OTTAWA, August 14, 2023—The Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) held its 2023 Annual Meeting and Conference today. The event was held both online and onsite in Montréal, Québec.
During the CMPA Annual Meeting, President, Dr. Jean-Hugues Brossard, and CEO, Dr. Lisa Calder, discussed how the Association continued to support and advise its 109,000+ physician members, compensate patients proven harmed by negligent medical care, and enhance patient safety over the past year.
One of the Association’s main priorities is to promote patient safety through member education, advice, and support. But when it’s proven that negligent care has occurred, both doctors and their patients can be confident that the CMPA is there to provide appropriate compensation that reflects the long-term care needs of patients and their families.
“In 2022, the Association paid $279 million in compensation to patients, on behalf of physician members, proven harmed by negligent medical care (fault in Québec),” said Dr. Jean-Hugues Brossard, CMPA President. “Over the past 10 years, the CMPA has paid $2.3 billion in compensation to patients or an average of $229 million per year.”
In addition to presenting the results of its financial performance, patient safety, and other key strategic initiatives, the CMPA shared its progress on its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy, launched last year. As an organization that protects doctors and promotes safe medical care, the CMPA is dedicated to helping mitigate bias and inequity in their services.
“Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion is an ongoing journey,” said Dr. Lisa Calder, CEO. “We know doctors and patients experience racism and inequities and that this significantly affects physicians, threatens patient safety, and creates medico-legal risk.”
“Over the past year,” continued Dr. Calder, “we provided CMPA leadership with comprehensive EDI and anti-bias training; we’ve consulted with Indigenous leaders and stakeholders, exploring culturally sensitive approaches to resolution of concerns arising from medical care; and we are exploring restorative approaches to healthcare related harm in the medico-legal environment.”
The CMPA will continue this important work, to strengthen its ability to provide physician members with fair, equitable, and inclusive support and deliver on its mandate to advise and assist Canadian doctors with medico-legal matters related to their practice and to advance patient safety.
For more information, or to arrange an interview: [email protected].
About the CMPA
The CMPA empowers better healthcare by delivering efficient, high-quality physician-to-physician advice and assistance in medico-legal matters. Importantly, the CMPA provides appropriate compensation, on behalf of our members, to patients injured by negligent medical care (fault in Québec). Our peer-reviewed research results in evidence-based products and services focused on enhancing patient safety and reducing patient harm and healthcare costs.
As Canada’s largest physician organization and with the support of our 109,000+ physician members, the CMPA collaborates, advocates, and effects positive change on important healthcare and medico-legal issues. The Association is governed by an elected Council of physicians.
