Chair's Report - Fall 2022

Raising our profile, building our influence

When we came together in person at our 67th Annual Ontario’s Anesthesiologists Meeting in September, I took the opportunity to express my gratitude for the care you all provide every day for patients across our province.

I recognized the incredible work you have done before and through the pandemic. Often working under-resourced and understaffed as our work has become more demanding and patients sicker.

It’s important to talk about the many ways anesthesiologists bring comfort and peace to those who need it most - on every platform, in every venue.

Because by raising our profile, stakeholders within the OMA, government, and other areas of the health-care system will pay attention to us when we speak.

By telling our story and implementing our new Strategic Plan, we are positioning anesthesiologists within the OMA as trusted advisors, allowing us to influence policy and advocate for our patients.

Here are a few highlights of how we’re building influence:

Governance - Building strength in leadership

We’re building a network of leaders to represent your interests, and putting in place the financial foundation, processes and structure to deliver on our strategy.

Our executive has been strengthened through the leadership of doctors from all over Ontario; Dr. Druvtej Ambati of Smiths Falls, Dr. Vatsal Trivedi of Mississauga, Dr. Sarah McIsaac of Sudbury and Dr. Amanda Jasudavisuis of Kingston.

We have attracted a diversity of volunteers to our working groups and committees. And we’re working on strategies to empower all our members with the skills and tools to shape the future of health care and our field.

Together, we successfully responded to multiple threats to our funding allocation from other groups related to the most recent Physician Services Agreement, and we have and will continue to advocate for billing-related changes to benefit our profession.

Member Services - Bringing us together, telling our story

In September at the Ontario Anesthesia Meeting, we renewed our friendships, learned from each other, and harnessed our collective power through our first in-person annual conference in two years, and plans are underway for next year’s meeting.

We have defined our brand, and are raising our profile through public education, social media, media relations and government relations. Join our conversation on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and see the updates we’ve made to the SolvingPain.ca website.

We have communicated more to our patients and the public about who we are, what we do and why it is important for their health.

And we have improved our communications with you about our advocacy on your behalf. See our past Newsletters.

Leveraging all the channels available to us helps us to be recognized as valued partners and patient care experts. That means we will be more likely to have a seat at the table when important decisions are made that affect us directly.

Patient Care - Advocating for patients

We have become more engaged with stakeholders, providing them with expert advice on patient care.

Through our Environmental Sustainability Working Group, we have advocated to provincial and federal ministers for less medical waste and less use of high contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. We’ve created an online resource page for those interested in improving sustainability in their own hospitals.

We’ve advocated for patients and our own well-being by bringing more focus to the critical staffing shortage that’s contributing to the surgical backlog and burnout in our profession.

The Anaesthesia Health Human Resources Working Group brought together anesthesiologists from across the province and collaborated with the Canadian Anesthesiologists Society to define our medical role and advocate for a physician-led model of care.

Through the Clinical Advisory Committee and Epidural Catheter Shortage Working Group, we mobilized quickly to engage with the government and ensure we have the materials we need to provide the best care to our patients.

Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations - Building our influence

We have stepped up our advocacy efforts to the government to build our reputation among decision-makers and organized ourselves to be more effective in our negotiations on your behalf.

As our colleagues in other specialties have done, we are building better relationships with the government and stakeholders.

Today, we have a close relationship with the Canadian Anesthesiologists Society and are working together on common issues. And we continue to engage with the OMA on tariffs and compensation and changes to the association’s governance that advantage you.

We’re building momentum, but there is much more to be done. As your Chair, I am committed to setting us up for success.

But we can do so much more by pulling together. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact me personally.

Sincerely,

Dr. Rohit Kumar
Chair, Ontario's Anesthesiologists
A Section of the Ontario Medical Association