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MAHCP Job Action Looms

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) has given Manitoba Health notice of its intention to take job action if a new Collective Agreement is not negotiated by early March. Job action could begin as early as next Friday, March 7.

MAHCP members are allied healthcare professionals practicing across Manitoba. The more than 7,000 MAHCP members are now in a legal strike position. Their contract expired in March, 2024 and 96% of MAHCP members voted in favour of a strike mandate in January of this year.

THE BIG PICTURE: MAHCP members are employed in every health authority in Manitoba, in virtually every hospital, community health facility, public PCH, and laboratory. MAHCP members include audiologists, community health workers, dieticians, OTs, PTs, paramedics, pharmacists, social workers, and a wide range of technologists and technicians, among others.

THE BOTTOM LINE: MAHCP members are governed by an essential services agreement, which requires workers to remain on the job ​“to the extent necessary to prevent a threat to the health, safety or welfare of residents of Manitoba” if there is a strike. While this will generally protect emergent and urgent care and procedures, a strike could result in the delay or cancellation of elective procedures and longer wait times for diagnostic imaging and other tests and results.

Doctors Manitoba is hopeful that MAHCP and Manitoba Health will negotiate a new agreement without a strike. Allied healthcare professionals are important partners in providing care to Manitobans.

WHAT’S NEXT: Should a strike appear certain, Doctors Manitoba will provide updates to members and be ready for your questions.

News coverage: Manitoba health-care workers set to strike March 7 if deal not reached with province

Clinical Practice Guideline: Appropriateness Checklist for Knee MRI

Shared Health Diagnostic Services is expanding the MRI Choosing Wisely initiative to include Knee MRI. 

CONTEXT: This Clinical Practice Change and Guideline will require Primary Care Providers to include the Knee MRI Appropriateness Checklist when requesting Knee MRI exams. This will improve the appropriateness of MRI examinations across Manitoba, leading to standardized diagnostic workup prior to orthopedic referral for knee osteoarthritis. Using resources from Choosing Wiseley Canada, Shared Health has developed a short checklist that can verify or negate the indication for knee MRI. 

BY THE NUMBERS: In a 2024 internal audit, 1,264 Manitoba Knee MRI requests were reviewed and 77% did not meet the criteria for appropriate MRI Imaging. With increasing demand for these services and increasing wait times, Shared Health Diagnostic Services is working to reduce low-value testing, to improve outcomes and wait times for those most in need.

WHAT’S NEXT: Starting in March 2025, all new requests for Knee MRI must include a completed ​“MRI Knee Appropriateness Checklist”. Requests missing the appropriate checklist will be returned. 

Read more about this change here. 

Feedback Needed: Inhalers and the Environment

Canadian researchers are conducting a survey on the environmental impact of inhalers and invite healthcare professionals across Canada to share their insights and sustainable practices. The survey is led by the Canadian Thoracic Society’s Choosing Wisely Working Group and takes ~10 – 15 minutes to complete. Participants will have the chance to win one of three $100 Amazon gift cards. To learn more about the study and complete the survey, please follow this link.

Practice Ready Assessment – Become an Assessor!

The PRA FM program is an approved process for the purposes of Provisional Registration – family practice limited by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. 

CONTEXT: Applicable candidates are required to do three months of assessment (one month in three separate locations) and if successful will subsequently be expected to practice as a primary care physician in an underserviced area of the province. We are hoping to increase these assessments to meet the increasing needs of healthcare providers in Manitoba. 

OF NOTE: This is a high-stakes assessment and as such we are looking for fair and experienced assessors. The remuneration is $4,000 per month of assessment. The availability of assessments will vary with the number of applicable candidates entering the program. There is flexibility in the number and timing of possible assessments. 

If there are any questions, or if you are interested, please forward your CV including your assessment experience to holly.​hamilton@​umanitoba.​ca.

Manitoba Signs National Pharmacare Deal

Through a first-ever national pharmacare agreement, the Government of Canada will provide more than $219 million over four years for universal coverage to a range of contraceptives and diabetes medications for Manitobans. Manitoba residents will receive this coverage at little to no direct cost to them. The funding from this agreement will also improve access to diabetes devices and supplies.

Read the full release. 

CIHI’s Mental Health and Substance Use surveys

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) is working with governments to understand Canadians’ experiences when accessing mental health and substance use (MHSU) services. 

THE ASK: Help support the initiative by sharing the surveys across your networks.

Access the Early Intervention and Navigation surveys.

• Navigation of Mental Health and Substance Use Services (age 15 and older)

• Early Intervention for Mental Health and Substance Use Among Children and Youth (age 13 to 24)

The surveys related to these indicators are completely voluntary and responses are anonymous. They are available in English and French until May 17, 2025.