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This week’s Vitals is 837 words or a 3 min read. If you only have 1 minute, here are the highlights:
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Doctor shortage shrinking: Record recruitment has cut Manitoba’s doctor shortage nearly in half since 2023. Big gaps remain in specialist care, rural and northern regions, and retention.
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Check your tech before weekend: Manitoba stays on daylight time Nov. 1, but some devices and software may still turn clocks back. Confirm updates with IT and save a copy of next week’s schedule.
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Nominate a humanitarian: The Dr. Jack Armstrong Humanitarian Award honours physicians serving others in Canada or abroad. Nominations close December 13.
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Health system updates: we have a reminder from public health about RSV vaccines for different patient groups, and updates coming to eChart.
Plus, share your views on pharmacist prescribing in our confidential survey.
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Physician Shortage Update
Today, we released our annual report on the physician supply in Manitoba, something we track closely because it has been a top concern to physicians.
📈 The good news: Following sustained advocacy by Doctors Manitoba, the province saw a record net increase of 196 physicians last year. The overall doctor shortage is now nearly half its peak of 445 three years ago.
⚠️ What we’re watching: Recruitment gains aren’t reaching every area equally, and retention remains a challenge.
- Specialists: Short 217, more than 90% of the overall gap
- Rural/northern: Every region outside Winnipeg trails national peer groups, by up to 42%
- Retention: 658 physicians are considering leaving practice in the next three years
The bottom line: “Recruiting alone won't solve our shortages,” says Doctors Manitoba President Dr. Alon Altman. Manitoba must also make it easier for physicians to stay and practise, including by investing in equipment and technology, reducing unnecessary paperwork, expanding team-based care and strengthening physicians’ voices in health-care decisions.
Read the full update.
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Time Change Advice for Doctors
Manitoba is staying on daylight saving time permanently, but our technology may create some confusion next week after keep our clocks unchanged for the first time.
What’s being done: Doctors Manitoba has contacted Shared Health and several EMR vendors, who are working to keep appointment times accurate. But systems may need updates, and settings may still need to be checked.
Advice for physicians: we’ve compiled advice on how to get ready BEFORE the weekend, and what to watch after. A few checks before the weekend can help prevent scheduling errors and disruptions to patient care.
Read the full update.
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Nominate a Humanitarian of the Year
Each year, the Doctors Manitoba Awards celebrate the very best in our medical community. We're focusing on one award category each week while nominations are open.
🏆 The Dr. Jack Armstrong Humanitarian Award recognizes outstanding
contributions in the service of humanity, either in Canada or abroad.
❤️ Previous winners have dedicated their work to a humanitarian project or community service:
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2026 – Dr. Holly Hamilton supporting Aspen Winds/Vents de Tremble, which provides programming and housing for adults living with disabilities.
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2025 – Dr. Leif Sigurdson has taken part in humanitarian surgical missions around the world through Team Broken Earth and Operation Smile.
🎉 Supporting the cause: Doctors Manitoba helps to raise funds for the humanitarian or community service cause championed by the winner. Last year, we raised $22,525 for Aspen Winds.
Nominations for Humanitarian and all our awards are open until December 13, 2026.
👉 Know a physician whose service to others deserves recognition? Learn more about nominating a colleague today.
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Pharmacist Prescribing
There is still time to add your feedback about pharmacist prescribing expansions.
What’s happening? The opposition PCs introduced legislation that would let pharmacists assess and prescribe for more than 25 common conditions. Is Manitoba ready? Your input will help shape our advocacy. Read the full story.
Why it matters: We’ve heard from many physicians with different views. So far, feedback suggests:
- Comfort with expanded scopes of practice varies widely depending on the condition.
- Physicians appear more concerned about expanded pharmacist scopes in retail settings, worried about financial conflicts of interest, responsibility for follow up care or complications, missing or delayed diagnoses, or inappropriate prescribing.
📢 We need your perspective: Is Manitoba ready for more pharmacist prescribing? Your input will help inform our advocacy.
• Fill out the confidential survey.
Read our full story on this.
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RSV Products: Know the Difference
Manitoba has two RSV immunization programs with different products for different populations.
Infants: Nirsevimab (Beyfortus®), one dose in their first RSV season. Tariff code 8694.
Older adults: Arexvy or mRESVIA®, one lifetime dose for adults 80+ and eligible adults 60–79. Tariff code 8164.
📋 What’s next: Clinics not yet registered for nirsevimab can email vaccines@gov.mb.ca.
Get ordering details and tariff codes.
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eChart Improvements
eChart is adding a “Confidential Lock” for sensitive documents, plus three new document types physicians have requested.
⚠️ Heads up: Locked documents, starting with EDIS discharge summaries and VICS notes, will only be visible to prescribing providers. This may affect workflows that rely on searching eChart for them.
🆕 New Documents Coming Soon:
- Inpatient discharge summaries
- Operative reports
- Procedure notes
Read the full update.
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Interlake Outreach Visit
Doctors Manitoba President, Dr. Alon Altman and Theresa Oswald, Doctors Manitoba CEO, along with our staff visited physicians in several Interlake-Eastern communities on Tuesday, October 27.
We travelled to Ashern, Arborg, Eriksdale, Gimli, Stonewall, Stony Mountain and Teulon, meeting physicians working in hospitals, clinics and health centres along the way.
The visits were part of our continued outreach to see physicians where they work, to hear ideas, questions and concerns they have in their practices, and how Doctors Manitoba can help.
Physicians can always get in touch with us to raise concerns by emailing practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca.
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Doctors Manitoba’s job board has new practice opportunities at St. Mark Medical Clinic, Dr. Hughes Family Practice and Walk-In Clinick, Rehoboth Medical Clinic, and Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc., 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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Diagnostic Imaging Delays Documented: Our consultation with more than 65 physicians found imaging requisitions at Shared Health’s DI Central Intake sitting for weeks, sometimes months, before they’re acknowledged. 81% of physicians reported delayed diagnoses, and 61% reported worse patient outcomes. We’re calling for an urgent fix, so non-urgent requisitions are handled within two weeks. Read the full report.
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Measles Outbreak Declared Over: Manitoba Public Health declared the outbreak over effective October 16, after 1,038 cases. Routine MMR eligibility has resumed, with the first dose at 12 months or older. Keep considering measles in patients with fever and rash, and report suspected cases to Public Health the same day. Read the full update.
| | We feature events planned by Doctors Manitoba, as well as other events submitted by the medical community to share and connect with their peers. | | |
Connection Evening for Female Physicians Navigating a Cancer Diagnosis, November 3, 7 p.m. In person and virtual. Doctors Manitoba is hosting a confidential, physician-facilitated evening of connection and peer support for practicing female physicians navigating a cancer diagnosis, whether recent or part of a longer journey. Learn more and register.
DRMB Book Club, November 19, 6 p.m. on Zoom. Join us as we discuss The Road Between Us with author and pediatrician Dr. Bindu Suresh. Register here.
Leading High Performance Culture (PLI), November 20 and 21, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. Delta Hotel, Winnipeg. This two-day Physician Leadership Institute course, accredited for 13 hours, is for physicians in formal or informal leadership roles. Register by November 13. Learn more and reserve your spot.
World AIDS Day Cabaret 2026, November 27, 2026, 7:00 – 11:00 p.m. WAG-Qaumajuq. An unforgettable evening of storytelling, imagination, and magic. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Nine Circles Community Health Centre. Learn more and get tickets.
Effective Leadership in a Complex System, January 21, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Virtual. This course works to demystify social systems to help you develop better strategies to influence individuals and guide decision-making within a large, complex system. Learn more and register.
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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
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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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