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Governance
Open letter to the President and President Elect of the CMA
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Dear Dr. Smart and Dr. Lafontaine,
Firstly, let us congratulate you, Dr. Smart, on your advocacy for Canadians and Canadian physicians over the past year. You have spoken well and kindly, placing the issues besetting health care in Canada before Canadians and the Federal government with admirable clarity.
And having known you for many years Dr. Lafontaine, we have great confidence that you will continue this essential advocacy.
Canadian Medical Association 2022 AGM is fast approaching
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The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) 2022 AGM is fast approaching. It is to be a virtual event held on Sunday, August 21. There is still time to register until Tuesday, August 16.
What will this year's AGM be like? There have been several posts and comments by physician colleagues on the pages of Doclounge sharing thoughts on issues pertaining to the CMA and the upcoming AGM. Does the Annual Report lack important details? Why are there no detailed minutes from the last AGM for review and approval? Are new proposed Bylaw changes good or bad and why so little discussion?
Canadian Medical Association Board breached principles of natural justice and fairness
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Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - May 20, 2022
In a BC Supreme Court Judgment released on April 22, 2022 Justice Nathan Smith found that the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Board breached principles of natural justice and procedural fairness when it suspended the membership of Dr Charles Webb denying him the opportunity to run as a candidate in the election for the BC nominee for CMA President-Elect in February 2022.
Time to Re-invent the Canadian Medical Association
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Dr Chris Sedergreen - 29 April 2022
The humiliating defeat of the Canadian Medical Association in the Supreme Court of BC is about as clear a statement as it is possible to make that the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is a failed entity, and that it’s present form should be dismantled forthwith.
‘Humiliating defeat’ you ask? Well, you could certainly be forgiven for not knowing about it, since the CMA, the CMA Journal, and the CMA web site have been deathly silent about it.
An appeal to heal the wounds from the past: 111 years ago, and from the 2021 CMA AGM
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September 30, 
2021
Open letter to CMA Board Chair
and CMA President-Elect.
Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, Board Chair, Canadian Medical Association,
The tweet by Dr. Alika Lafontaine, CMA President-Elect, and your re-tweet of his message leave many physician colleagues with the strong impression that some folks are slow to learn and apply the principles of fair democratic practice. Instead, the content reflects arrogance, bias, and contempt.
Not the only nail in the coffin of democracy at the Canadian Medical Association
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Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver BC - August 11, 2021.
In less than two weeks, on August 22, 2021 the Canadian Medical Association will hold its AGM as a virtual meeting with proposed bylaw amendments that some doctors say will be the end of democracy at the CMA. While the proposed bylaw amendments deserve to be defeated by physician members, it is not the whole story. This is not the only nail in the coffin of democracy in the CMA and in the medical profession throughout the country and the provinces.
Documentary "Duty To Document" highlights the erosion of democracy in BC, in Canada, and around the World
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This is a very important and timely documentary illustrating from our own governments in BC and Canada how critical records are disappearing from public view. It highlights the "triple delete scandal" from 2015 when it came to light the BC Government was improperly deleting email records concerning missing and murdered indigenous women along the "Highway of Tears". The documentary illustrates the escalating, troubling trend in the use of post-it notes and the failure to keep records. A trend seen not only in government, but in associations and corporations striking at the heart of transparency and democracy.
Canadian Medical Association dissolves General Council, the parliament of Canadian medicine.
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Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver BC - September 10, 2018
What a year it's been for the Canadian Medical Association.
First, just one year ago in August 2017, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) dropped the word 'physician' from its vision and mission statements, much to the surprise of many doctors across the country leaving them feeling abandoned.
Then, at the beginning of June 2018, the CMA sold the trust of doctors in MD Financial to the Bank of Nova Scotia for nearly C$2.6 billion. Now in August 2018, after 151 years, the CMA has dissolved the General Council, the parliament of Canadian medicine, as stated in the constitution itself.
Are these changes forward looking and preparing for the future or eroding the work, achievements and structures of the medical profession? Is direct physician input being replaced by filtered input that serves programs and bureaucracy?
Will the new BC Societies Act transition be a train wreck?
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Dr Z. Essak, MD - Vancouver, BC - February 13, 2017.
No one can deny the importance of BC societies to communities large and small throughout the province, assisting all kinds of people as charitable and not for profit societies, including associations that represent occupations and professions.
What can we learn from the early example of transition by the Doctors of BC, the BC Medical Association, formerly a Reporting Society, declaring themselves to be a member-funded society and escaping public disclosure. Do they even meet the required criteria?
When we ask, it may come as a shock to learn the BC Registry is not confirming compliance requirements are met. Is the BC Government failing to provide proper leadership and oversight to the tasks of government?
Is the public trust being neglected? Will there be havoc on public interest and individual rights? Are we going to see a train wreck?
What are the fiduciary duties of directors of the BC Medical Association?
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Vancouver, BC - Z. Essak, April 22, 2014
The BC Medical Association (BCMA), now rebranding itself as the DoctorsOfBC, is a non-profit Society in BC. It is a voluntary professional association of physicians that purports to represent all BC physicians in negotiations regardless of whether or not physicians choose to be a member.
The 2014 BCMA elections are now underway. Which way are the winds blowing? Are they winds of change? Are they strong enough? Will we see openness, transparency and accountability emerge or continued substitution with opaque communications and marketing?
