Later this month, Canadian Medical Association (CMA) members in Alberta will cast their vote for the next president-elect candidate.
Five Alberta physicians are vying for the position of CMA president in 2022–23. They are:
- Dr. Vishal Bhella
- Dr. Michael Giuffre
- Dr. Noel Grisdale
- Dr. Alika Lafontaine
- Dr. James Makokis
While the CMA is proud to have a culturally diverse slate of candidates — including two candidates who have self-identified as Indigenous — there have been questions raised about the all-male slate.
The CMA is committed to ensuring its leadership reflects the wider physician community and is working to identify ways to eliminate the barriers contributing to the absence of women candidates in the president-elect selection process.
The CMA announced a new alphabetical geographic rotation for selecting the president-elect in spring 2020. Here is the rotation for the upcoming elections, to help potential candidates plan:
- British Columbia: 2022 election for 2023–2024 term
- Manitoba: 2023 election for 2024–2025 term
- New Brunswick: 2024 election for 2025–2026 term
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 2025 election for 2026–2027 term
More information on the president’s role, the nomination process and timelines
In the past five years, CMA members across various jurisdictions have elected three women presidents; each one has volunteered to mentor, coach and support women colleagues — important measures for potential candidates.
In addition, the CMA’s governance committee is reviewing its nomination and election process to further promote the involvement of women and candidates from diverse background in leadership positions at the CMA.
The CMA will share the election results on Feb. 26 once all eligible Alberta physicians have cast their vote. Apr. 1 is the deadline for an alternate nomination route. The final step is a ratification vote at the CMA AGM/General Council Elections, scheduled for Aug. 22, 2021 (virtually).