Winter 2016 (Volume 26, Number 4)

Update From the AMRQ

By Frédéric Morin, MD

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Fom one year to the next, I have the impression of announcing major changes in how medicine is practiced in Quebec! And so it is with 2017! Our busy Health Minister is tabling one bill after another in a carrot and stick game. To avoid cuts of up to 30% (!) in our income, we are being asked to accept a process of prioritized front-line access to specialized medicine, complete with performance targets. A single provincial form for rheumatology consultations will be implemented in early 2017. Appointments will then be made by a regional central authority, which means that we will need to give notice of availability three months in advance… We anticipate major disruptions from this bureaucratic entry and intrusion into our clinical practices. Despite everything, the Association des médecins rhumatologues du Québec (AMRQ) remains upbeat and is pursuing its own positive development. Our annual convention was held at the end of September and was a great success thanks to a synergistic association with members of the Société Française de Rhumatologie. Drs. Anne St-Pierre and Angèle Turcotte have ably prepared a Royal College section 3 credit program, called TOP 3 in rheumatology, which will be offered in spring 2017. Also in 2017, the AMRQ will be organizing a day focused on upgrading the skills of clinical nurses who work with our rheumatologists.

Finally, I would be remiss if I ended without congratulating my friend and colleague, Dr. Louis Bessette, on receiving the well-deserved 2016 Merit Scholarship from the AMRQ.

Frédéric Morin, MD
President,
Association des médecins rhumatologues du Québec
Montreal, Quebec