Dr. Annette Epp, President of the SMA made a stop in Prince Albert on May 10, 2023. (Saskatchewan Medical Association/Facebook)

By Derek Craddock

WORKING WITH DOCTORS

President of SMA speaks with physicians during visit in P.A.

May 11, 2023 | 2:00 PM

Delivering the best primary care to residents was one of many topics discussed by the President of the Saskatchewan Medical Association in Prince Albert.

Dr. Annette Epp was in the city on Wednesday night, meeting with members of the North Central Medical Staff Association.

The visit is part of a tour the SMA is putting on in the next few months, as they visit different communities to hear from local doctors.

Dr. Epp said that top of mind for many physicians is finding the best ways to deliver primary care, in light of the new physician compensation package unveiled last Friday.

The new compensation model will offer two streams of pay: A base payment for a standard list of services for each patient (like a per-capita payment), with the amount adjusted by the age, gender and complexity of each patient’s needs; and, an additional fee-for-service payment for extra services provided outside of the defined list of services.

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The plan is an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service model, under which a doctor is paid on the number of services provided.

The government said the change was considered after it heard concerns about the fee-for-service model from the SMA.

One other topic that is being discussed in this tour is the future negotiations with the association and the Ministry of Health on a new contract as the previous contract expired on March 31, 2022.

“Physicians want a new contract that is competitive with other jurisdictions and that contains provisions that will attract physicians to the province and retain them,” Dr. Epp said.

Other issues that were tackled during the visit include the backlog of surgeries, providing resources to prevent service shutdowns, and supporting physician wellness.

“Of course, there’s a lot of pressures in terms of access for patients and keeping doctors well and trying to address burnout and issues of recruitment and retention in this province,” said Epp. “The SMA is asking physicians, ‘How can we help you, help others.”

The tour will make stops in Swift Current, North Battleford and Regina in the next couple of months and eight other communities in the fall.

–With files from 650 CKOM

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow