On Wednesday, members gathered in Portage la Prairie and virtually for our Annual General Meeting. The agenda included a variety of topics important to members. 

Why it matters: Your AGM is where key decisions are made about leadership, advocacy, and how we support your practice. This year underscored just how active — and complex — the environment is for physicians. 

New President-Elect: Dr. Erin Olivier was confirmed as the next President-Elect for 2026 – 27. She will take the reins as President in one year. 

• Dr. Olivier is a family physician in Winnipeg with over a decade in practice and deep governance experience. She brings a balanced perspective with both community clinic and hospital experience. 

CEO update: Theresa Oswald provided her CEO update, focusing on a year defined by regulatory changes, and active advocacy on your behalf. We are closely monitoring multiple changes at the federal, provincial, and professional levels and advocating on behalf of the profession: 

• Sick note legislation: Supported reducing admin burden; pushed for faster implementation. 

• Expanded pharmacist scope to prescribe therapeutic substitutions: Seeking clarity to ensure physicians have a line of sight into substitutions without extra paperwork. 

• “Patient rights” legislation: Support core principles such as dignity and respect, while seeking clarity on right to ​“timely care” which is so often outside physician control. 

• Psychiatric assessments: No concerns identified about allowing PAs, CAs, and NPs to request involuntary psychiatric assessments. 

• Advocating for physicians through professional changes such as new CPSM standards on collaborative care, and Shared Health’s online attestation requirements for hospital privileges. 

Governance updates: Members approved by-law changes including housekeeping amendments and modernized operations. This includes simplified language for clarity and consistency, reflecting new electronic voting through policy updates, and clarifying committee roles and reporting responsibilities. 

Outgoing President Dr. Nichelle Desilets reflected on unity as a defining theme for her year as President, and how physicians have shown up for each other as a profession. She expressed pride in the collegial support she observed during her visits to hospitals and clinics across Manitoba. 

• Dr. Desilets also concluded that our advocacy on behalf of the profession is making a difference, citing improvements in recruitment and administrative burden, as well as being invited to help shape health system policy by provincial decision-makers. 

• She also emphasized the importance of physicians supporting each other at every step, because ​“we are stronger together” in advocating for the resources physicians need to provide exceptional care to Manitobans. 

Dr. Alon Altman, a gynecologic oncologist, will take over as President on May 1 at our Annual Gala.