What’s up with the New Logo?

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we are at a pivotal time in health care and the medical profession is not immune to these changes. The public has a much higher expectation of the health care they receive, people are much more informed and there is a slow but sure decrease in the trust the public has with self-regulation. If we want to continue to do our job effectively, we need to adapt to these changes. Our new logo is just one part of a much bigger shift in how we at CPSA will meet our mandate going forward.

Our new look

You’ll recognize that our new logo is a modern take on the Rod of Asclepius-the most recognizable symbol of health care in the world-with the staff and snake represented by half-circles and negative space. The four half-circles also symbolize our commitment to those we work with: Albertans, physicians, partners-including the facilities we accredit-and CPSA team members.

Our new logo, while much more contemporary than the old one, is not just a window dressing. Our team has spent the better part of the last year researching how CPSA is currently perceived by our audiences versus how we should be perceived.

All of that research told us we need to embrace and demonstrate, on a daily basis, some core characteristics of regulatory excellence. These characteristics include being Approachable, Collaborative, Consistent, Informed, Thorough and Transparent.

How does CPSA define these characteristics?

Approachable

CPSA believes in providing excellent service. We treat Albertans, physicians, partners and our team with respect and dignity in every interaction.

We connect with Albertans, physicians and partners outside of regulatory processes to balance our authority with mentorship. Through these meaningful interactions, we build trust with our communities.

There are a variety of ways to connect with us, and we are timely, respectful and accurate in our interactions. Because of this, Albertans, physicians, partners and our team trust that they can contact us with any questions or concerns.

Collaborative

CPSA believes great ideas come from working together. We welcome feedback from Albertans, physicians, partners and our team. When there are opportunities to influence change, we seek, listen to and consider feedback to make informed decisions.

We collaborate, share our perspectives and respect each other’s areas of expertise to create meaningful improvements for Alberta’s healthcare system. To be inclusive and informed, we consider diverse perspectives from Albertans, physicians, partners and our team.

Consistent

By setting clear expectations and applying due diligence and due process, Albertans, physicians, partners and our team know what to expect from us. This helps us protect Albertans and be fair in our approach to regulation.

Because we want to continue to learn and grow as an organization, we will evolve our approach when we need to. When processes change, we share the information openly, in a timely manner and explain the rationale.

Albertans, physicians, partners and our team can expect their interactions with us to be consistently helpful and respectful.

Informed

CPSA works diligently to earn the respect and trust of Albertans, physicians and partners through our knowledge and expertise. We commit to making evidence-based decisions and look for opportunities to be innovators in profession-led regulation. CPSA’s perspective is valued in the health care community where we can support change on significant healthcare issues.

We prioritize our involvement in the community and listen to the diverse perspectives of Albertans, physicians, partners and our team. We are helpful and respectful in all our interactions, providing timely and accurate information.

Thorough

CPSA’s decisions can have a profound effect on Albertans and physicians. Knowing this, we are diligent, thoughtful and carefully consider the facts to make informed decisions.

Knowing it’s our responsibility as a regulator to keep people informed, we make it easy for Albertans, physicians, partners and our team to access the information they want and need.

Because excellent service is at the core of our business, we have well-documented processes that are readily accessible and easy to understand.

Transparent

Transparency and trust go hand-in-hand. Whenever legislation and privacy laws allow, we share decision-making factors and hearing tribunal outcomes in an open and timely way. We make information for Albertans, physicians, partners and our team readily accessible and easy to understand.

We respect privacy and go to great lengths to protect confidential information. When sharing sensitive information about physicians, the facts are presented while respecting the public’s right to information and the physician’s dignity.

We seek feedback when there is the opportunity to influence change. After feedback has been considered, we follow up with those involved and share the outcomes of the decision.

What does all this mean?

None of this changes what we do as a regulator, but it does change how we do it. We recognize that, as the regulator, one part of our role is overseeing disciplinary action, but that is not really what we should be known for. We actually spend far more time helping physicians improve the care they provide, not disciplining them. But based on what we’ve heard, that’s not currently how we’re perceived.

Some members of the public perceive us to be too physician-centric when, really, we wholeheartedly embrace our mission of protecting the public. We just don’t think that means only punishing physicians. In fact, if you look back at the history of self-regulation, the concept of punish and publicize has not been very effective. The aviation and space industries have gone away from the “shame and blame” approach to safety years ago, and CPSA needs to go that way as well.

Our new logo is just one way to symbolize that we are going in a new direction while embracing the history of where we have come from. There is a long road in front of us, but the first step is always the most important.

As always, your comments are appreciated,

Scott