This article originally appeared in the Spring 2023 issue of the Ontario Medical Review magazine.
It is an honour to have been asked by the board of directors to serve as interim CEO of your Ontario Medical Association.
Please be reassured that the critical work the OMA does for members will continue uninterrupted during this transition.
Your association is in a great position to build on our work as a trusted voice in transforming Ontario’s health-care system.
My goal is two-fold: stability and moving the board’s priorities forward.
These priorities will ensure that the OMA drives forward on strengthening the trusted leadership role of doctors in building a better health-care system for the province.
Our focus remains on implementing the existing 2021 Physician Services Agreement and preparing for negotiations with the Ontario government for a new agreement this fall.
In addition, our work will focus on:
Through the OMA’s Prescription for Ontario: Doctors' 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care, we are advocating to strengthen Ontario’s health-care system. Since launching in October 2021, Prescription for Ontario has proven to be a highly influential document.
With the support of our 43,000 members, our priority continues to be promoting our plan’s 87 recommendations to the public, media, MPPs and party leaders.
Fifty of the 87 initiatives are in various stages of implementation from funding to some action, to proposed legislation. We acknowledge the growing collaboration among the government, health-care stakeholders and the OMA.
To keep it current, Prescription for Ontario will be updated annually while keeping the five pillars consistent.
We are embarking on another round of consultations this spring with members and stakeholders. Continued consultation will ensure that the Prescription stays relevant as the plan to fix the gaps in the health-care system.
Increasing access to team based primary care is ranked as a top priority in both member and stakeholder consultations to date.
Prescription for Ontario was created by Ontario’s doctors. You can have the chance to shape its refresh by joining one of our member consultations. Find out how you can get involved.
Once the consultation process is complete, we will report on how the government is doing against our recommendations in Prescription for Ontario.
The OMA will continue to build on its positive momentum and advocate for the critical issues that matter most to doctors and the health of all Ontarians.
John Bozzo
OMA Chief Executive Officer
The Ontario Medical Association is updating its Prescription for Ontario: Doctors’ 5-Point Plan for Better Health Care and wants to hear from members. Launched in 2021 as the OMA’s roadmap for the future of health care in Ontario, Prescription is being updated to reflect and respond to immediate priorities.
Over the next few months, the OMA will be consulting with members, stakeholders and the public to ensure our plan continues to address the most pressing patient and system needs. As part of this process, a series of four virtual consultations have been scheduled for members. Ontario’s doctors played an instrumental role in developing Prescription’s foundational 87 recommendations and continue to play an important role in shaping this year’s update. To date, member consultations have been held in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10.
The final two sessions will be held for Districts 6, 7 and 8 on April 17 and for members of Districts 5 and 11 on April 18, both from 7-9 p.m.