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Ontario Medical Association

Ontario Medical Association
AbbreviationOMA
Formation1880; Foundation 1881.
TypeProfessional Association
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario, Canada
MembershipMore than 39,000[1]
Official language
English
President
Dr. Andrew Park
President-Elect
Dr. Dominik Nowak
CEO
Ms. Kimberly Moran
Websitewww.oma.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is a membership organization that represents the political, clinical and economic interests of Ontario physicians. Practising physicians, residents, and medical students enrolled in any of the six Ontario faculties of medicine are eligible for OMA membership. The OMA runs programs to encourage healthy living practices and illness prevention.

History

The OMA was founded in 1880 by physicians across the province of Ontario who encouraged the profession to unite and form a provincial medical association.

The OMA is governed by a board of directors. The board is made up of 11 directors: eight physician directors and three non-physician directors. The officers of the board are the chair, president, president-elect and the immediate past president. The president-elect and immediate past president are non-voting observers on the board.

The General Assembly is another large member body that collects member input to help identify and recommend organizational priorities to the board, including opportunities and challenges facing the profession. The General Assembly is composed of the General Assembly steering committee, the Priority and Leadership Group, the three panels and working groups.

Membership and structure

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) represents more than 43,000 physicians and medical students across the province.[2] While membership is voluntary, as of 1991, all practicing physicians in Ontario are mandated by law[3] to pay dues to the organization, regardless of whether or not they choose to be members. The Ministry of Health recognizes the organization as the sole negotiator on behalf of physicians in Ontario and has been called a union by Bob Rae, a claim rejected by the OMA.[4][5]

Publications

Ontario Medical Review

The Ontario Medical Review has played a pivotal role in documenting the achievements of Ontario's physicians and providing thoughtful, in-depth stories about the challenges facing the province's health-care system for more than 100 years.

Published quarterly and delivered to 39,000 physicians, the magazine reaches family doctors, specialists and residents, as well as medical students, in every corner of the province. It is a vital source of information about how the Ontario Medical Association is advocating for health-system modernization and improved care for Ontario patients. Recent stories showcasing physician expertise include an article on how OMA health-care advocates affect system change, tackling physician burnout to narrowing the gender pay gap in medicine.

First launched as the Bulletin in 1922 and renamed the Ontario Medical Review in 1943, the magazine is one of the oldest and most trusted medical publications in Canada. Today's OMR continues the tradition of being a vital conduit to the experience of Ontario physicians on the front lines of medicine, where they are working hard every day to meet their patients’ needs and lay the groundwork for a better health-care system.[6]

Foundation

The OMA engages in fundraising and philanthropy through the Ontario Medical Foundation (OMF). Starting in 2018, the OMF began a transformation to dedicate more time and funds to charitable causes beyond its community of members.[7] The OMF has received donations and sponsorships from over 7000 sponsors including individuals, corporations and societies. Some of the foundation's largest donors are Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, the Canadian Medical Association, GlaxoSmithKline, KPMG, Merck Frosst, Pfizer Canada, Pharmacia, Royal Bank of Canada and Sun Life Financial.[8]

Ontario Medical Schools

See also

References

  1. ^ "Membership Benefits". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
  2. ^ "About the OMA". Archived from the original on 2011-08-14.
  3. ^ "Law Document English View | Ontario.ca".
  4. ^ "Physicians Services Agreement". Archived from the original on 2016-08-26.
  5. ^ Ferguson, Rob; Boyle, Theresa (2017-02-08). "OMA is a 'union' out for more cash for MDs, Bob Rae says". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  6. ^ "Ontario Medical Review". Archived from the original on 2012-05-24.
  7. ^ "Our transformation". Ontario Medical Association. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  8. ^ "Your impact". Ontario Medical Association. Archived from the original on 2022-02-16. Retrieved 2022-03-08.