President's Letter - April 2010

President's Letters | Apr 18, 2010

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Dear Colleagues,

I have paused a long time between letters, hoping for news. As yet, I cannot write anything of detail or clear value on three pressing topics:

• EMC/APPstaffing: The follow-up on the review process of issues at APP Emergency sites will end definitively within the next fortnight.

• Lower-Mainland consolidation: We may soon learn more about the VCHA plan for lower-Mainland “Regional Department of Emergency Medicine”.

• Health-Care restructuring: Budget announcements in early April will demonstrate the Government’s approach, and, more importantly, its true commitment, to solving the complex issues of our Health-care crisis.

Meanwhile there are some less divisive yet equally important topics and news that need to be highlighted with some urgency. Thus, I am going to send you a (relatively) short President’s letter now, anticipating a much longer one by mid-April covering developments on the topics above.

Spring in Vancouver: 15^th Annual BCMA Section of Emergency Medicine Conference, Monday May17^th, 2010, 0800-12:30 at Vancouver Convention Center. We have engaged excellent guest speakers. This is a great chance to compare notes with colleagues across the province from many sites.

The conference not designed to make a profit; it is thus not very expensive.  However, we count  on good turn-out to break-even. Please sign up for the conference today – see attached brochure or phone/email Gabrielle Lynch Staunton: (poster on home page).

Annual GeneralMeeting BCMA Section of Emergency Medicine:

Monday May 17^th,2010, 1300-15:30 at Vancouver Convention Center

The conference gets you into town; the AGM is vitally important. I step down as President as of June 1, 2010. We may wish to make changes to our mandate, additions to leadership succession & planning, and we need you to vote in the election of new President of the Section and confirmation of the Executive. If you are dissatisfied, we need your leadership in these tense times. Overcrowding, regional departments, contract language issues, possible local negotiations for 19 APP sites all are very stressful issues and require broad representative leadership, so that your executive should not be beholden to a single group, hospital, region or government. A balanced viewpoint keeps us unified as a profession. Please sign up for the conference today – and stay for the afternoon AGM : Participate!

Pre-Conference Dinner : Seasons in the Park, Sunday May 16^th, 2010. This will be the second-annual pre-conference dinner. It will be informal (no agenda other than fellowship) with a set menu (three choices). We have invited our  guest speakers and their wives. Last year it proved a lovely and enjoyable gathering. There will be a limited number of seats and I need the numbers soon. There is a separate charge for the dinner for all, except guests. Please sign up with Gabrielle.

Membership

The SEM executive are working hard for you.  We have in the last year achieved approval of funding by FFS billing for Trauma-team Leader, addressed cross-sectional billing issues with the BCMA, and successfully argued for access for all Emergency Physicians to a new Specialist Phone-call advice fee.  We have continued work on measurements & standards for ED care & overcrowding, uncapped APP physician staffing, fair and appropriate APP site template contract language and much more.  You are stronger and safer if all join and all share the burden, the cost and the work. Please sign-up if you have not already. Please urge your colleagues to do so as well.

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