Alberta Doctors' Digest

Part of effective management is identifying what tasks are critical for you to complete and those that can be assigned to others.

The inquiry into Preferential Access to Publicly Funded Services has concluded, pending the issuance of a final report by the commissioner.

Alberta doctors volunteer their time to good causes both here and abroad. The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is celebrating how these simple actions can lead to big changes.

Dr. Dennis W. Jirsch, Editor, talks about his mound of past ADD issues that has grown to overflowing and rereading previous articles. The opinions expressed in Alberta Doctors’ Digest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association or its Board of Directors. The association reserves the right to edit all letters to the editor. The Alberta Medical Association assumes no responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice contained in Alberta Doctors’ Digest. Advertisements included in Alberta Doctors’ Digest are not necessarily endorsed by the Alberta Medical Association.

Dr. Noel B. Hershfield offers feedback on family care clinics.

On January 17, the University of Alberta kicked off celebrations marking a major milestone for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. The faculty--the first in Alberta, where thousands of Alberta's doctors and internationally renowned researchers have been trained--turns 100 this year.

Be prepared for a totally new experience with Windows 8. Dr. J. Barrie McCombs shares his insights into the redesigned operating system.

Pre-Frankenhealth, Alberta was in the top one-third of provinces for expertise and speed in decision-making on funding cancer related drugs and diagnostic tests; now, after the Great Leap Forward, we are probably in the bottom one-third.

It may be surprising to learn that Critical Illness insurance was not the brain-child of an insurance company, but of a doctor who helped with the very first heart transplants. He saw patients surviving what used to kill them, but at great financial cost.

Profound change often happens quietly and slowly--the "slow hunch" often developed over a very long time. So it has been with the tremendous changes occuring in medicine over the last 20 years.

We recently surveyed members to find out about their experience on the AMA website. Thanks to all of you who completed the survey--we had over 1,200 responses!

First and second year medical students from across the province gathered at The Banff Centre for the ninth annual AMSCAR conference, January 18-20.

Every company, organization and medical office provides a customer experience. The experience your patients have is a reflection on you.

Dr. N.B. Hershfield reviews a controversial new book. The author, Dr. David Healy, was one of the first physicians to suggest that Prozac and other antidepressants lead to increased rates of suicide, especially in children.

Alberta physicians are directly engaging patients in a series of five summits that are designed to be a catalyst for real, meaningful changes and innovations at a time when Alberta’s health care system is being confronted by financial constraints, inflationary cost pressures and a growing population.

On March 5, 2012, the Honorable John Vertes was appointed by the Health Quality Council of Alberta to act as a one-person panel to investigate the possibility of improper preferential access being given to publicly funded health services (otherwise described as “queue jumping”). The terms of reference of the inquiry were to firstly consider whether improper preferential access was occurring; and secondly, if so, to make recommendations to prevent such improper preferential access in the future.

Welcome to the March-April 2013 issue of the AMA's Alberta Doctors' Digest!

Welcome to the first podcast from the March-April 2013 Alberta Doctors' Digest. Listen to "From the Editor" - Dr. Dennis W. Jirsch wants us to consider our critical thinking skills.

Welcome to the first Alberta Doctors' Digest of 2013. The print magazine has undergone a transformation, but our podcasts remain the same! In this issue: hear from our editor as he discusses our health care system, learn how a new AMA database makes it easier for us to capture member input, find out about the connection between literacy and health, access a checklist for starting your own practice, hear about a PARA initiative for homeless Albertans, and much more!

Welcome to the final podcast of the Alberta Doctors' Digest for 2012, with host and editor-in-chief Marvin Polis. In this issue, listen to our usual departments including: From the Editor, Insurance Insights, Health Law Update, Mind Your Own Business, Web-footed MD and In a Different Vein. In addition, we feature a round-up of the Fall 2012 representative forum and annual general meeting, a documentary on Alberta's obstetrical care, the Tarrant Scholarship, four University of Alberta staff members recognized by the Canadian Association of Residents and Internes, expecting more from end-of-life care and more projects funded with help from the Emerging Leaders in Health Promotion grant program.