- Curriculum Vitae
 - Position Paper
 - Specialist Issues
 - Family Practice Issues
 - Endorsements

 I will start out with an update on the Master Agreement negotiations. We have heard from the president that many meetings have been held and many issues have been identified. The area of contention is how many of these issues need to be resolved now and how soon resources will be channeled to these priorities. Our position is that these issues need to be resolved soon and with immediate funding. Resolving these issues is the object of the marathon sessions scheduled for August. Negotiations are entering a critical phase and although we should remain optimistic we should also be prepared for an impasse. As the OMA, as sections, as groups and as individual physicians we need to be prepared to support the negotiating team.

 The difficult issue of Bill 8 has entered a critical phase having passed third reading in the House. It is still possible to block the proclamation and implementation of the bill. With that intent I have met twice, the last time being July 5, with my local Liberal MPP John Milloy, to convince the government that this bill will have a chilling effect on the recruitment and retention of physicians to Ontario. It will also have a chilling effect on government /doctor relations. If you have local contacts with Liberal MPPs and wish to meet with them let me know. I will be happy to arrange a meeting and attend if you are interested.

 The MRC issue has been referred to Justice Peter Cory and although the terms of the study were slanted to the government side, the important issues should get proper consideration. There will be presentations to Justice Cory and if you have input that would be helpful contact me or the OMA. If there needs to be an audit process it needs to be fair. The problem of using the Schedule of Benefits as a legal document is a separate issue. There is a Bipartite (OMA-government) committee that is looking at problem areas of the Schedule. Your input to this process is important to reduce the ambiguity of the description of some codes in the Schedule. The initial intent of the Schedule of Benefits was meant to be a guide to billing and its strict and variable interpretations has created many of the audits we see today.

 Family Practice issues have been discussed at length at the negotiating table. It is my impression that substantial improvements are expected. Problems with access by solo practitioners, after hours, hospital remuneration, on call and reduced red tape have been addressed. My advice is to join a model that suits your practice style. If you are put off by the short comings of a model be assured that many of these concerns are being addressed at the negotiating table and will be resolved. If you have a small number of patients in your practice consider a FHG; if you have a medium to large practice consider the blended funding of a FHN. If you have questions of where you or your group fit in to the current or future models, please contact me. My membership on the Primary Care Delivery Models Committee and the Family Health Network Template Evaluation Committee has given me a good understanding of all the models. There has been interest at a high level at the Ministry of Health regarding the availability of a capitated model to interested physicians. This would be similar to the HSO or PCN models. Until that happens the FHN model has some of these features.

 If you have any questions please contact me at www.drjohncraig.com, at my office or home numbers.

John Craig
2 Park Avenue West, Elmira, Ontario, N2L 2W3
519-669-5493 (office)
519-746-3188 (home)

 - Directors Report
  (August 2004)
 - Annual Kitchener  Waterloo Academy of  Medicine Golf Tournament