What: SMA President and Vice-President’s Tour When: Wednesday, Sept. 6: 5 p.m. meeting start (interviews before meeting) Where: Yorkton Regional Health Centre (tentative)
Dr. Siva Karunakaran, a Regina nephrologist and vice-president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association, will meet with physicians from the Sunrise Regional Medical Association on Wednesday, Sept. 6, to discuss the SMA’s strategic planning process and provide updates on issues of interest to physicians and their association.
The meeting is one of 11 stops of the SMA President and Vice-President’s Tour of the province. The annual president/vice-president’s tour is a tradition of the SMA and is a key method the SMA leadership uses to stay in touch with members. SMA president Dr. Joanne Sivertson, a Prince Albert obstetrician/gynecologist, and Dr. Karunakaran share the responsibilities of the tour with one or the other, and sometimes both, attending meetings. Dr. Sivertson plans to attend Wednesday’s meeting.
“I look forward to these meetings because they give me an excellent opportunity to hear about issues facing my colleagues, as well as to engage in some lively discussions,” Dr. Sivertson said. “These debates and discussions keep us informed on the needs of our members and inform the work we do as an association. This year’s tour is happening as we embark on a process to revamp the SMA’s strategic plan, while we are at the table with the Ministry of Health to negotiate a new contract, and during a time when the federal government is proposing tax changes that will have a negative impact on many physicians. If that all weren’t enough, the province is in the midst of a transition to a single health authority.”
Dr. Karunakaran said physicians care about their profession and issues affecting patient care. “How the new Saskatchewan Health Authority is planned, governed and managed will have a significant impact on patients as well as physicians,” he said. “Over the last year or more we have been advocating for increased physician leadership as a way of building a more effective health system for all. The SMA’s President and Vice-President’s Tour is a good way of checking in to see what our colleagues are concerned about in various corners of the province.”
The Saskatchewan Medical Association (www.sma.sk.ca) is a voluntary, member-based, professional association for physicians, medical students and residents in the province and it is the provincial chapter of the Canadian Medical Association. As the trusted voice of Saskatchewan’s more than 2,300 practising physicians, the SMA negotiates for and on behalf of our doctors; supports the educational, professional, economic and personal well-being of physicians; and advocates for a high-quality and patient-centred health care system.
