Year-end message from the Registrar

As the bustling holiday season is upon us, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the past six months and share my hopeful outlook for the coming year.

I took on the role of Registrar and CEO on July 1, six months earlier than I had anticipated. Leadership transitions can be difficult, but thanks to a dedicated and supportive team that was quick to adapt, our people and operations were minimally impacted.

My first challenge as Registrar and CEO was filling key roles within our core functions, which were left vacant in June due to retirements. Jeremy de Jong took over as interim Director of Registration in July. Dr. Nancy Dixon became interim Director of Complaints and Investigations until August, when Dr. Guillaume Poliquin joined CPSM as Assistant Registrar of the Complaints and Investigations Department. Effective November 25, Dr. Sonja Bruin was hired as the Assistant Registrar of the Quality Department, a position she had been covering in the interim since July.

I am profoundly confident in our leadership team and their commitment to building trust and confidence through meaningful engagement with registrants and the broader public we serve.

As Registrar, I am reminded daily that self-regulation is a privilege granted to the medical profession. With it comes the responsibility to monitor our competency, set our own standards, and address concerns about practice in the public interest. Regulating the medical profession extends far beyond CPSM; the job of regulation is on each of us as registrants– physicians, residents, physician assistants, clinical assistants, and medical learners in the province. CPSM is simply the organization tasked by the government to oversee the process.  

Speaking of government, dialogue is ongoing with Manitoba Health, Seniors, and Long-Term Care to ensure we have a voice regarding regulatory matters that impact patients and registrants.

Fulfilling our mandate to protect the public does not have to come at the expense of supporting registrants to be better and do better. Plans are underway to improve regulatory processes, where we can, within the Regulated Health Professions Act framework, reduce stigma and shame and motivate registrants to engage in self-regulation actively. 

The reality is that the majority of registrants work hard daily to deliver high standards within the medical profession. Education, continuous quality improvement, and self-reflection contribute to this.   

One of the things I look forward to is seeing good self-regulatory behaviours in action in the form of questions, queries, and comments of support I receive from registrants weekly. I am pleased that these email and phone conversations are sparked by curiosity and desire to engage in good self-regulatory behaviours.

I also enjoy receiving calls and emails from the public or organizations, reaching out to share a story about a positive interaction they experienced with a registrant or to commend a registrant. I take the time to embrace the recognition and ensure the praise is shared with the registrant.

Looking ahead to 2025

In early 2025, with guidance from the Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Circle, the Standard of Practice for Eliminating Anti-Indigenous Racism will be implemented. The Standard will be supported by a new, Indigenous-led Restorative Practices Program that will take a quality-focused approach to foster an environment of trust, respect, and healing to address anti-Indigenous racism in the practice of medicine. I want to thank Dr. Lisa Monkman, Chair of the CPSM Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Circle, for her willingness to take this journey with us and for helping us ensure we are making the intended impact. With humility, as we move forward on this evolving path, I ask for your patience and support. Watch for an update following the December Council meeting for more details.

Also, in 2025, we will hold a series of focus groups with registrants to collect feedback on a Standard of Practice outlining the principles of collaborative care. The Standard leans heavily on The Code of Ethics and Professionalism and will require registrants to conduct themselves with civility and in the best interest of patients while collaborating to provide patient care. After the focus group feedback, the Standard will go through the usual public consultation process. You can expect more information in the spring.

I want to thank everyone who has engaged with CPSM this year. Whether by participating in Council, working groups, or committees, as an auditor, participating with our quality improvement and assurance programs or in the complaints processes, responding to consultations, or reaching out to share your questions or concerns – you are actively self-regulating.

Thank you to those who invited me to speak at your events this fall. I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces and meeting registrants in person to hear important perspectives.  

Finally, I would like to thank the entire team at CPSM for your support during the transition and your willingness to adapt and work collaboratively toward our goals.

Being in this role for the past 6 months has been a pleasure and I am optimistic about everything we will accomplish together in 2025. With our leadership team in place and the momentum we’ve built, we are off to an incredible start. 

Wishing you all the joys of the season and health and happiness throughout the coming year. 

Ainslie Mihalchuk MD CCFP FCFP 

Registrar And CEO