Dr. Ainslie Mihalchuk sees a transformational era ahead for doctors and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) in her role as Registrar and CEO. 

“We’re taking a leap forward,” said Dr. Mihalchuk, adding that her experience navigating change in the health care system has prepared her for what’s ahead. She advanced quickly in health care administration, from graduation to family physician and Chief Medical Officer roles within 10 years. She was the CMO at Concordia Hospital from 2013 to 2019 and associate and interim CMO with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority in 2019, the first woman to serve in a CMO role for the WRHA. 

They were years marked by system transformation. She recalled walking into the Seven Oaks auditorium, where 30 physicians were waiting, heated over proposed changes in emergency care. Her willingness to listen to their concerns resulted in progress with system leadership to engage more meaningfully with physicians about their concerns around patient safety. 

The example is emblematic of the type of culture shift she has the opportunity to embrace as a leader, compared to the way it was when she found herself early on as a woman physician. She paved her own way to make an impact despite the culture within the profession and health care system at the time.

Dr. Mihalchuk is now in a position to lead cultural change within the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, focused on open dialogue and understanding, with her vision focused on fulfilling the College’s mandate to protect the public while also supporting those who work hard every day to deliver high standards within the medical profession. 

Doctors Manitoba’s Medical Lead for Physician Health and Wellness, Dr. Shelley Anderson, said she appreciates the efforts Dr. Mihalchuk has made in this area. ​“She has fostered a respectful, empathetic and collaborative approach, and has been responsive when concerns arose,” said Dr. Anderson. ​“She has contributed to shifting the culture of medicine to one of less shame, stigma, and fear of professional retribution when physicians and learners have experienced health concerns.”

For physicians, understanding the comprehensive role of the College is vital, said Dr. Mihalchuk, who joined CPSM in 2020 as part of the senior executive team working in and establishing the quality department. The privilege of self-regulation arrives with responsibility and accountability. ​“We are given the autonomy to regulate ourselves, and therefore have the responsibility to do so ethically and effectively. Self-regulation is a mechanism for how we make medical care better and treat all patients with dignity and respect. It is crucial to maintain public trust.”

Across Canada, it’s not uncommon for regulators and their members to have difficult relationships leaving physicians feeling unsupported and that their college is ​“out to get them.” While the CPSM’s primary mandate is to protect the public, Dr. Mihalchuk has pointed out that mandate does not have to come at the expense of supporting its members to succeed and thrive as physicians.

Accountability doesn’t have to be a scary thing,” she said. ​“We’re not out to get doctors, the organization is doctors,” she said. Continuous quality improvement and holding each other accountable will continue to build trust and credibility between the College, registrants and the medical profession, and ultimately patients.

“We can regulate medicine proactively, to be better, do better — it’s helping physicians be better. Patients want the best care, doctors want to provide it,” she said. 

Being able to deliver the best care includes finding ways for doctors to get the health care they need, and reducing stigma around it. ​“Come forward if you’re not ok. Seek care if you need care.” 

Even in her new role as Registrar and CEO, Dr. Mihalchuk is committed to continuing her work as a family physician, providing care in clinics, hospitals and nursing homes. This commitment to her clinical work provides an important perspective for her role at the College. ​“I’m working in the same system, facing the same administrative burdens including grinding through two hours of paperwork at the end of a day’s work in a clinic,” she said. 

That clinical perspective about administrative burden has fueled her interest to review and simplify the College’s administrative processes physicians must navigate and to collaborate along the way.

As with the leaders that preceded her, Dr. Mihalchuk is guided by an important aspiration: ​“I want to leave things better than I found them and allow for every physician to grow to their full potential for the best interest of their patients.”