I wanted to start by thanking all our members who participated in the 2022-2023 OMA elections. Your courage to put your names forward and seek the support of your peers can be a daunting experience, and I want you to know that we really appreciate your energy and enthusiasm to serve the membership.
We now have a seasoned board, a new president-elect and a slate of both rookie and veteran constituency leaders guiding the way forward. I believe the OMA is well positioned to continue its strong advocacy for members while finding innovative health-care system solutions to improve the professional and personal lives of physicians and their patients.
This year, as part of governance transformation, the OMA will hold a unique and one-time byelection, with nominations opening on Wednesday, Feb. 15, to enable strong local representation and leadership, while enhancing advocacy and community engagement. Members will elect a newly created district vice-chair and member-at-large positions to support each OMA district. Most of these positions are for a two-year term.
These roles reflect the commitment the OMA made through governance transformation to conduct a review of all constituency groups, including sections, districts, branch societies, medical interest groups and fora. The development of new charters for each constituency type is the first phase of the review, starting with OMA districts.
OMA staff worked with district chairs throughout 2022 to define the role of districts in supporting members and advocating for the system and policy issues relevant to their local constituency, and to develop a leadership structure that would support their work. The board approved these changes at its Feb. 1 meeting.
Please consider running for one of these newly created positions. As an organization, we are making an impact, but we need strong leaders to keep the momentum going!
To learn more about these roles, and how to participate, please visit the OMA byelections webpage and district webpage. You may also reach out at info@oma.org and we will respond to you promptly.
With gratitude,
Adam