Dr. Margot Burnell, medical oncologist and current chief of staff for Zone 2 of the Horizon Health Network, has been nominated as the Canadian Medical Association’s next president-elect.
The president of the CMA — elected by members from a different province or territory every year — is the primary spokesperson for the CMA’s work. They represent the CMA in the media, as well as to provincial and territorial medical associations, government and other stakeholder organizations.
Dr. Burnell has more than three decades of experience serving patients in New Brunswick. She is an associate professor of medicine at Dalhousie University, where she was the head of the department of oncology for eight years.
She has also participated in and chaired multiple committees associated with the provincial health authority, the Saint John and New Brunswick Medical Societies, the CMA, the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review and Hospice Greater Saint John. She has participated in many clinical trials and is co-chair of the supportive care committee for the Canadian Cancer Trials Group.
“Over several decades I have had the privilege of accompanying patients and their families on their cancer journey from screening through diagnosis, active treatment, to survivorship and palliative care. Compassionate, caring, empathetic physicians will build a trusting relationship with our patients that can never be displaced and is essential to the successful patient journey,” she said.
“I will champion the family physician who guides and supports our patients through life's challenges, the emergency doctor who treats life/limb threatening conditions, and the specialist who provides their skills and expertise in diagnosing and treating complex cases.”
Pending General Council approval at the CMA’s Annual General Meeting on May 29, 2024, Dr. Burnell will serve as president-elect until May 2025, when she will become CMA president for a one-year term.
Eligible CMA members in New Brunswick voted for the president-elect from Nov. 22 to Dec. 6, choosing between two candidates — Dr. Burnell and Dr. Jennifer Russell.