What does stepping into the President-Elect role mean to you at this point in your career? 

Being a physician is a unique and privileged role. We get to accompany patients on their health care journey and be a small part of their lives. Stepping into this President-Elect role provides a window to Manitoba physicians’ professional experiences. It will be my unique privilege to represent Manitoba physicians and advocate for our needs as Doctors Manitoba continues to support us during every step of our career journeys. 

What motivates you to take on leadership roles in addition to your clinical responsibilities? 

I became a family physician because I value the wide range of opportunities this career offers. Over my career, I’ve worked in many settings — urban and rural hospitals, a personal care home, the emergency room, a family practice clinic, and teaching residents in a clinical teaching unit. Taking on a leadership role allows me to take my experience of ​“doing a little bit of everything” and bring that varied perspective to the Board table. 

As you prepare to eventually take on the presidency, what are you most focused on learning or accomplishing in the coming year? 

My focus this year is to learn as much as I can from those who have gone before me, including our current President Alon Altman and Past-President Nichelle Desilets, as well as learning through the valuable insights of our CEO, Theresa Oswald. 

What are you hearing most from physicians right now? 

We all continue to work within a system that has, for years, been stretched to its limit… and beyond. Physicians want our patients to get the care they deserve, and we experience moral distress when we cannot provide this care due to barriers within the system. I’m hearing a need for less admin burden, a streamlined central intake system for imaging, a centralized directory system for specialists/​referrals, more specialists and family physicians to share the work and more. I encourage all physicians to reach out to Doctors Manitoba with your concerns. We are here to listen and work towards solutions. 

From your perspective, what are the most important ways Doctors Manitoba can support members today? 

Doctors Manitoba continues to expand the Physician Health and Wellness programs, which I think are so important. Negotiating the next Physician Services Agreement (PSA) is going to be on everyone’s minds and is foundational to physicians’ ability to deliver care as costs rise for physicians running practices. It will be great to see the PracticeForward fully launched. The expanded support to medical students and residents and increasing our events and outreach. From our annual Awards Gala to smaller events like Book Club or Mentorship group events are a great way to keep improving connections with each other, something we all need. 

How do you see your role on the board in helping physicians navigate ongoing pressures like admin burden and burnout? 

My role on the board is to share my own experiences in family medicine experiencing admin burden and burnout with Doctors Manitoba to bring that perspective to the table. I encourage physicians to share their concerns with admin burden with Doctors Manitoba, and reach out for support through Doc360. 

How will you ensure physicians from different practice settings — urban, rural, northern — feel represented in the work of the board? 

I know physicians working in all these settings, so I’ll try to be aware of different perspectives when discussing things at the board level. The board has representatives from urban, rural and northern districts so that there are many voices at the table representing all physicians. I encourage anyone who wants their voice heard to run for a Doctors Manitoba board seat with the next election! 

What’s one thing you’d like physician members to know about how they can connect with Doctors Manitoba? 

I think everyone should know how easy it is to reach out to Doctors Manitoba. The staff are here for the members and it’s as easy as sending an email to practiceadvice@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.

What’s something your colleagues might be surprised to learn about you outside of medicine? 

The welcome mat to my house says ​“Welcome to Our Beautiful Chaos” because that is what my life is outside of medicine right now (maybe that’s my life both INSIDE and OUTSIDE medicine)! My husband and I have four children, three cats and two dogs. We are in a busy time of life running the kids around, so if you spot me outside of medicine, I’m likely at a hockey arena or football field. It’s beautiful chaos and we are living it one day at a time.