General Assembly
The GA sets priorities and makes recommendations to address challenges facing the profession
The OMA General Assembly is made up of the General Assembly Steering Committee, the Priority and Leadership Group, networks and panels and working groups.
General Assembly highlights
Updates from the GASC chair
Steering committee
Priority and Leadership Group
Panels and working groups
How the General Assembly works
This structure is part of the modernization of the OMA governance model that represents members more effectively. The General Assembly sets priorities and makes recommendations to address the opportunities and challenges facing the profession. It empowers all members by connecting them more directly to elected bodies and the decision-making process, while providing transparency into how the association functions.
2023 highlights
The GA made significant strides in 2023. The board of directors approved the first of the priority recommendations in May 2023 and OMA staff immediately started to implement them. For example, the compensation panel addressed improving the member experience via the priority "restructure negotiations to optimize constituency group engagement."
Looking ahead
- The GA will review charters and policies in the next year
- Emphasis will be placed on supporting working groups to develop high-quality evidence-based recommendations to address their designated priorities and communicating these recommendations more broadly
- A quality improvement approach will continue to be applied to all aspects of the GA work
General Assembly groups and membership
General Assembly Steering Committee
The General Assembly Steering Committee is an oversight committee that ensures the General Assembly, with its various entities, fulfills its mandate and functions effectively. The GASC reports directly to the Board of Directors and ensures the General Assembly has clear and transparent communications, and that all entities, activities and processes adhere to the OMA governance policies and the General Assembly charter.
Committee members:
- Dr. Alykhan Abdulla, chair
- Dr. Gregory Rose, vice-chair
- Dr. Joy Hataley, member-at-large
- Dr. Ross Male, member-at-large
- Dr. Cindy Wang, member-at-large
Key dates
Fall 2024
- Nov. 2-3 fall General Assembly meeting
- General Assembly members spend the weekend getting updates from the OMA with opportunities for professional development
- General Assembly members and observers have received invitations with more details
Contact us
Questions? Send us an email for more information about the General Assembly. For questions specific to your section, please connect with its executive members.
Priority and Leadership Group
There are 125 Priority and Leadership Group delegates. The goals of collaboration, representation and diversity require that delegates to the Priority and Leadership Group reflect the broad diversity of the profession as a whole.
Priority and Leadership Group delegates represent diversity in their type of medical practice, leadership experience, region, gender, as well as other characteristics. In their work, they not only represent the interests of their constituency groups, but the larger physician community. As a member of a constituency group’s elected leadership, delegates consistently solicit feedback from members within their constituency, while acting as their information resource and bringing the issues emerging from their constituency to the Priority and Leadership Group.
Panels and working groups
General Assembly panels oversee the development of solutions-focused recommendations for consideration by the OMA Board of Directors, while seeking to understand the varied perspectives of members.
However, the majority of General Assembly activity will be concentrated within working groups. Working group recommendations will be reviewed by the panels prior to being sent to the OMA Board of Directors. Working group members will:
- Contribute consistently and meaningfully to the work of the General Assembly
- Support the advisory function of the General Assembly
- Constructively engage with fellow General Assembly working group members, panel members, the General Assembly delegate body and constituency group elected leaders as required to fulfill their mandate
Read the spring 2024 updates from the panels
Spring 2024 update
The panel completed scoping for the 2022 priority “comprehensive HHR strategy including portable licensure” and the 2023 priority “enhanced access to physician-led multidisciplinary care.” The panel also took part in advocacy plan training to better understand all the aspects and components of what successful advocacy looks like.
Watch the video for the full update from the advocacy panel chair, Dr. Lisa Salamon, and vice-chair, Dr. Julie Kovacs, delivered at the PLG spring meeting on June 1.
In consultation with staff, the advocacy panel oversees recommendations related to OMA communications and member relations.
Advocacy panel members:
- Dr. Lisa Salamon, chair
- Dr. Julie Kovacs, vice-chair
- Dr. Rayuda Koka
- Dr. Gareth Seaward
- Dr. Dannica Switzer
Working group on reducing delays in patient care
Mandate: To develop high-quality actionable recommendations to address delays in patient care through looking at patient flow from an advocacy lens (e.g., campaign, advocacy approach).
Working group members:
- Dr. Jesse Wheeler, chair
- Dr. Samir Gupta, vice-chair
- Dr. Jiwei Li
- Dr. Pamela Liao
- Dr. Tumushabe Mutingi
- Dr. Sylvia Pillon
- Buvani Sivignansunderam
Working group on comprehensive HHR advocacy including portable licensure
Mandate: To develop recommendations on advocacy for a comprehensive HHR strategy including potable licensure for underserved areas
Working group members:
- Dr. Alexandre Petiquan, chair
- Dr. Olivia Cheng
- Dr. Aviraj Deshmukh
- Dr. Marc Gabel
- Dr. Hamidah Meghani
- Dr. Vivian Tam
Spring 2024 update
The panel completed scoping and working group recruitment for the “centralized lab requisitions for imaging,” and the scoping of the “strategies to prioritize family physician recruitment” priority. The panel engaged OMA subject matter experts and external stakeholders, such as the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario, to scope the working group mandate.
Watch the video for the full update from the issues and policy panel chair, Dr. Michael Finkelstein, and vice-chair, Dr. Jane Purvis, delivered at the PLG meeting on June 1.
In consultation with staff, the issues and policy panel oversees recommendations related to addressing OMA health policy and professional issues.
Issues and policy panel members:
- Dr. Lisa Berger
- Dr. Dharmendra Doobay
- Dr. Michael Finkelstein, chair
- Dr. Jane Purvis, vice-chair
- Dr. Nathan Roth
- Dr. Haroon Yousuf
Working group on data supports for HHR
Mandate: To develop recommendations on data supports for work and health human resources.
Working group members:
- Dr. Sarah Simkin, chair
- Michael Balas, vice-chair
- Dr. Pamela Liao
- Dr. Anthea Paul
- Dr. David Savage
- Dr. Steven Wong
Working group on centralized requisition for diagnostic imaging
Mandate: To develop high-quality recommendations to address centralized requisitions for ordering diagnostic imaging tests.
Working group members:
- Dr. Farah Abdulsatar
- Dr. Brenda Copps
- Dr. Marilyn Crabtree (observer)
- Dr. Edward Hirvi
- Dr. Scott Laing
- Dr. Winnie Lee
- Dr. Ryan Margau
- Dr. Faysal Naji
Spring 2024 update
Implementation of the panel’s first priority “Restructure Negotiations to Optimize Constituency Group Engagement” has begun, with several videos produced to highlight the processes from the NTF Chair Dr. Nikolina Mizdrak, which was one of the recommendations from the working group.
The panel completed scoping the 2023 priority “time-based billing” and working group recruitment began in May. The “revamp OHIP rejected eligible claims process to compensate uninsured patients” priority is in the process of developing recommendations with an aim to complete them before the end of the year.
Watch the video for the full update from the compensation panel chair, Dr. Robert Dinniwell, and vice-chair, Dr. Eric Goldszmidt, delivered at the PLG meeting on June 1.
In consultation with staff, the compensation panel oversees recommendations related to addressing OMA compensation issues.
Compensation panel members:
- Dr. Robert Dinniwell
- Dr. Eric Goldszmidt, chair
- Dr. Kathleen Gregory
- Dr. Jane Healey
- Dr. Mark Kaluzienski, vice-chair
- Dr. Karima Khamisa
- Dr. David Schieck
Working group on OHIP-eligible rejected claims process
Mandate: To develop high-quality recommendations around commonly occurring situations: to (i) facilitate payment for patients that should be insured but there are barriers; and (ii) to address payment for uninsured patients who are not OHIP-eligible and receive urgent, non-deferrable care.
Working group members:
- Dr. Jesse Wheeler, chair
- Dr. Shawn Kao, vice-chair
- Dr. Chris Cavacuiti
- Dr. Elisheva Chernick
- Dr. Achelle Cortel-LeBlanc
- Dr. Eli Miller
Priority setting process
This shows how the OMA's priorities are set, and how ideas become cornerstones of the organization's policy.