A year in review
Two-plus years into the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and medical learners across Canada continued to rise to the challenges of delivering care and advocating for much-needed changes in health.
In this association year, we have been proud to support, learn from and bring the profession together toward our shared vision of better health, health care and a thriving health workforce.
We had difficult conversations on the topics that mattered, partnered with the right people to find inclusive and sustainable solutions to complex problems, and set the stage for unprecedented change at the national level.
Physician advocacy – at the individual and organizational level – has never mattered more. Our accomplishments show that the experience and expertise of physicians and learners are important to Canadians and governments, and that together, we can have a greater impact.
Leading tough conversations
- We took a stand against increasing levels of physical and psychological harassment toward health care workers, playing an important role in getting federal legislation adopted to protect them, calling on social media companies to make their platforms safer spaces, and offering new supports and resources through our Physician Wellness Hub.
- We committed to reconciliation and improving the health care experience for Indigenous peoples, supporting the creation of The Unforgotten film that sheds light on the impacts of colonialism and systemic racism, and helping fund a national program to identify and support emerging Indigenous leaders in health.
- We took steps to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in medical leadership, encouraging members of traditionally under-represented groups to apply for our presidency, board and committees, connecting with physicians and medical learners on how to further eliminate structural barriers, and seizing opportunities such as International Women’s Day and Pride Month to amplify our broader call for change.
Convening for impact
- We partnered with the Canadian Nurses Association at two emergency summits, hearing from dozens of national and provincial organizations on the actions needed to ensure Canada’s health workforce is supported — including creating a robust data source of health human resources and implementing a multi-disciplinary nationwide health human resource strategy.
- We hosted a discussion on how to do health differently during the pandemic and beyond, bringing together close to 2,000 physicians, patients, policy-makers and others through our annual Health Summit series, and gathering solutions for how to rebuild the health workforce, and create a health system for the future.
- We reviewed developments in virtual care since the onset of the pandemic — together with the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada — making recommendations for how to better incorporate these services into Canada’s health care system.
Influencing national health care change
- We continued to shape the country’s pandemic response, including cautioning Canadians to stay vigilant as public health measures began to lift and calling on the federal government to help ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines internationally.
- We underscored the need to prioritize physicians’ well-being, releasing initial findings from our 2021 National Physician Health Survey that show the profound impacts the pandemic has had on their health — including record-high rates of burnout and many respondents considering stepping back from practice to recover.
- We highlighted the broader health impacts of the pandemic — including the estimated $1.3 billion backlog in medical procedures — as part of our ongoing advocacy to ensure governments make the necessary commitments to system capacity and the health workforce to improve and facilitate access to care during and after the pandemic.
- The CMA Group of Companies adheres to a formal Responsible Investing Policy and is committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with interim targets set for 2030 and 2040. The Investment Management team integrates sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into all aspects of its portfolio management and oversight.
- We're on track to meet 2030 investment portfolio climate targets — vital targets that are part of continued work to fight the devastating health impacts of climate change.
An accountable organization
The CMA continues its prudent financial management of the organization on behalf of members. The Audit and Finance Committee reports to the CMA board quarterly and is responsible for the overall financial management of the CMA.
The 2022 operating budget, approved by the CMA board, was prepared based on the 2022 work plan and the priorities outlined in this report — in particular, our pandemic response, physician wellness and laying the foundation to execute on our Impact 2040 priorities.
Overall, the CMA continues to be in excellent financial health. As disclosed in its non-consolidated financial statements, the CMA has over $3.2 billion in net assets (the net assets exclude the CMA Foundation).
View the 2021 CMA non-consolidated audited financial statements, which have been approved by the CMA board.
Annual membership fee – As per our bylaws, the CMA provides an annual update to members on its membership fees. For 2023, the CMA board approved maintaining the full membership fee for practising members at $195 and waiving it for medical students, residents and retired physicians.
Annual General Meeting 2022
The Annual General Meeting is a forum for members to ask questions of CMA leadership, vote on bylaw changes and other corporate matters, including the appointment of the external auditor.
Appointment of external auditor: Every year, members vote to approve the appointment of the external auditor who is responsible for examining the non-consolidated financial statements of the CMA, performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the statements, and preparing a report in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards. Members at the AGM will be asked to vote on a motion recommending that Ernst & Young LLP be appointed as external auditor until the next AGM.
Proposed bylaw changes: The CMA’s Act of Incorporation and Bylaws (last amended in August 2020) set out the objects of the association and governance parameters. Members at the AGM will be asked to vote on proposed bylaw changes to modernize the CMA nominations process as well as housekeeping changes. Click here for a detailed rationale for each proposed bylaw amendment outlined in the below motions AGM-2 and AGM-3, as well as marked-up versions of the relevant bylaw provisions. To learn more about the proposed bylaw changes, register for an information session.
Motion AGM-2: Bylaw Amendments – Modernizing the Nominations Process
- The bylaw amendments related to modernizing the nominations process (subsections 12.3.1, 12.3.3, 12.3.4 and 12.4.1) included in Appendix B of the Canadian Medical Association 2022 Report to Members are hereby adopted as the Bylaws of the Association.
Motion AGM-3: Bylaw Amendments – Housekeeping/Editorial
- The bylaw amendments related to housekeeping matters (chapters 10, 11, 12, 17, 19, 21, and 22) included in Appendix B of the Canadian Medical Association 2022 Report to Members are hereby adopted as the Bylaws of the Association.
Proposed amendments to the bylaws become effective when adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting at the AGM. At the AGM, members will also learn about engagement opportunities for co-creation of proposed bylaw changes related to equity, diversity and inclusion leading up to the AGM in Aug. 2023.
Corporate business proposals: Every year, the CMA welcomes member ideas and input on business- and governance-related matters. In 2021, the CMA received several corporate business proposals related to the CMA bylaws. An environmental scan demonstrated that the CMA is not an outlier vis-à-vis comparator organizations, and the CMA board supported maintaining the current state for the areas that were identified. The proposals illuminated themes around accountability and engagement, which will be the focus of upcoming member engagements on future governance changes. A report on the corporate business proposals will be provided at the AGM.
Report from the Committee on Ethics: As per our bylaws, the CMA provides an annual update to members on the Ethics Committee’s activities. In 2021–2022, the committee finalized the new Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry and developed the new Recommendations for Physician Innovators.
Nominations Committee report: update for delegates
As set out in the CMA bylaws, delegates are either appointed by virtue of their position or are appointed/elected by their provincial/territorial medical association or affiliate society. Their role is to ratify certain leadership positions at the CMA.
Every year, the CMA holds a nominations process to fill vacant positions on the board of directors and certain committees, as well as the position of president-elect. This process is organized through the Nominations Committee, which collaborates closely with stakeholder organizations to secure strong and balanced leadership candidates for the CMA and enhance diversity among its leadership positions. The Nominations Committee will bring a slate of candidates to delegates for ratification on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022, from 3:30 to 4 pm ET. The Nominations Committee report includes a bios for each nominee and information about the nominations, ratification and elections processes.
