NLMA meeting regularly with Health Minister to address crisis
Dear Colleagues:
As most of you are aware, Tom Osborne was sworn in as the new Minister of Health and Community Services on July 6. Since his appointment, the NLMA has held three meetings with the new Minister and his officials, including one with both Premier Furey and the Minister. These meetings, as well as many phone calls, are to discuss the current challenges facing our physician workforce and how we will mobilize to address them.
I am pleased to report that the increased communications, engagement and a willingness to partner is a welcome shift in approach. We thank the Premier and Minister Osborne for the extra degree of communication and consultation in recent weeks.
Discussions to date have focused on the Category B Emergency Room compensation announced last week, short-term measures to fill physician vacancies and ways to add capacity to the current workforce. We know the Premier and Minister are engaging with other stakeholders, including the College, to examine licensure issues as well.
The NLMA is also working with Minister Osbourne to develop a common agenda for addressing issues specific to family medicine. Our view is that a common agenda will focus our collective energy for greatest impact. More details about this common agenda will be released in the near future.
We are optimistic that this renewed relationship and positive momentum will continue. The negotiation of the Blended Capitation payment model for family physicians is well underway, and good momentum has been established to meet our November 3rd deadline for the necessary amendments to the MOA. We will continue to update members as new breakthroughs occur.
Sincerely,
Kris Luscombe
President
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