Volume 8 no 3

GUEST EDITORIAL

Physician leadership needed now more than ever

Shannon Fraser, MD

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GUEST EDITORIAL

Physician leadership needed now more than ever

Shannon Fraser, MD

 

Never has society needed physician leadership more, and never has it been so challenging for many of us to take on those roles — although take them on we must.

 

That was one of the main themes to come through from the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership held in Toronto this year, as we gathered for the first time in-person in three years under the auspices of the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders. Those who attended took full advantage of the opportunity to network and catch up, while many Canadian physicians who still did not feel prepared for face-to-face interactions chimed in enthusiastically causing the meeting hashtag #CCPL2022 to trend on Twitter.

 

The meeting demonstrated how far physician leadership has come in terms of diversity and representation in recent years, although speakers, such as Dr. Ivy Bourgeault, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health Human Resources, showed how far we still have to travel while suggesting the tools we can use to get there.

 

For many, a highlight of the meeting saw four women physician leaders under the moderation of another woman present their hopes and fears for the future of health care in Canada. To paraphrase a comment made on Twitter: “As medical students, we often hear that we will be the generation that needs to fix the system. However, to witness a panel of such successful female physician leaders today and hear them say that they will provide structure to guide us is so powerful.”

 

The two opening speakers — former family physician, federal health minister, and now Queen’s University dean of health sciences, Dr. Jane Philpott, and Canadian Medical Association president, Dr. Katharine Smart — set the stage for what was to come in the two-day meeting of plenaries and workshops.

 

Dr. Philpott reminded us that patients are why we do all that we do; she also spoke of how health care reform and transformation are far more effective when patients are part of the team. She then turned to the profession and argued strongly that physician leadership, as we enter the post-pandemic period, is critically important. But Dr. Philpott also acknowledged the toll the last two years have taken on physicians and urged people to take time to rest, recharge, and then re-enter the fray with a renewed sense of purpose.

Dr. Smart said physicians have to develop new skill sets to function as leaders, and these include being able to communicate effectively to serve as advocates for better care. “I would challenge us as physicians to feel comfortable and ready to have hard conversations about health care reform, even if they may not be easy or even if we may be going up against popular opinion,” she said.

 

“Action feels better than anxiety,” said Dr. Courtney Howard, Yellowknife emergency physician and past-president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, as she and others spelled out the dire future for health and well-being if we fail to address climate change and other fundamental shifts in the ecological infrastructure.

 

The meeting made it clear that if physicians are willing to step up and take on leadership roles, then the will and resources exist for us to make a difference. Masking and responsible behaviour showed that, even during this sixth wave of the pandemic, it was possible to provide a useful forum to talk about the actions we can take to do better for ourselves and our colleagues.

 

Author

Shannon Fraser, MD, is president of the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders.

 

Correspondence to:

shannon.fraser@mcgill.ca

GUEST EDITORIAL

Physician leadership needed now more than ever

Shannon Fraser, MD

 

Never has society needed physician leadership more, and never has it been so challenging for many of us to take on those roles — although take them on we must.

 

That was one of the main themes to come through from the Canadian Conference on Physician Leadership held in Toronto this year, as we gathered for the first time in-person in three years under the auspices of the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders. Those who attended took full advantage of the opportunity to network and catch up, while many Canadian physicians who still did not feel prepared for face-to-face interactions chimed in enthusiastically causing the meeting hashtag #CCPL2022 to trend on Twitter.

 

The meeting demonstrated how far physician leadership has come in terms of diversity and representation in recent years, although speakers, such as Dr. Ivy Bourgeault, Canadian Institutes of Health Research Chair in Gender, Work and Health Human Resources, showed how far we still have to travel while suggesting the tools we can use to get there.

 

For many, a highlight of the meeting saw four women physician leaders under the moderation of another woman present their hopes and fears for the future of health care in Canada. To paraphrase a comment made on Twitter: “As medical students, we often hear that we will be the generation that needs to fix the system. However, to witness a panel of such successful female physician leaders today and hear them say that they will provide structure to guide us is so powerful.”

 

The two opening speakers — former family physician, federal health minister, and now Queen’s University dean of health sciences, Dr. Jane Philpott, and Canadian Medical Association president, Dr. Katharine Smart — set the stage for what was to come in the two-day meeting of plenaries and workshops.

 

Dr. Philpott reminded us that patients are why we do all that we do; she also spoke of how health care reform and transformation are far more effective when patients are part of the team. She then turned to the profession and argued strongly that physician leadership, as we enter the post-pandemic period, is critically important. But Dr. Philpott also acknowledged the toll the last two years have taken on physicians and urged people to take time to rest, recharge, and then re-enter the fray with a renewed sense of purpose.

Dr. Smart said physicians have to develop new skill sets to function as leaders, and these include being able to communicate effectively to serve as advocates for better care. “I would challenge us as physicians to feel comfortable and ready to have hard conversations about health care reform, even if they may not be easy or even if we may be going up against popular opinion,” she said.

 

“Action feels better than anxiety,” said Dr. Courtney Howard, Yellowknife emergency physician and past-president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, as she and others spelled out the dire future for health and well-being if we fail to address climate change and other fundamental shifts in the ecological infrastructure.

 

The meeting made it clear that if physicians are willing to step up and take on leadership roles, then the will and resources exist for us to make a difference. Masking and responsible behaviour showed that, even during this sixth wave of the pandemic, it was possible to provide a useful forum to talk about the actions we can take to do better for ourselves and our colleagues.

 

Author

Shannon Fraser, MD, is president of the Canadian Society of Physician Leaders.

 

Correspondence to:

shannon.fraser@mcgill.ca