Open Letter to the Premier of Ontario from the Canadian Medical Association and the Provincial & Territorial Medical Associations

OTTAWA, May 16, 2012 /CNW/ -

Presidents
Canadian Medical Association and
Provincial/Territorial Medical Associations
c/o 1867 Alta Vista Drive
Ottawa, ON  K1G 5W8

May 16, 2012

Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building
Queen's Park
Toronto, ON  M7A 1A1

Dear Premier,

As the leaders of Canada's medical associations, we are united in asking the Ontario government to get back to the table with our physician colleagues in your province.

Right across Canada there are shining examples of innovative improvements in health care when physicians and governments work together to improve patient care. Canadians expect nothing  less from their elected representatives.

The manner in which your government has imposed conditions on physicians without a true opportunity to build consensus is not acceptable and your efforts to convince the Premiers from the other provinces to adopt a broken model that excludes true collaboration are wrong-headed.

Imposing your views on physicians and the public is a leadership style that comes with great risk. Patients expect that governments will work with physicians and that, together, they will put patients' interests first.

We encourage you to accept the Ontario Medical Association's offer to continue negotiations, without any preconditions. A renewed approach that helps to find common ground has no risk and lots of potential opportunity to balance the current fiscal challenges with the increasing pressures facing the health care system.

Sincerely,

Dr. Linda Slocombe, President Alberta Medical Association	Dr. Nasir Jetha, President British Columbia Medical Association
Ms. Nancy MacCready Williams, CEO for Dr. John Chiasson, President Doctors Nova Scotia	Dr. P.G. Mehta, President Doctors Manitoba
Dr. Rachel Kassner, President Medical Society of Prince Edward Island	Dr. Robert Rae, President New Brunswick Medical Society
Dr. Sandra Luscombe, President Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association	Dr. Peter McArthur, President Northwest Territories Medical Association
Dr. Doug Weir, President Ontario Medical Association	Dr Ruth Vander Stelt, President Quebec Medical Association
Dr. Janet Shannon, President Saskatchewan Medical Association	Dr. Rao Tadepalli, President and CEO Yukon Medical Association
Dr. John Haggie, President Canadian Medical Association

 

 

Lucie Boileau
Senior Advisor, Communications and Public Outreach
Canadian Medical Association
613 731-8610 ext. 1266