Katy Shufelt *

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Candidate statement

I am proud to have served on Council for two terms and be seeking re-election in 2023. The core business of the CMPA is providing legal assistance to Canadian physicians. When facing this stressful circumstance, members can count on a high level of expertise and empathetic support from the CMPA’s medicolegal team. When you call the CMPA, you speak with a fellow physician who understands what you face on the frontline of health care. Similarly, the CMPA is governed by a Council of practicing physicians. I am an Interventional Cardiologist in a regional community hospital and teach through the Queens Family Medicine residency program and Trent University. Challenges faced in my practice motivate me to ensure Canadian physicians have a strong organization to support their medico-legal needs and ability to provide safe medical care.

Physicians face increasing demands from patients, colleges, hospitals and governments to do more with less. There are ongoing resource shortages from the pandemic and an aging population. Alternate health care providers overlap with the physicians’ role, EMRs increase our administrative workload and risk of privacy breaches and we are closely scrutinized in traditional and social media. We exist in a complex medicolegal environment which requires advocacy from our national organizations. As Chair of the Membership and Stakeholder Committee (2019-2022), I helped guide the formation of CMPA’s new department of Strategic Engagement and Advocacy, the goal of which is to work with stakeholders to protect the integrity of Canadian physicians and enhance their ability to practice safe medical care.

In my 2^nd term, I took part in hiring our new CEO and developing the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. Council ensured that CMPA’s compensation structure and working environment is modern and responsive to attract and retain the best talent. As Chair of the Legal Services Oversight Committee, I ensure members have highly effective legal services functioning in a fiscally responsible manner. We dropped member fees across all regions in 2022 due to responsible spending, robust actuarial modelling and good investment performance. I have deepened knowledge through Leadership and Corporate Governance courses at Harvard Business School. In 2022, I was elected by Council as 2^nd Vice President and am expected to serve as President in 2026-2028. I would be grateful for your support in continuing my mandate with re-election to the Ontario Division B position.