If you know someone who might be a good fit for the role, which you can read about here, please share the posting with them! 

Applicants can send their cover letter and CV to us at careers@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca by June 21, 2023.

Doctors Manitoba offers competitive compensation, a range of benefits (including RRSP, insurance, and extended health), a commitment to employee wellness, and an opportunity to meaningfully contribute to our mission to strengthen and support the physicians who care for us and our families. If you know someone who might be right for the position, please share this job posting with them. 

Please join us in thanking Maclean for all his hard work and for the marked improvements he has made to the program. He has been integral in the redevelopment of the mentorship program by supporting mentors and mentees, and working closely with MMSA, PARIM, UGME, PGME, and the CMA over the last 2 years.

Help Us With Getting Healthy Campaign!

This month, we are running our public awareness campaign Getting Healthy, and we’re looking for physicians and learners to help spread the word. Manitobans are invited to visit Get​tingHealthy​.ca, a new resource site with tips and advice from physicians on the simple steps Manitobans can take towards Getting Healthy. Plus, we’ve created a fun, positive contest with a chance to win fantastic prizes for any Manitoban who signs up to do one thing this month to get healthy, including physicians! 

The campaign is already making an impact. So far, the campaign has been seen over 3.5 million times, leading to over 16,000 visits to our site and 4,300 contest entries. Let’s keep it going together!

How can you help? Spread the word during the month of June by:

  • Sharing the campaign on social media
  • Adding the campaign to your practice or clinic website
  • Take a photo of yourself doing something to get healthy and share it on social media or send it to us to share on social media. Any posts should encourage Manitobans to join you in getting healthy this month and invite them to enter our free contest at GettingHealthy​.ca.
  • Posting signs in your clinic or practice about the campaign.
  • Talking about the campaign with your patients.

You can see sample posts and download images to use on this page. Posters have been sent out to dozens of clinics in the province, and should arrive in the next few days. You can request posters by contacting our office at general@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.

You can learn more about the campaign and how to spread the word here. Watch the campaign commercial here.

CPSM Fee Rebate

Earlier this week, a message was sent to all eligible physicians announcing that applications have now opened for our new CPSM Fee Rebate! 

Dr. Michael Boroditsky, President of Doctors Manitoba, explained that ​“this new rebate was negotiated under the provincial government’s two-year Health Human Resource Action Plan, following Doctors Manitoba advocacy. The intention is to recognize physicians’ contributions during the pandemic including some of the added costs to physician practices during this period, as well as to offer an additional incentive to continue practicing in Manitoba during a record physician shortage. This is expected to provide individual physicians with over $4,000 over the two-year period, a total of $13 million in new funding for our profession.”

Under this initiative, the province has agreed to reimburse physicians for the full cost of your annual fee to renew your CPSM license, or certificate of practice, for a fully-licensed physician. The two-year period covers your CPSM fee for 2022/23 and 2023/24. The cost for 2022/23 is $2,050 for a full year, and you now can claim 100% of this back as a rebate through Doctors Manitoba. If you paid a pro-rated fee for a partial year, you can claim 100% of this as well.

If you did not receive a message earlier this week with instructions to apply, please contact us at benefits@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca. All fully licensed physicians are eligible, provided their CPSM fees are not already reimbursed under other arrangements. 

Physician of the Week

Born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End in a family of 7, family physician Dr. Helen Harmer is a multipotentialite, with many pursuits and interests, both professionally and personally. When asked about her proudest professional accomplishment, Dr. Harmer replied,​“Every. Single. Baby. I have ever delivered. There is nothing as incredible as holding a brand-new life; presenting them to the proud parent you’ve been coaching through the night and through the pregnancy to get to this very moment!” Dr. Harmer says ​“Medicine has allowed me to walk alongside and guide patients during life-altering experiences. It is both powerful and incredibly humbling to experience humanity through the eyes of a physician.” A mother to four young boys, she is also an amateur vegan chef, a long-distance runner, loves to sail, and is a certified private pilot who competes in Aerobatics. That photo is not upside down, she is! Read more about Dr. Harmer here.

Health System Updates

Here are some updates on what’s new in the health system this week.

The MAHCP Strike Averted

The MAHCP, the union representing many Manitoba allied health professionals, has postponed its strike deadline from June 15. No new strike deadline has been set, as negotiations with Manitoba Health resume. Earlier this week, the MAHCP reported ​“significant monetary advances, including an agreement in principle on major monetary items”. The MAHCP has advised its members that ​“there are still a significant number of outstanding issues, both monetary and non-monetary, on the table” and more progress is sought on ​“retention, recruitment and work-life balance”. We will continue to monitor developments for you. 

Infant Formula Update

Public Health has advised that imported formula products have started to become available in Canada as a result of Health Canada’s interim policy, with large shipments arriving during the summer. It is anticipated that these imported formula products will meet the demand for regular infant formula. These include U.S. formulations of products currently available in Canada (Enfamil Neuropro, Similac Total Comfort) as well as new players on the Canadian market (Modilac Precision, Modilac Rice, Kendamil Classic, Kendamil Goat and Kendamil Organic). These are well established brands in Europe and the United States, which are jurisdictions that have high manufacturing and regulatory standards that are similar to Canada. These products will therefore provide nutritious and safe alternatives for families looking for a stable supply. Here is a printable list of safe and nutritious alternative formula brands. Read the news release and get resources.

Childhood Immunization Catchup

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the delivery of many routine childhood immunizations. Households of children born in 2019, 2020 or 2021 who are overdue for one or more vaccines will be receiving a reminder letter which shows which vaccines they are overdue for, as recommended by the Manitoba routine immunization schedule. Clients are advised to schedule an appointment by contacting their health care provider or by contacting their local public health office if living outside of Winnipeg. Read more on recommended immunizations and what to do if you are seeing a patient under the age of 7.

Joint Nursing Council

We know many physicians will join us in supporting the creation of a Joint Nursing Council with representatives from Manitoba’s health-system employers and the Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) will work together to identify and implement initiatives that will improve working condition for Manitoba nurses. The council will include six members with a range of nursing and health leadership experience including three appointed by the Manitoba government and three appointed by MNU. The council will work jointly to identify priority initiatives and propose solutions to current challenges. Read more of the details.

Health in the News

We’ve kept on top of this week’s top health news stories, curating the biggest stories for you with exclusive access to subscriber-only content. 

DRMB in the News

Other Health News

ICYMI

Here are some recent updates, in case you missed it.

  • Admin Burden: Have your say to help prioritize which physician admin burdens to tackle this year. 
  • Cancer Screening Changes: Changes are coming this month for colorectal cancer screening. See this update from CancerCare Manitoba for more information, with a webinar planned for this Tuesday, June 20. 
  • Virtual Visit Change: Recently, we let you know about the changes to the comprehensive virtual visit tariffs (8442 or 8447), with changes now taking effect July 4. You can get all the details here.
  • CME Rebate Applications Open: Members should have received a message with a link to apply for their 2022 Continuing Medical Education Rebate. If you should be eligible and have not received this message, please contact our benefits team at benefits@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.
  • Family Medicine Renewal: The Free Press published an opinion piece from our new President, Dr. Michael Boroditsky, about the challenges in family medicine and the solutions we are advocating for. Read it here!

Upcoming Events

Events can always be found our on website in the events calendar. If you have an event you’d like to share with members and have included in our calendar, forward all the information to general@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.

Events of Note

Drag Brunch Connection event for 2SLGBTQIA+ Physicians, Residents and Medical Students — Saturday June 17 10:30am or 1:00pm

Doctors Manitoba in partnership with members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Student community would like to invite you to a connection event. Please join us on June 17th at either 10:30am or 1:00pm for one of two seatings for a Drag Brunch at Modern Electric Lunch! Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and network with other 2SLGBTQIA+ members of Doctors Manitoba. Seats are limited. Click here for more information and to register!

Bug Day — Mark your calendars for 2023 27th Annual Bug Day! — October 17 7:55am-4pm — Held Virtually.

Interested in the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and health issues in the community or healthcare setting? Bug Day is for you! Nationally and internationally recognized experts will present timely topics in infectious diseases and public health at Manitoba’s largest healthcare education event. Held every year during National Infection Prevention & Control Week, Bug Day is streamed online – it’s FREE, accredited, and you’re invited!

The programme is accredited for physicians and can be used for continuing education purposes by other health care workers. There is no charge, but you must register to attend the live sessions. You can make a donation directly to the HSC Foundation Bug Day fund. Click here to visit the donation page. This donation page will automatically generate a confirmation email and a tax receipt. Register here.

Other Events

Need help?