YOUR SMA
Representative Assembly
highlights
The SMA’s Fall 2014 Representative Assembly convened on November 7 in Regina, bringing together physician leaders from
around the province to focus on their unique value in the health care team, and the role of physician health and well-being in
providing optimal care to their patients and value to the health care system.
President’s Address
In his opening remarks, SMA President Dalibor Slavik, family physician from Saskatoon, explained that the SMA will
have a new strategic plan to guide it forward in the coming
years. In collaboration with Saskatchewan physicians, the
SMA Board crafted a plan that will help the SMA continue
to meet the needs of its members and ensure physicians are
heard and remain an integral part of the health care system.
“Our knowledge and abilities are unique and we bring a
perspective on patient care that no other care providers
can,” said Dr. Slavik.
“Although people receive care from a number of care providers, no other group of care providers has the training and
level of involvement with patients as physicians.”
With this role comes a responsibility to ensure that patients
receive optimal and appropriate care. Unnecessary tests,
treatments and procedures may expose patients to needless risk and it is up to physicians to have conversations with
their patients around appropriate care. This is the message
of Choosing Wisely Canada and the president encouraged
physicians to familiarize themselves with the campaign and
implement its tenets.
Minister of Health’s address
Health Minister Dustin Duncan opened his address with a
thank you to the physicians of Saskatchewan for their involvement and leadership – leadership that has contributed
to successes like the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative which
has already accomplished an 80 per cent decrease in wait
times of over three months.
He highlighted mental health and addictions, and strengthening primary care as areas of focus going forward, and
indicated that in the coming months a mental health and
6
SMA DIGEST | WINTER 2015
addictions plan for the province would be released. He emphasized that physician leadership is crucial to the success
of these initiatives.
Preventing the spread of influenza is another area in which
he encouraged physicians to lead by example and get their
influenza immunizations. For patient safety, all health care
providers will now be required to wear a mask while working with patients if they have not received their flu shot.
Keynote address: Unique value proposition of the physician
in ensuring and supporting quality care
Dr Susan Shaw
According to Dr. Susan Shaw, Chair of Saskatchewan’s
Health Quality Council, the concept of physician value must
be understood through the eyes of the patient. Physicians
are unique in their impact, authority, autonomy and accountability – in fact 60-70 per cent of all costs and decisions are driven by doctors.
Physicians are trained in scientific knowledge and practice
and this informs every action they take. Physicians are comfortable with new knowledge and will adopt and adapt to
it. They are continuously looked to by patients and other
members of the health care team to lead. As a result, they
are uniquely positioned to initiate change and have the potential to drive quality care into excellence.
Petrina McGrath, Ph.D.
Petrina McGrath, Vice-President of People, Practice and
Quality at the Saskatoon Health Region, also approached
the concept of value through the eyes of patients and families. Every day patients and families expect physicians to
be leaders in their practices, in the system and in teams. A
large part of physicians’ value comes from how they work
in a health care team and the leadership they bring to that
team.