Canadian Medical Association

09/02/2026

Across the country, doctors are seeing the harmful effects of social media use on children’s physical and mental health. That’s why we’re urging MPs to pass The Safe Social Media Act ( ) when they return to Parliament this fall.

Join us on Mon., Sept. 14 for a town hall discussion moderated by CMA CEO Alex Munter, featuring CMA President Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi and Emily Laidlaw, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law, to explore the scope of this important legislation, key policy questions that still need to be addressed — and how you can help.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4isLek4

09/01/2026

The Alberta government has taken an extraordinary step toward an American-style health care system where doctors can work in public and private care. While this may be good news for the rich, it is bad news for most Albertans.

The federal government must stand up for accessible public health care and urge Alberta to reconsider this made-in-America approach.

Our statement: https://bit.ly/4qOXGgq

08/31/2026

Powered by the ASKmeGOC digital tool, trained health care professionals at the Royal Victoria Health Centre now lead Goals of Care conversations with patients, saving physicians an estimated 10-20 minutes per discussion.

This innovative care planning tool not only saves time for physicians and reduces the administrative burden of notetaking — it empowers patients and their families to set goals that align with their values.

With support from the Health Care Unburdened Grant program — a collaboration between the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank investing $10M in 12 innovative initiatives to help reduce administrative burden — ASKmeGOC will be rolled out at 10 other locations, including acute care hospitals, community clinics and assisted living facilities.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4iC5YGb

08/28/2026

Canadian clinicians are saddened to see what’s happening in U.S. health care and science. However, this is also a vital opportunity for our nation. 🇨🇦

To build , we call on Canadian governments to streamline pathways so clinicians and researchers looking to relocate can get here quickly and continue their critical work.

Read more:

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Thursday that the federal government is providing $541 million in research funding to a tranche of new professors recruited into Canadian institutions from abroad.

08/28/2026

Canadian clinicians are saddened to see what’s happening in U.S. health care and science. However, this is also a vital opportunity for our nation. 🇨🇦

To build , we call on Canadian governments to streamline pathways so clinicians and researchers looking to relocate can get here quickly and continue their critical work.

Read more:

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced on Thursday that the federal government is providing $541 million in research funding to a tranche of new professors recruited into Canadian institutions from abroad.

08/25/2026

AI-driven tools are cutting down on paperwork and helping doctors reclaim what they need most: time.

That’s one of the key findings from a rapid evidence synthesis by the McMaster Health Forum (MHF), developed with funding from the CMA Foundation. The review looks at experiences in Canada and nine other countries around the world, and the results are compelling:

In Quebec, AI-supported scheduling cut radiologists’ appointment set up time in half.

In Ontario, a pilot project reported a 70% reduction in documentation time — saving each participant roughly four hours per week.

In Denmark, an AI-powered nurse assistant led to a 25% decrease in staff workload during night shifts.

While there are benefits to AI, there are also risks. We need collaboration between health care providers, governments and AI companies for the effective integration of new technology in health care.

AI-driven tools are cutting down on paperwork and helping doctors reclaim what they need most: time. That’s one of the key findings from a recent rapid evidence synthesis conducted by the McMaster Health Forum (MHF), developed with funding from the CMA Foundation. Drawing on a rapid evidence synth...

08/25/2026

This spring, we heard directly from more than 100 physicians about what’s working and what needs to change in health care.

Now, we’re getting ready to head back on the road with more of Canada's doctors.

This fall, CMA President Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi will make stops in Ottawa, Montreal, Kelowna, Saskatoon and Whitehorse to continue conversations with physicians across the country.

Before the next leg begins, read what we heard about access to care, administrative burden, AI and false health information during our spring tour ⬇️

Last spring, CMA president Dr. Bolu Ogunyemi and past president Dr.

08/24/2026

“Family members are often placed in the very difficult and stressful situation of making life-and-death decisions urgently without knowing the patient’s values and preferences.” – Dr. Doug Austgarden, critical care doctor at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre.

Dr. Austgarden is co-founder of AskmeGOC – a digital care planning tool that empowers trained health care professionals to lead Goals-of-Care conversations with patients and their families, to help ensure they happen at the right time in a patients’ journey. For physicians, this means time saved, an opportunity for improved wellness and more room for patient care.

With funding from the Health Care Unburdened Grant program — a collaboration between the Canadian Medical Association, MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank investing $10M in 12 innovative initiatives to help reduce administrative burden — ASKmeGOC will be rolled out at 10 other locations, including acute care hospitals, community clinics and assisted living facilities.

Read more: https://bit.ly/45L9re1

08/22/2026

08/21/2026

“Such major gaps in access to care should not be seen as normal or inevitable. My role is to call out these gaps by continually advocating for people to have access to the services they need.”

This month, we spoke with Dr. Yassen Tcholakov, Clinical Lead for Infectious Diseases at the Nunavik Department of Public Health in Kuujjuaq, Quebec, who emphasized how Indigenous strength, knowledge, and adaptability can help combat the health inequities facing remote Inuit communities.

Dr. Yassen Tcholakov is working to make things better in Nunavik, where Inuit communities face significant health challenges.