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My colleagues, my friends:
Reopening Health Care
The sun is shining today, and Ontario is beginning to lift restrictions. My response to this was not the unadulterated joy of my neighbours. Rather, my experience is much like that prior to the shutdown: Anxiety. Distrust of others. Protectiveness of my inner circle.
Like so many of us, I desperately want to get back to “normal,” to send my kids to school/camp, to operate daily, to walk around freely, to see my parents and friends, to do groceries in person...I’m simply not sure we are there yet.
When I see groups of people walking around not wearing masks. When I think about the fact that so many physicians still don’t have secure access to reasonably priced PPE. When I think about the backlog of non-emergent but essential care coming at us like a second tsunami. Every risk seems inflated.
We are trying to work with the government and other stakeholders to mitigate the risks and provide guidance. I am doing media interviews, reminding the public that they still need to practice social distancing and hand hygiene, to mask when leaving the house (for simplicity), and not take unnecessary risks. OMA is calling on the government to ensure protection for the vulnerable, adequate testing and contact tracing. All while continuing to work on PPE issues.
View recent media coverage:
Practice Stability
But for many right now, on top of all of those concerns are the financial ones. Fee-for-service physicians are struggling, we know. Overhead hasn’t changed but patient and procedure volumes have plummeted. And they aren’t going back to pre-COVID numbers any time soon.
The Ministry’s advance payment scheme doesn’t begin to solve those problems, but to add insult to injury, we’ve heard not everyone who was supposed to receive it did, and it seems to have come through in various ways, not just clearly labelled on the RA.
We’re working to determine the extent of this problem. If you haven’t received a payment you believe you should have, or oddly, if you have had mysterious monies deposited in your account, please contact info@oma.org. The more information we have, the better we are situated to figure it out.
In happier news though, two items:
Federal Loans
Firstly, the federal government recently announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA). The program can now be accessed by sole proprietors and incorporated physicians which did not have salaries and employees if they pay a sufficient amount of eligible expenses.
MPP Outreach
Secondly, as part of our ongoing advocacy efforts, we are increasing our grassroots efforts by reaching out to MPPs and providing educational materials stressing the importance of health system stability.
Last week, you, the members, got the message out clearly that we needed to figure out infrastructure support and income stability. Going forward, I will personally be reaching out to many, if not all, MPPs to set up virtual meetings. Local physicians, representing various practice profiles and payment models, will be invited to join me in these conversations. Together, we will explain the problems, provide examples from the riding, and explore solutions.
It’s going to be time-consuming, but it’s the kind of work that members expect from the OMA. It’s the kind of work, if well-done, that will set us up for success not only in this crisis, but well into the future. I’m honoured to be able to do it on behalf of us all. I promised I would never stop fighting for all of us. I meant it.
A summary of our recent advocacy initiatives and proposed next steps is posted on the OMA website.
PSC Vacancy
Ok, if you have been skimming, stop now! Dr. Jessica Hopkins, who was a sheer delight to work with, started a new role as Director for Public Health in March, leaving the Physician Services Committee (PSC) down one member. This is YOUR chance! Yes you!!! All those times you said, “Somebody needs to tell the government.” or “Why doesn’t the ministry understand?” Now is your chance to fix it! Get involved!
PSC is looking for a physician with strong leadership skills who will actively contribute their experience and insights on recommendations to the OMA and Ministry on health-system policy and transformation initiatives involving Ontario physicians. Applications close Monday, June 1. For more information or to apply, click here.
And last, but certainly not least…
Eid Mubarak!
This weekend, our colleagues and Muslims across the country will be celebrating the beginning of Eid-al-Fitr; which marks the end of fasting during the month of Ramadan. Please watch my video, where I am joined by Dr. Asmitha Gangani and hear about how she and her family have celebrated Eid over the years.
If you are interested in joining me to introduce one of your favorite holidays to your colleagues over the next year, please send us your information to info@oma.org by Friday, May 29th. First come, first serve!
With that, have an amazing weekend. Enjoy the weather. But mostly stay safe. Together, we can get through this.
Dr. Samantha Hill
OMA President
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