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A Message from Your Registrar and CPSA Council President
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August Messenger Special Edition 2021, Council, From the Registrar |
Posted August 31, 2021
By Dr. Scott McLeod and Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti
Read time: 2 minutes
It is a pleasure to be able to share our thoughts in this first-ever special edition of The Messenger, dedicated to addressing racism and discrimination in health care. As white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual descendants of European settlers with stable upbringings, we first want to recognize the considerable privilege we have been afforded. Given our experiences, you may be wondering why we have a voice in this issue. Please bear with us as we explain.
We are honoured to hold leadership roles within Alberta’s healthcare system. As a result, we have a duty to acknowledge the reality that systemic racism and discrimination exists in health care, and use our privileged position to advocate for positive change moving forward. As we recently saw at the CMA Annual General Meeting, the fixation on the old way of doing business can dramatically decrease our chances of advancing new ideas that promote diversity on key leadership boards.
Through profession-led regulation, physicians have a critical responsibility to set behavioural and regulatory expectations for the medical profession. CPSA has adopted the CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism as the guiding document for our profession in Alberta. We urge everyone to read the entire code, but by highlighting even a few clauses below, it is clear racism and discrimination are completely unacceptable within the medical profession.
| Clause C1: Accept the patient without discrimination (such as on the basis of age, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic characteristics, language, marital and family status, medical condition, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status).
Clause C31: Treat your colleagues with dignity and as persons worthy of respect. Colleagues include all learners, health care partners, and members of the health care team. Clause C43: Commit to collaborative and respectful relationships with Indigenous patients and communities through efforts to understand and implement the recommendations relevant to health care made in the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. |
Racism and discrimination are not only unprofessional, but they also lead to decreased quality of care and poor patient outcomes. Unfortunately, the general lack of action over many decades has resulted in the normalization of racist and discriminatory behaviour, which remains all too prevalent in our healthcare system—not to mention the colonial approach to medical regulation as a whole. Therefore, CPSA is dedicated to using our platform to promote change. The first step in our journey has been accepting the reality that systemic racism and discrimination exists. Now, our journey has shifted to learning where we can and should be doing more. CPSA has established two groups, the Indigenous Health Advisory Circle and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, that will help us do what’s right moving forward. Council members will be involved in each group as it goes through the process of listening to and learning from those with lived experience.
This will be a long journey to which all of us must be open and play an active role. The way to learn is to listen, and we are proud to have this space for physicians, medical learners and partners to share their perspectives on the issues that are most important to them. Each article in this special edition offers a unique lens through which we can engage in critical conversation; we encourage you to read this issue from front to back and give each voice the attention it deserves.
We know we’ll make mistakes along the way, but that will not stop us from doing everything we can to create a better future. As our colleague and contributor to this special edition, Dr. Alika Lafontaine, shared, the status quo “requires the excluded [and] disempowered to fully shoulder the burden of inclusion and change ourselves.”
We call on all physicians in Alberta, especially those in leadership roles, to follow this path with us and help make a difference in any way you possibly can. We cannot allow racism and discrimination to continue in our profession and we’re confident that, together, we can make our collective futures much brighter.
Excellent
Thank you Scott and Louis. The articles in this whole issue are wonderful.
Now CPSA has to listen without being defensive and “walk the talk”. As a female with Nigerian heritage, I have experienced racism, sexism and micro-agressions in our system. Some of the microagressions that were most hurtful came from my experience on CPSA Council. One of the problems I had in pointing out these micro-agressions was the defensiveness I faced. People would actually “not remember” the incident, deny it happened, or tell me I was the problem for interpreting a comment or action in such a way. I hope things are changing and that Council members have the insight to self reflect, and the courage to say something when these things happen. I don’t say this to shame CPSA, I applaud CPSA for taking the bold step of stating that there are problems. I say this to point out the difficulties that are going to face you when trying to change the culture. Not all racist, sexist or hurtful comments come from inherently bad people; in fact, the majority of them come from good people, and it is hard for them to admit they sometimes perpetuate a culture that is hurtful to others.
Dear Pauline,
Thank you for your comment and for sharing your experience on Council. We’re all on this journey together and we believe that, together, we can continuously improve towards the goal of stamping out racism and discrimination in health care. We look forward to learning and working together for a better future.
Thank you Scott, This is a graceful reply. I look forward to working with you too, and I am hopeful that the approach CPSA is now taking could have a positive impact on staff, Council, physicians and patients. I look forward to seeing the progress with meaningful actions, and data that supports what you say.
This is an excellent sample of important voices – thank you for amplifying them! I look forward to much more discussion of concrete ways that we can do better.
Hello Lori,
Thank you for taking the time to read our special edition. We look forward to working together to create a future without racism or discrimination of any kind.
The CPSA is the most racist organization in Alberta. You disciplined me for complaining about racism. Destroyed my medical career and cost me my livelihood.
You target visible minority physicians. Look to your disciplined physicians. Most are Arab Muslims, black and none white.
https://cpsa.ca/albertans/albertan-complaints/discipline-decisions/
The poor targeted physicians they either have to accept the accusation and move on with theirs lives or fight and get nowhere with a racist system that does not respect their rights.
However, serious complaints about white physicians (sexual violation of patients, abuse and harassments, discriminations, negligence and serious harm to patients up to death, poor patient care…. etc.) are covered up. Open your records and show us the complaints about white physician, and how are you handling complaint about white physicians.
Complaints about white physicians not only dismissed but not even given a complaint number or registered not even in the records.
Over the years you used visible minority physicians as escape goat to show the public you are protecting them when in reality you are protecting white dysfunctional and ethical physicians who are hurting Albertans. (sexual predators, incompetent physicians who cause death to several patients…… )
You should not talk about racism why you have a dark history and you still one of the most racist organization the physicians have to deal with. If you are serious about dealing with racism than fix the damages you have cause. Otherwise this is just lip service going with the flow.
The CPSA is the most racist organization in Alberta. You disciplined me for complaining/reporting about racism. Destroyed my medical career and cost me my livelihood. At the same time, you ignored others’ complaints about racism about the same individual(s) I was dealing with.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-health-minister-review-noose-grande-prairie-hospital-1.5636090
Your function is to police physicians, and you have done exactly what a racist police is doing, killing “the career” and charging the innocent none white physicians and covering up for the unprofessional white physicians.
Your history shows that, you target visible minority physicians. Look to your disciplined physicians. Most are Black, Arab, Muslims, and none white.
https://cpsa.ca/albertans/albertan-complaints/discipline-decisions/
The poor targeted physicians either have to accept the accusation, admit guilt and move on with their lives or fight and get nowhere with a racist system that does not respect their rights.
However, serious complaints about white physicians (sexual violation of patients, abuse and harassment, discriminations, negligence and serious harm to patients up to the cause of death of poor patients, poor patient care…. etc.) are covered up. Open your records and show us the complaints about white physicians, and how you are handling complaints about white physicians.
The noose incident is a good example and not an exception. It shows how complaints about white physicians are ignored.
Some complaints about white physicians not only dismissed but not even given a complaint number or registered so they aren’t even in the records.
Over the years you used visible minority physicians as scapegoats to show the public you are protecting them when in reality you are protecting white dysfunctional and unethical physicians who are hurting Albertans. (sexual predators, incompetent physicians who cause death and harmed to several patients…… )
You should not talk about racism because you have a dark history, and you are still one of the most racist organizations the physicians have to deal with. If you are serious about dealing with racism, then fix the damages you have caused. Otherwise this is just lip service going with the flow.
As far you think hanging a noose in the door of the operating room targeting a black physician is not racism, then you should not be in the business of protecting the public.
The interesting part, you ignored the black people and focused on the feelings of the white physicians.
” Complaints Director [44] Mr. Boyer presented the closing submissions of the Complaints Director. Mr. Boyer said the issues to be determined by the Hearing Tribunal were the motivations or what should have been readily apparent to Dr. Wessels, and what could be taken by others from hanging that noose on the door of operating room 4 on June 24, 2016. Dr. Wessels admitted to the act, and admitted it was inappropriate and contrary to the Code of Ethics. The evidence before the Hearing Tribunal supports a finding that the conduct amounts to unprofessional conduct. The remaining question asked by the parties was the motivation or lack of awareness behind hanging the rope on the door. – 11 – [45] In the evidence, the Hearing Tribunal heard about Dr. Wessels’ experience as a scout in South Africa. Mr. Boyer submitted that the Hearing Tribunal must look at the culture and circumstances that existed on June 24, 2016. The evidence indicates there was conflict in the orthopedic group and two separate offices had been created, with Dr. S.W. in one group and Dr. Wessels in another group. There was a culture of lack of cooperation and this was apparent to the staff. [46] Mr. Boyer submitted the Hearing Tribunal must look at the possible situations which could have existed on June 24, 2016, for example: 1. The noose was created to deliver a message of racial intimidation and threat; 2. The rope was a message sent to try to encourage or promote cohesiveness and team building; 3. The rope was a message of threat or condemnation of other members of the staff for a lack of following the rules and policies established by the hospital and Alberta Health Services; 4. There was an ongoing conflict between Dr. Wessels and Dr. S.W. and this was a message. Dr. S.W. received the message and brought his concerns to management.”
Dr S.W. is a white surgeon.
Dear Dr. Al-Ghamdi,
We appreciate the frustrations you have expressed and thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. CPSA acknowledges international medical graduates are overrepresented in our complaints and disciplinary process and we are working hard to address these issues. However, CPSA Tribunal Decisions are independent decisions made by the Tribunal after they have considered the evidence presented; we respect the Tribunal’s independence and are unable to comment on any specific decisions.
Nevertheless, CPSA takes issues of racism and discrimination very seriously and is committed to addressing these issues. This special edition of The Messenger is one way CPSA is taking steps to acknowledge and address such issues. CPSA has also recently committed to establishing an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee to assist us in understanding where we can influence and implement change to better address issues of racism and discrimination. We acknowledge these issues will not be eradicated overnight, but we are hoping these steps bring about positive change which will contribute to a better health care system for all Albertans.