Last night at the 113^th Annual General Meeting of Doctors Manitoba, a virtual event, Dr. Kristjan Thompson was installed as President for the 2021 – 2022 year. Dr. Thompson is an emergency physician at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg. During his inaugural speech, Dr. Thompson pledged to advocate for the support and tools physicians need so they can offer exceptional care to their patients.

​“I’m honoured to become President of Doctors Manitoba,” said Dr. Thompson. ​“I am dedicated to Doctors Manitoba’s mission to strengthen and support the whole physician, and for our Association to continue its unwavering advocacy for physicians and their patients.” Dr. Thompson also emphasized the importance of a human approach in the practice of medicine, especially as doctors support patients through the third pandemic wave and the COVID-19 immunization campaign. ​“It was the humanity of medicine that brought me to this career, and it’s the human connection physicians make with patients that will help Manitoba get through this pandemic.” 

Dr. Cory Baillie has completed his year as President, and now becomes Past President and Chair of the Board of Directors. ​“This pandemic has been challenging and disruptive, and I’d like to thank physicians for all of their hard work this past year to keep Manitobans healthy,” Dr. Baillie said. ​“I know that the stress of worrying about the health of your patients, your families, and yourselves has been incredible. Today, I’m thinking about our critical care colleagues and other physicians working in hospitals responding to a surge in admissions. I’m thinking about surgeons and radiologists who are preparing for their procedures to be disrupted. And I’m thinking about community-based physicians, like me, who will have to pivot again to more virtual visits as much as we can.”

The President-Elect was also confirmed by members at the AGM. Dr. Candace Bradshaw, a family physician from Winnipeg, is now President-Elect and will become President in May 2022. The Board and membership thanked Dr. Fourie Smith, who completed his term as Past President, for his leadership on the Board and contributions to the medical community. Dr. Smith was President when the last Master Agreement was negotiated, and fought for a successful resolution to proposed legislation (Bill 10) that would have stripped physicians of their right to appeal unfair government audits.