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This week’s Vitals is 1,575 words or a 6-minute read. If you only have 1 minute, here are the highlights:
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New Learning Rebate for AI Scribes: We’re excited to announce our new AI Scribe Learning Rebate offering $500 to recognize the time away from your practice as you learn about this new technology, its risks and your professional obligations.
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Rural and Northern Outreach: Our team paid a visit to physicians in Brandon, capping off a series of outreach visits to all four rural and northern health regions in the province. We are inspired by your dedication to patients and commitment to your communities.
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Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status: Canada can no longer say it has eliminated measles due to sustained transmission for 12 months. Canada has recorded more than 5,000 measles cases since the fall of 2024, and Manitoba has more than its fair share of the total.
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Quebec Doctors Rally Against Bill 2: Doctors Mantioba stands with Quebec doctors who are rallying against Bill 2 and urging government officials to get back to the negotiating table.
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Family Medicine Forum Highlights Manitoba’s Momentum: The Doctors Manitoba booth was a hub of activity, with staff connecting both with local members and with out-of-province physicians curious about practicing here. Interest was especially high in Family Medicine Plus (FM+).
🏈 Plus, here’s still time to win Grey Cup tickets! Enter today (Thursday) by 11:59 p.m. We partnered this year with the Blue Bombers to share expert physician advice on injury and disease prevention, and now it’s your turn to win!
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New Learning Rebate for AI Scribes
We are excited to announce a new AI Scribe Learning Rebate to support physicians investing time in understanding this emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The new one-time rebate was approved by your Doctors Manitoba Board of Directors this fall and offers:
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$500 rebate to recognize the time invested in learning about AI scribes.
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$125 overhead supplement if you had to contribute to overhead costs while learning.
Bottom line: The AI Scribe Learning Rebate recognizes that learning takes time — and ensures physicians are supported as they prepare to adopt technology that could meaningfully reduce documentation burdens.
Learn more about AI Scribe Learning Rebate.
Full article 403 words / 1.5 min read
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Rural & Northern Outreach
Last week, our team visited physicians in Brandon, capping off a series of outreach visits to all four rural and northern health regions in the province. Across all regions, we’ve met physicians who are dedicated to serving patients in their communities, and to doing their best to maintain services that are, at times, on the edge of suspension due to physician or staff shortages.
We’ve also seen firsthand the frustration and burnout among physicians due to workload or system challenges that get in the way of providing care to patients. In many cases, a strong working relationship among physicians has been vital to supporting each other through challenges and seeing improvements too.
Physician concerns have been carefully logged and our team is following up with the RHAs, Shared Health and Manitoba Health. Physicians can look for updates via email in the weeks ahead. Physicians working in rural and northern Manitoba are reminded of the new Rural Retention Rebate, expected to be at least $25,000 after three consecutive years of eligible service (at least 108 days per year).
📅 Save the date: Join us in Portage la Prairie for our Doctors Manitoba Annual General Meeting on April 15. Watch for updates from the Board of Directors this winter with more details!
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Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status
What’s new: Canada no longer holds measles elimination status, due to sustained transmission for more than 12 months.
- Manitoba has seen 247 confirmed cases this year, with only 18 occurring from January 2000 to January 2025.
- Since the fall of 2024, Canada has recorded more than 5,000 measles cases in nine provinces and one territory.
- Canada held measles elimination status for 27 years.
- Measles elimination status can be re-established once the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months.
CMA President Dr. Margot Burnell called for everyone to work together to eliminate measles again.
“Although measles is a highly infectious disease, it was eliminated in Canada in 1998 thanks to the hard work of Canadians, health care providers and governments and a national commitment to get vaccinated. For more than 25 years, we collectively held measles at bay. We can do it again.”
Learn more: We’re keeping track of measles updates and resources for physicians on the Doctors Manitoba Measles Update page, including links to all exposure sites and symptom monitoring windows.
We’re also promoting the importance of immunization through our Getting Healthy public awareness campaign.
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Quebec Doctors Rally Against Bill 2
What’s happening: Nearly 13,000 Quebec doctors packed an arena on Sunday to rally against Bill 2, a new provincial law that unilaterally cuts physician remuneration and imposes new performance expectations.
Why it matters: Canadian Medical Association President Dr. Margot Burnell is calling on the Quebec government to get back to the negotiation table. "Something has to give, and what will give will be quality of care,” she told CTV News. “We cannot sacrifice quality of care.”
- The law ties 10% of compensation to performance targets set by the government and fines doctors tens of thousands of dollars a day for various infractions.
- Some of the targets include ensuring 75% of emergency department patients are seen within 90 minutes and 97% of surgeries are completed within a year of assessment, actions that are often beyond the control of physicians.
- The contract also imposes capitation on family physicians, paying them a fixed sum per patient.
Our take: We’re in today’s Free Press noting Quebec is a cautionary reminder that when politicians arbitrarily change the rules of medical care without engaging physicians as partners, patients suffer.
If you hear from colleagues in Quebec who are feeling distress and considering a move, you can invite them to contact us at practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca.
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Family Medicine Forum Highlights Manitoba’s Momentum
Winnipeg hosted the national Family Medicine Forum last week, drawing family physicians from across Canada — and plenty of attention to Manitoba’s progress.
Why it matters: The Doctors Manitoba booth was a hub of activity, with staff connecting with both local members and with out-of-province physicians curious about practicing here.
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Interest was especially high in Family Medicine Plus (FM+), Manitoba’s funding model for longitudinal family medicine — and it even caught the Winnipeg Free Press’s eye. In Saturday’s feature story, Dr. Nichelle Desilets, President of Doctors Manitoba, called the model “a game-changer” for physicians.
Bottom line: Manitoba’s collaborative approach — through FM+ and beyond — is paying off on recruiting family doctors, and we’re pressing for similar results for other specialties too.
Read more about how Family Medicine Plus is increasing and equalizing access to patient care.
Full article 305 words / 1.5 min read
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It’s Award Season!
Each year, the Doctors Manitoba Awards celebrate the very best in our medical community. This week we’re profiling the Doctors Manitoba Medal of Excellence, one of five categories.
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This award recognizes up to three members who demonstrate excellence in the medical profession and whose actions are a source of inspiration for other physicians.
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Recent winners include Dr. Tamara Buchel, Dr. Wendy Smith, Dr. Sara Goulet, Dr. Helen Pymar, Dr. Kristel can Ineveld, Dr. Versha Banerji and Dr. Shantanu Banerji.
📆 Nominations are due by December 15, 2025.
Awards are presented at our Annual Awards Gala, planned for Friday, May 1, 2026.
➡️ Learn more and start a nomination!
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Become an MMI Rater
The Max Rady College of Medicine is recruiting raters for its 2026 Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process. This is an essential step in evaluating future medical students’ readiness for compassionate, competent care.
What’s happening:
- The 2026 MMI will run February 8–9, 2026, with the rating period from February 17 to March 10, 2026.
- All interviews and assessments are completed virtually, requiring access to a computer or mobile device with Wi-Fi or data.
- Time commitment: about 16–20 hours, including:
- 1 hour implicit bias training
- 1 hour anti-racism policy review
- 1–2 hours UM Learn modules
- 1.5 hours question rubric training
- 12–15 hours rating interviews (minimum 30 interviews)
👥 Who can apply: Physicians, clinicians, faculty, and staff are invited to participate.
🕓 Deadline: Register by Friday, December 19, 2025.
How to apply:
Complete the MMI Rater Registration – Physician, Clinician, Faculty and Staff form and the optional MMI Evaluator Survey.
📧 Questions? Contact UGME.admissions@umanitoba.ca
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Blood Banks Changing Plasma Inventory
All Manitoba blood banks that store and distribute apheresis plasma have begun transitioning to pathogen-reduced (psoralen-treated) apheresis plasma, produced by Canadian Blood Services.
How it works:
- The INTERCEPT Blood System (Cerus Corporation), approved by Health Canada in 2016, inactivates a broad spectrum of viruses, bacteria, spirochetes, and parasites, as well as residual donor white blood cells in while blood-derived or pheresis plasma.
- The technology, already in use for platelet processing since 2022, now extends to plasma components.
- The treatment enhances plasma safety without altering its clinical performance for most patients.
🩸 What to expect:
- S/D (solvent detergent) plasma remains the main plasma distributed in Manitoba.
- Pathogen-reduced plasma will begin appearing in some inventories.
- There’s no immediate change to ordering or supply processes.
⚕️ Clinical note:
While this technology improves safety, some additional contraindications may apply. Clinicians should review product details before transfusion.
References/Resources:
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Breastfeeding & HIV in 2025 and Antepartum Hand-Expression
Join Dr. Christina Ramondi, Dr. Katherine Kearns, Dr. Vanessa Poliquin, and Kira Friesen for an evening of learning, connection, and hands-on engagement regarding breastfeeding in the context of HIV and ante-partum hand-expression.
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 p.m.
📍 Location: WN2031, Women’s Hospital (665 William Avenue)
This event is CME-accredited and made possible through funding by Doctors Manitoba.
Please RSVP by emailing dchaytor@hsc.mb.ca.
Learn more here.
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Doctors Manitoba is seeking candidates for the following positions. Please share!
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Practice Advisor: This role is focused on helping physicians in their practice. The practice advisor will visit clinics across Manitoba, listen to physicians’ challenges, and offer advice on how to run a practice, navigate billing, improve efficiency and address system frustrations. View the job posting.
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Getting Healthy Outreach Coordinators (Summer Interns): Seeking two enthusiastic and motivated medical students to support our Getting Healthy initiative. This summer role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to public health awareness while building skills in health promotion, content creation, and community engagement. View the job posting.
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Doctors Manitoba’s job board has three new practice opportunities for physicians at Family Care Medical Center and Nine Circles Community Health Centre, along with dozens more opportunities previously listed. Check it out!
Placing a job ad on our site is free – add one here.
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Here are the most-read and important recent stories, in case you missed them:
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HSC Safety: Progress on HSC safety actions at the same time a psychiatrist is brutally assaulted – an unnecessary reminder even more action is needed. Read our full coverage.
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Referral and Consultation Summit Recap: More than 100 physicians and health system leaders came together to discuss solutions that could make it easier for referring and consulting physicians to collaborate – watch for draft recommendations later this month! Read our recap.
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Survey Opportunity: Long Term Care is looking for physician feedback on medical assessments. Please take a few minutes to complete the anonymous survey by November 21.
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We feature events planned by Doctors Manitoba, as well as other events submitted by the medical community to share and connect with their peers.
Featured Events:
Information on Peer Support for Physicians: Evidence and Ways to Access Support Explore the different ways physicians across Manitoba are creating a culture of connection through peer support.
📅 NEW Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
💻 Location: Zoom Meeting
Register here!
In Our Own Words: Stories of Identity in Medicine Physicians, residents and medical learners are invited to join us for an evening of reflection and storytelling to explore identity, culture and lived experience in medicine.
📅 When: December 4, 2025, 5:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 Where: Doctors Manitoba, 20 Desjardins Drive
📢 Who: All equity-denied members (physicians, residents and medical learners)
Register today.
Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) Knowledge Exchange Days 2025, November 12 – December 3. Virtual. This weekly series will explore the challenges, success and future of addictions medicine in Manitoba. Learn more and register here.
Opioid Agonist Therapy 101: Introduction to Clinical Practice, November 13 – 14, Thompson, and November 20-21, Winnipeg. These workshops will equip you with new knowledge and skills around opioid addiction and the resources available to support patients. Learn more and register here.
Sport Medicine Football Symposium, November 15, presented by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Medical team in partnership with CASEM. Develop and enhance knowledge of and skill in the care of athletes and common musculoskeletal problems seen in primary care. Learn more and register here.
Movement Disorder Clinic Conference for Healthcare Providers, November 20, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Deer Lodge Centre. Learn more about Parkinson’s disease. Learn more and register here.
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We are here to support the whole physician.
Every step of the way.
Your health & well-being are important to us.
Visit DRMB.ca/HELP to connect to support services or call 1.844.433.3762
For all other support, including benefits and insurance support,
career resources or practice advice please
email general@doctorsmanitoba.ca or call 204.985.5888
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Visit DRMB.ca/Bannatyne for more information on our Bannatyne office and to view the full calendar.
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