April 17, 2025

This week’s Vitals: 1,058 / 4 min read 

Today’s Vitals is a 4-minute read. If you only have 1 minute, here are the highlights:

• Be a part of Manitoba's medical history at next week's HeartBeat event;
• We continue our nationally-recognized campaign to attract U.S. physicians to Manitoba;
• April has been a big month for politics, notably how the Leaders' Debates Commission failed to include health care as a theme for any of the federal election debates;
• Our rural tour continued with a visit to Selkirk last week; and
• Meet Dr. Versha Banerji and Dr. Shantanu Banerji, winners of our Medal of Excellence for 2025!

TOP STORIES

01

HeartBeat2025 – Be a part of Doctors Manitoba History!

In 1925, the Manitoba Medical Association held its annual meeting at the Hotel Fort Garry. The photo taken on that day reflects what the medical profession looked like then. Now, 100 years later, we are going to recreate this photo to celebrate the face of medicine today. 

Join us next Wednesday, April 23, at the Hotel Fort Garry as we gather to connect and celebrate the diversity and expertise of Manitoba’s physicians and medical learners. Here are some highlights of what to expect:

• Fireside Chat with Dr. Lisa Monkman and Premier Wab Kinew as they discuss the importance of diversity and the experience of breaking through in high-performing fields. 
• Presentation about the past, present and future of medicine, including the history of discrimination and mistreatment our colleagues have faced and the progress towards a more equitable profession.
• Get a free headshot from a professional photographer, which will also help to ensure we have images of today’s diverse and expert physicians. 
• Take part in a video we are producing that will reflect and celebrate the face of medicine in Manitoba. 
• The event will include our AGM, with a vote on extending membership to international medical graduates while they complete the Manitoba licensure program.

This event is free for our members and MLPIMG physicians. We can’t wait to see you there!

→ Click here to learn more and register. Be a part of our history and our future!

Attending the Rural and Remote Medicine Conference April 24-26? Start your stay in Winnipeg with HeartBeat2025 the night before.

02

U.S. Recruitment

We hear you loud and clear. In our 2025 Annual Physician Survey, you ranked the doctor shortage in Manitoba as your top concern. You are feeling the impact of the shortage in your practice, and are concerned about how it’s impacting your patients. 

That’s why we are continuing our nationally-recognized campaign to attract U.S. doctors to Manitoba as one part of our efforts to ease our physician shortage. 

We are pressing provincial leaders for specific policy changes to make it as easy as possible for U.S. board-certified physicians to move to Friendly Manitoba. These measures include simplifying the process for recognizing U.S. medical credentials, improving recruitment incentives and relocation assistance, and extending provincial recruitment efforts to independent physician practices. As our President Dr. Randy Guzman has said, doctors are the best doctor recruiters. 

Dr. Guzman laid out our requests in a Winnipeg Free Press op-ed on Tuesday. CTV National News featured our efforts in a story this week too. 

Of course, our work extends beyond U.S. recruitment. Please do contact us at practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca if you have suggestions or if you need help navigating recruitment.

03

Big Month for Politics

Two key events later this month: Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives will elect a new leader on April 26th, and the federal election is on Monday, April 28. 

Find out how to vote from Elections Canada. You can vote on election day on April 28, but advance polling stations will be open this long weekend, April 18-21. Special balloting for patients in hospitals will run April 20-22. 

Doctors Manitoba shares the CMA’s deep disappointment that the Leaders’ Debates Commission failed to include health care as an official theme at any of this month’s federal election debates. We agree wholeheartedly with Dr. Joss Reimer’s statement that Canadians deserve to know what each party’s plans are when it comes to health care, especially when data shows it continues to be among the top three issues for Canadians this election.

04

Rural Tour Visits Selkirk

Our team visited Selkirk last week as part of our rural tour. We know physician shortages are straining health care services in many rural communities, and that includes in Selkirk, the health centre of the Interlake Eastern region.



Read more about what we heard and where we are going next.

05

Medal of Excellence x2

Dr. Versha Banerji and Dr. Shantanu Banerji have demonstrated what it means to be stronger together, balancing their demanding work as clinician-scientists with their commitment to each other, their family, and their philanthropic work.

🏆 Read about all of our 2025 Doctors Manitoba Award recipients.

Our Annual Awards Gala has sold out in record time! However, we are working with the event planners to see if any additional seats can be added. We have created a wait list in case capacity can be added or existing seats open up, though we can’t offer any guarantees. Please email Cynthia Okojie at cokojie@doctorsmanitoba.ca if you are interested in purchasing tickets, and include how many you are looking for. We will keep track and get back to you as quickly as we can.

The 2025 Doctors Manitoba Awards Gala is proudly presented by MD Financial Management, Scotiabank and the Canadian Medical Association, with platinum sponsorship from Bokhaut CPA LLP

IN OTHER NEWS

Choosing Wisely Canada National Meeting

Join Choosing Wisely Canada in Winnipeg at the RBC Convention Centre on May 26 and 27, 2025, for their National Meeting, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association.

This year’s National Meeting theme, Less, but Better, challenges us to think beyond simply doing less. Ultimately, it’s about doing better—for patients, for the healthcare system, for the planet.

This edition of the annual meeting will take place over two days, packed with captivating speakers, networking opportunities, and ideas for tackling common overuse challenges in Canadian health systems.

Register now.

Spring Mentorship Event at the Leaf 

Many thanks to all the mentors and mentees who joined us at our Spring Mentorship event at the Leaf Monday! Thanks to you, it was an incredible evening of games and prizes, as well as a fun opportunity to reflect on the importance of these connections. If you’re not already involved, we’d love to have you join our program! Learn more here or contact Mentorship and Member Engagement Coordinator Cynthia Okojie at cokojie@doctorsmanitoba.ca.

HEALTH SYSTEM UPDATES

This week's health system updates, include:

• There have been changes to the new Manitoba Enhanced Pharmacare Program. Read about them here.
• We are working on an AI Playbook to help physicians who want to use AI Scribes. Read about it.
• There are some Changes to COVID Immunizations this spring. Find out more.
• Next week is National Immunization Week. Get involved and keep patients informed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Here are the most read and important recent stories, in case you missed them:

• Canada Disability Benefit Coming May 15 What will it mean for physicians who need to confirm eligibility?
• Your rebate bank for 2025 is available for expenses related to your continuing professional development. Learn more here. 
• Optometrists are without a contract and are being encouraged to withhold some care for patients. We want to hear about how this is impacting you. Read more here and share your feedback. 
• Physician remuneration increased by 2% on April 1! Read more about this and other important updates from our Board of Directors. 

EVENTS and CPD

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 Event:

Navigating tariffs: What physicians in Canada and their families need to know about financial impacts 

DATE: April 23, 7pm EDT, Virtual

OVERVIEW: Join MD Financial Management and MNP for this exclusive financial webinar designed for physicians in Canada and their families. Our knowledgeable panel will break down key insights, strategies and actions you can take to help navigate these economic shifts with confidence. Can’t attend the live webinar because you’re joining us at HeartBeat 2025? No problem, a recording of the webinar will be shared with those who register to watch on demand.

DETAILS: Register

HOSTED BY: MD Financial

Other Events:

Dr. David Crawford Memorial Run

DATE: June 1, 9am and CMU in Winnipeg

OVERVIEW: Run/Walk 3.3km or 5km to raise funds for the Dr. David Crawford Memorial Fund.

DETAILS: Register for the run.

HOSTED BY: Manitoba Runners Association

Introduction to Mindful Practice presented by Dr. Jillian Horton

DATE: June 7-8, 2025 at The Studio in Pineridge Hollow

OVERVIEW: Rooted in the evidence-based, JAMA-published Mindful Practice Program from the University of Rochester, this CPD accredited workshop teaches and deepens skills in meditation, self-awareness, and self-regulation

DETAILS: Sign up today! No previous experience with mindfulness is required.

HOSTED BY: Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Mental Health Rounds 

DATE: May 23, 2025 - 6th Floor, 363 Broadway, Winnipeg

OVERVIEW: Psychological injuries in the workplace- What role does WCB play?

DETAILS: RSVP by emailing alockste@wcb.mb.ca

HOSTED BY: WCB

Resuscitation Course for Acute Medicine Practicing Physicians (ReCAPP)

DATE: July 12, 2025, Clinical Learning and Simulation Facility, Brodie Centre

OVERVIEW: Designed to provide a high-quality, interactive educational opportunity for Canadian practicing physicians who are involved in the initial or ongoing care of acutely unstable patients, increasingly cared for outside the walls of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

DETAILS: Register.

HOSTED BY: Canadian Critical Care Society

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