Board-approved recommendations

Every year, the General Assembly asks members for their ideas to drive the prioritization work. This work is part of the broader OMA governance transformation. In the first two years of establishing the GA, we have formed the bodies that have successfully:

  • Supported the submission of 100-plus member ideas
  • Prioritized nine ideas
  • Received board approval for the first set of recommendations
  • Defined mandates for five working groups

Here is the first set of OMA Board-approved recommendations under the 2022 Compensation Panel Priority. These recommendations, approved in May 2023, were developed to address the GA priority, restructure negotiations to optimize constituency group engagement, which the Priority and Leadership Group selected in May 2022. The recommendations fall within the engagement framework and identify the phased implementation for the recommendations. Specifically, phased implementation means:

  • Short-term indicates an immediate opportunity for the 2024-2028 Physician Services Agreement negotiations
  • Medium-term opportunities have potential to be incorporated later in the 2024-2028 PSA negotiations
  • Long-term is meant to be implemented in future PSA negotiations  

Recommendations to restructure negotiations to optimize constituency group engagement

1.1 OMA staff onboard constituency leaders to negotiations as part of their initial orientation to their role as constituency executive specific to what is expected of them during the negotiations process. (short-term to medium-term).

1.2 Additional preparation should be provided for physician leaders through a formal program for physician leaders. Throughout the PSA negotiations cycle, this should include:

  • Outlining the roadmap, including the bilateral process, timelines, roles and responsibilities, and what is in scope during the process kick-off (short-term)
  • Identifying the specific expertise needed to support the NTF based on task force terms of reference, workplan and mandate (medium-term)
  • Outlining the public engagement and consultation plan for members, along with updates as needed. Physician leaders should understand at what points they will be engaged and the mechanisms for (short-term to medium-term)
  • Providing specific guidance and resources on the OMA-requested submissions. Specific examples include providing examples of what a good submission is, and what mechanisms could be to provide early feedback on submissions and scope to constituency groups (short-term to medium-term)
  • Creation of education program and modules on broad compensation topics and to build and strengthen physician leadership competency and capacity enabling:
    1. Productive and informed engagement/representation on these files
    2. Building a talent pool and succession plan for positions tasked with this work (future tariff chairs, future members of numerous committees like NTF, RAC, PSC and other bilateral tables tasked with compensation matters)
    3. Deliberate growth and diversification of physician leaders with required technical skills/knowledge, enabling physician leaders to support one another, their constituency groups and the OMA

1.3 The NTF expand the use non-disclosure agreements as needed to facilitate preparing physician leaders (short-term). Previous models of utilizing NDAs have included Sunday night calls and the use of side tables for reference. This enables constituency groups to create internal capacity by sharing the workload beyond the chair and/or tariff chair. Enables NTF to more easily and readily leverage technical expertise found within the membership.

2.1 OMA staff and the NTF provide ongoing education to physician leaders throughout the negotiations cycle through the following mechanisms:

  • Developing a Negotiations 101 primer for physician leaders (medium-term)
  • Sharing expectations and clear roles and responsibilities of all parties (short-term to medium-term)
  • Providing technical process briefings as needed (medium-term)
  • Leveraging district chairs as partners in member engagement and education alongside the existing mechanisms for section chairs (short-term to medium-term)
  • Revamping the negotiations website to help provide guidance to members (short-term)

3.1 OMA staff and the NTF should increase the communication channels and tools used to enhance and improve their partnership with consistency leaders, including: 

  • Upholding early communications as a key principle to engage constituency groups (short-term)
  • Identifying and implementing multi-channel communication efforts with members (short-term)
  • Determining who needs to know what and when in advance using the developed roles and responsibilities (short-term)
  • Informing members on how to relay concerns through the appropriate channels and providing opportunity for two-way communication
  • Providing direct support and tools for physician leaders on what they can and should be sharing with their members (short-term to medium-term)

4.1 OMA staff and the NTF will set expectations for all involved in negotiations consultations, and more broadly include the bodies in the OMA’s governance structure to increase reach, demonstrate transparency, and improve engagement.

  • Roles and responsibilities will be circulated and available for all members (short-term to medium-term)
  • Develop a structure map of the negotiations cycle process, outlining (short-term to medium-term):
    • What happens when, including phases, key timelines and milestones
    • Who is communicated what and when. The understanding is that different groups will be communicated with at different points in the process. Moreover, this will allow for members to plan ahead, considering their commitments and capacity to be engaged
    • How that communication gets to different member groups: Identifying the groups and channels in which they will be communicated with
    • How subject matter experts will be engaged and when
    • Training and education opportunities
    • Use of NDAs, their importance, clarity on when they are used, and why they are needed
    • Transparency map: How, when and what will be shared
    • Evaluations, both process and outcome, outlining their use and which results will be shared

4.2 Build capacity for groups to fully participate by the inclusion of more executive members in the process, considering expanded use of NDAs (short-term to medium-term).

4.3 Leverage the OMA’s governance structure for engaging members beyond individual constituency groups. Specific entities to consider include the General Assembly, the networks and post-board calls. For example, leveraging the networks to discuss systems issues, or providing updates when large groups of physician leaders come together (medium-term).

4.4 Examine the equity of inconsistent tariff chair roles for each section and incorporate that into the constituency governance review. Sections need a specific interface with the NTF as to who is responsible, and it should be an elected leader. It has been noted that the chair role already has an enormous amount of responsibility and demands on their time. Tariff chairs (or other designated physician leaders) can focus on physician compensation and build technical expertise. 

4.5 Undertake an environmental scan with other provincial-territorial medical associations and their approach to negotiations. The scan will identify best and promising practices, including the identification of any trilateral processes to bring in groups early and engage them along the way as needed (short-term).