The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Manitoba government is trumpeting a new master agreement with physicians it says will strengthen retention of doctors, focus on family practice, invest in patient-care initiatives, and provide new supports to deliver more doctors to under-serviced areas of the province. The new three-year contract between the province and the Manitoba Medical Association (MMA) is retroactive to April 1, 2008, and invests an additional $100 million over threeÊyears. The province says the deal focuses on priority areas that will support physicians and improve access to quality care through strategies such as: general rate increases for physicians (a 16.5 per cent boost over three years); increased financial incentives for both family doctors and specialists, especially in rural and northern areas, including enhanced remuneration, retention and geographic premiums; focused remuneration adjustments based on priorities identified by health professionals; Êtargeted remuneration initiatives to enhance patient access to medical treatment including physician treatment of aging and chronic-care patients, provision of hospital care and on-call services, repatriation of dialysis patients and utilization of the telemedicine and other system programs and supports; investments in primary-care physicians and new primary-care initiatives; and the elimination of payment of tray fees by the public. Health Minister Theresa Oswald called it a Òpatient-first agreement.Ó ÒThis agreement focuses on improving patient care, keeping doctors here at home and ensuring the long-term sustainability of health care in Manitoba,Ó she said. The agreement was ratified by the MMA board of directors and 93 per cent of members who voted in a mail ballot. The last agreement expired on March 31, 2008. ÒThe settlement will ensure that compensation for Manitoba physicians remains competitive nationally including the overall average compensation in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta,Ó said Dr. Robyn Olson, MMA president.ÊÒThatÕs the key to recruiting and retaining physicians in this province.Ó The agreement was developed in partnership between Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, the MMA, regional health authorities and other stakeholders. As part of this process, a new tripartite agreement has also been developed between the MMA, Manitoba Health and Healthy Living, and system stakeholders, including the regional health authorities, Diagnostic Services Manitoba and the University of Manitoba. It outlines how the organizations will work together during the term of the contract on shared priorities and innovative health-care solutions, including expansion of the Physician Integrated Network; ongoing sustainability of academic programs and physicians; the development of new hospital-care programs; restructuring of intensive-care units in the province; and a review of identified policy matters.
