Latest news with #JossReimer
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Manitoba launches campaign to recruit health-care workers from U.S. states facing political challenges
The Manitoba government has launched a campaign to attract health-care workers from U.S. border states as the province continues to face medical staffing shortages and political tensions have some American medical professionals looking north. The government said in a Wednesday news release it is actively courting health-care workers from North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan and Minnesota. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the campaign could broaden to other states, if needed. "We recognize that they're facing some tough challenges right now in the United States and we want them to know that Manitoba will welcome you with open arms, " Asagwara told CBC News at the legislature in Winnipeg on Wednesday. Some U.S. states have placed limitations on physicians who offer gender-affirming care and reproductive care services to patients. For example, abortion is illegal in South Dakota, according to the U.S.-based Center for Reproductive Rights. And both South Dakota and North Dakota have put limitations on gender-affirming care for youth. Last month, Canadian Medical Association president Dr. Joss Reimer said health cuts and layoffs south of the border could be a boon for Canada. "We really have a window to be able to find a silver lining in all of the things that are happening in the U.S. — to bring a wealth of expertise and physicians to Canada," she said. Asagwara said Manitoba's government won't put any political barriers in front of health-care workers. "We have a universal public health-care system where you can just focus on providing the best care possible to your patients. And we want to make sure that folks know we value women's health care, gender-affirming health care and health care for everybody, no matter how you identify or where you come from," Asagwara said. "You don't have to worry about profits over people." The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) said in a statement to CBC News that the organization hopes the campaign can successfully recruit U.S. workers to "fill huge staffing gaps" in the province. However, MAHCP president Jason Linklater said the campaign likely won't be enough to fill the more than 1,000 vacant allied health positions, including pharmacists, paramedics, respiratory therapists and laboratory technologists. "Manitoba needs a comprehensive, forward-looking allied health human resource strategy. Recruiting from the U.S. can be part of that but government must also move more quickly to improve working conditions, expand training opportunities and create new incentives for Manitobans to enter into these high-demand, specialized professions," Linklater said. Shortly after the U.S. election last November, Doctors Manitoba — an advocacy organization that represents thousands of physicians across the province — launched a similar ad campaign
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Growing with Purpose: Medicus Pension Plan announces inflation increases and two valuable new benefit features for members Français
TORONTO, June 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Medicus Pension Plan ™ published its annual report today, announcing its strong funded status of 152% as of January 1, 2025, along with a robust return of 9.1% in 2024. Medicus provided 100% inflation protection for all pensions earned in 2022, 2023 and 2024, including a notable 4.0% increase for 2024, and introduced two new benefit features with extended guarantee periods to enhance security for members and their families. "Medicus has established a strong foundation that allows us to offer value to our members in many ways," says Simone Reitzes, Managing Director of the Medicus Pension Plan. "By providing inflation increases and extending guarantee periods - in response to feedback provided by our members - we can further support physicians and their families over time." Medicus was designed to meet the unique needs of physicians, including options for financial protection for members and their families. The plan now includes a 15-year guarantee period on its base pension option and all spousal pension options now have a 10-year guarantee period, in addition to the existing lifetime spousal protection. "Physicians want to focus on patients, they don't want to worry about planning for retirement. Medicus delivers a future we can count on," says Dr. Joss Reimer, the president of the Canadian Medical Association. "I look forward to seeing this available as an option to physicians across the country." Inflation increases help members keep pace with the rising cost of living and maintain the value of their pension over time. And with extended guarantee periods now included as part of every pension option, Medicus offers members certainty that no matter what happens, their family will benefit from the financial protection built into the plan. "It is inspiring to see the positive impact we're making on the financial well-being of the growing community of physicians across Canada who have chosen Medicus," adds Reitzes. Learn more here. About Medicus Tailored exclusively to the unique needs of physicians, the Medicus Pension Plan is a defined benefit multi-employer pension plan that offers the financial peace of mind that comes with a secure, predictable lifetime pension. Medicus is designed specifically for physicians, offers geographic mobility, includes physician representation on its Administrative Board, is tax effective, with contributions generally deductible to physicians' professional corporations, and has access to specialized institutional investment management because member assets are pooled in a single trust fund, allowing unique investment opportunities, risk sharing and a long-term investment horizon. Medicus is a registered pension plan. It is registered under the Pension Benefits Act (Ontario) and the Income Tax Act (Canada). To determine if Medicus is appropriate for your retirement planning needs and retirement income objectives, please consult with a financial advisor. Medicus Pension Plan ™ is a trademark used under licence. For more information, please visit About Scotiabank Scotiabank's vision is to be our clients' most trusted financial partner and deliver sustainable, profitable growth. Guided by our purpose: "for every future," we help our clients, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With assets of approximately $1.4 trillion (as at January 31, 2025), Scotiabank is one of the largest banks in North America by assets, and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit and follow us on X @Scotiabank.
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Canadian Medical Association names N.B. doctor as new president
Dr. Margot Burnell, who became the new president of the Canadian Medical Association on May 31, 2025, is pictured. (Source: Canadian Medical Association) A New Brunswick doctor has been named the new president of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Dr. Margot Burnell officially took on the role Saturday during the CMA's annual general meeting. The CMA said Burnell has been an oncologist for more than 30 years at the Saint John Regional Hospital. During her address to colleagues Saturday, the CMA said Burnell 'emphasized her commitment to improve access to care' as a core issue of her year-long mandate. 'Canadians deserve a health system that is there for them when they need it,' said Burnell in a news release. 'I strongly believe that ideas and lived experience from patients, physicians and others at the front lines are critical to building a future for health care that Canadians can take pride in.' Burnell said she also intends to advance Indigenous reconciliation in health care, strengthen Canada's health workforce, reduce physicians' paperwork and improve physician well-being. The president of the CMA is elected by members from a different province or territory each year. Burnell takes over from Dr. Joss Reimer of Winnipeg. The president-elect is now Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi who practices medicine in Newfoundland and Labrador. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Canadian Medical Association files lawsuit challenging gender-care legislation
Aerial shot of the Alberta legislature on Monday, May 26, 2025. (Cam Wiebe/CTV News Edmonton) The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and three Alberta physicians are pursuing a judicial review of Bill 26, known as the province's gender-care legislation. A statement from the CMA said the bill directs physicians on how to deliver gender-affirming care to people under 18, down to which medications they can use. 'This is a historic and unprecedented government intrusion into the physician-patient relationship and requires doctors to follow the law rather than clinical guidelines, the needs of patients and their own conscience,' said the statement issued Wednesday morning. The CMA said it has filed an application with the Court of King's Bench for the judicial review of Bill 26, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 and its proposed changes to the Health Professions Act R.S.A 2000. Bill 26 was introduced on Oct. 31, 2024, to preserve choice for minors identifying as transgender while refocusing the health-care system, according to the province. 'Medicine is a calling. Doctors pursue it because they are compelled to care for and promote the well-being of patients,' said CMA president Joss Reimer in a statement. 'When a government bans specific treatments, it interferes with a doctor's ability to empower patients to choose the best care possible. The CMA said the legislation renders physicians powerless in providing independent expertise, clinical guidance and treatment options when it comes to gender-affirming care. Jake Donaldson, a Calgary-based family physician who provides gender-affirming care to about 40 adolescents, said the legislation has put him and his colleagues in a state of 'moral crisis.' 'These patients are a vulnerable group that already face significant and disproportionate discrimination, violence and mental health challenges,' said Donaldson in a CMA statement. 'Bill 26 commands physicians to stand on the sidelines and watch them suffer.' Since the bill and other transgender legislation was introduced, advocacy groups and families have protested and taken legal action against the province, arguing that Bill 26 violates gender-diverse young people's section 7 right to security of the person, their section 12 right to be free from cruel and unusual treatment and their section 15 right to equality. Part of Bill 26 prohibits gender-affirming 'top' surgeries for minors which went into effect when the bill received royal assent in December 2024. The legislation also bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for those with gender dysphoria. Egale Canada and Skipping Stone, both LGBTQ2S+ advocacy groups, have requested for an injunction to block the denial of health care for gender diverse youth while the bill faces a constitutional test. Sarah Hoffman, NDP shadow minister of health, said she is pleased to see doctors stand with their patients in opposing UCP law. 'When medical experts and parents agree on safe medical treatment, the government shouldn't be preventing it,' said Hoffman in an emailed statement. 'The new CMA legal challenge to Bill 26 is about defending parental and human rights.' CTV News Edmonton reached out to the Ministry of Justice for comment.
Cision Canada
28-05-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Canadian Medical Association files legal challenge to protect the rights of young patients and families to make medical decisions
CALGARY, AB , May 28, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), along with three Alberta doctors, will file a constitutional challenge to Alberta's Bill 26, to protect the relationship between patients, their families and doctors when it comes to making treatment decisions. Bill 26 directs physicians on how to deliver gender-affirming care to people under 18, down to which medications they can use, when and how. This is an historic and unprecedented government intrusion into the physician-patient relationship and requires doctors to follow the law rather than clinical guidelines, the needs of patients and their own conscience. "Medicine is a calling. Doctors pursue it because they are compelled to care for and promote the well-being of patients," says CMA President Dr. Joss Reimer . "When a government bans specific treatments, it interferes with a doctor's ability to empower patients to choose the best care possible." Doctors are governed by the highest standards of ethics and professionalism. Under Bill 26, they are now powerless to provide independent expertise, clinical guidance and treatment options when it comes to gender-affirming care. "This legislation has put me and many of my colleagues in a state of moral crisis," says Dr. Jake Donaldson , a Calgary -based family physician providing gender-affirming care to about 40 adolescents. "These patients are a vulnerable group that already face significant and disproportionate discrimination, violence and mental health challenges," he adds. "Bill 26 commands physicians to stand on the sidelines and watch them suffer." This legal challenge is not just about Alberta and gender-affirming care. Health decisions are complex and unique to everyone. They are deeply personal and must be made by patients and their families, in partnership with their health provider – not by politicians. The CMA felt it had no choice but to step in before this kind of political interference expands to other national health issues, such as vaccination, reproductive health, medical assistance in dying, or even cancers or surgeries resulting from lifestyle choices. At a time when the Canadian health system is under significant pressure, the Alberta government should be spending its time, energy and resources on the 650,000 people in the province without a family doctor, not on the few hundred vulnerable youth seeking medical assistance. This is a misplaced priority that doesn't reflect the health care needs of people living in Alberta , and more broadly, in Canada . Background The CMA has filed an application with the Court of King's Bench for the judicial review of Alberta Bill 26 the Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 and its proposed changes to the Health Professions Act R.S.A 2000 with the Court of King's Bench. The CMA asserts that Bill 26 and its proposed changes violate the freedom of conscience of physicians in Alberta contrary to section 2(a) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Protecting freedom of conscience in medical practice ensures doctors can provide medical guidance and treatments in the best interest of patients, without facing disciplinary action. In Canada , physicians are governed by the CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism (the "Code"). First established in 1868, the Code articulates the ethical and professional responsibilities of the medical profession. It is founded on and affirms the core values, commitments and principles that physicians must uphold as members of their profession. About the CMA The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion. SOURCE Canadian Medical Association To schedule an interview or for further information, please contact: CMA Media Relations: [email protected]; Elena Gabrysz, 514-839-7296; Eric Lewis, 506-566-1671
