Winter 2025 (Volume 35, Number 4)

The AMRQ: A Year of Consolidation and Momentum for the Future

By Hugues Allard-Chamard, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Download PDF

The Association des médecins rhumatologues du Québec (AMRQ), in collaboration with the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), has seen negotiations with provincial authorities intensify in recent months. Despite significant ministerial changes that are currently slowing down negotiations, we hope for a swift resolution to the crucial issues related to the organization of care and remuneration for our approximately 160 Quebec rheumatologists, as well as access to the technical platforms necessary for optimal practice. We are also advocating for the inclusion of an arbitration clause to regulate working conditions in the event of a dispute, thereby ensuring fair and transparent processes for our members in the future and avoiding a repeat of the current negotiation stalemate with the next administration.

In order to modernize our practice, this year we launched a strategic initiative to evaluate the integration of ultrasound into our clinical practice. This project aims to fully recognize its diagnostic and therapeutic value and to ensure fair and appropriate remuneration.

In addition, our pilot project with the Institut de la pertinence des actes médicaux (IPAM), aimed at supporting medical practice in rheumatology, will continue its activities for the coming year pending renewal by the provincial government. Three sites are now fully operational, and we are confident that we will be able to continue rolling out this innovative project, which provides Quebec patients with better access to care.

At our annual conference held in Quebec City from October 2nd to 4th, 2025, we were pleased to present the AMRQ Merit Award to Dr. Gaëlle Chédeville, a pediatric rheumatologist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the discipline. We also inaugurated a new award: the Rising Star Award in Rheumatology in Quebec, presented to Dr. Arielle Mendel, a young rheumatologist at the MUHC whose research career is taking off in remarkable fashion.

Finally, we would like to emphasize that the past year has been rich in achievements, and that the coming year promises to be decisive for the improvement of our working conditions and the future of rheumatology in Quebec. The AMRQ will continue its efforts with determination, driven by the commitment of its members and the vision of its board of directors.

Together, we will continue to advance our specialty and provide quality care to patients in Quebec.

Hugues Allard-Chamard, MD, PhD, FRCPC
President of the Association des médecins rhumatologues du Québec
Montreal, Quebec