Medical Matters: a national lens on regulation

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By Dr. Colleen Forestier, CPSA Registrar & CEO

Following Canada Day earlier this month, I spent some time reflecting on the dedication of the many healthcare professionals across this country who work every day to serve our diverse population, care for patients and strengthen the health systems we all rely on. 

That commitment was front and centre at the recent Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada (FMRAC) conference in Montreal, where medical regulators from across the country came together to learn, share experiences and collaborate on the opportunities and challenges facing our profession. While each jurisdiction has its own unique context, there was a clear foundational thread: safe patient care remains at the heart of what we do and why we do it.  

The theme of this year’s forum was “Regulating Physicians in the Era of Team-Based Care.” As healthcare delivery models continue to evolve, it is becoming ever more important for health profession regulators to collaborate with one another in support of high-quality, safe patient care.  

An example of this collaboration has been the ongoing work to improve physician mobility in Canada. This is a complex, multi-system initiative that extends far beyond medical regulation alone. While licensure is an important component, other factors must also be considered, including physician billing requirements, provincial legislation, hospital and facility credentialling processes and other jurisdiction-specific systems. 

As these conversations continue, it is important to recognize that physicians already benefit from streamlined pathways through existing labour mobility legislation, enabling physicians registered in one Canadian jurisdiction to obtain registration in another one more efficiently. While discussions about national licensure are valuable and important, they represent only one part of the broader physician distribution and access to care challenge. 

On a provincial level, CPSA has been working through recent legislative changes and amendments to better understand the impacts on regulation and how we can continue to guide physicians and physician assistants. We will keep you informed of any new or amended standards of practice through The Messenger and direct email, so please ensure your email address is current (and update it using the CPSA Portal, if needed). Part of your responsibility as a regulated member is ensuring you receive and act on information from the regulator. You can do so by adding info@cpsa.ab.ca to your safe senders list and avoiding “unsubscribing” from CPSA emails.  

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the South Calgary Primary Care Network for recently inviting me to speak with their members. It was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from family physicians working on the front lines of care. I appreciated the thoughtful questions, candid discussion and willingness to engage on issues that matter deeply to both the profession and the public. I left the conversation with a renewed appreciation that, regardless of our roles within the healthcare system, patients remain at the heart of this work. 

As we move through the summer months, I hope many of you have an opportunity to enjoy the pockets of sunshine and engage in activities that fill your cup.