New CMA president tackles demographic issues.

With the early call for a federal election, new CMA President Dr. Cindy Forbes hit the road running — at a pace that threatens to continue all year. Not that it will faze Forbes. As a runner and competitive paddler, the 56-year-old family physician from Waverley, Nova Scotia, knows about endurance. And she also knows medical politics after 30 years in the fray, beginning in medical school. First up on her agenda is making the strategy for seniors’ health care a pivotal election issue, not only to prepare for the future but also to ensure the survival of Canada’s health system. Over65ers already account for nearly half of health spending; by 2031, their number will double and the load will threaten the entire system. “We’ll be asking [the new government] to call a first ministers’ meeting on the seniors’ strategy within 60 days of their mandate,” says Forbes, who began her term Aug. 26. “That’s our main focus, but we’re really looking for the federal government to get back into the health care.” The gap in federal attention is apparent in myriad ways, including the lack of impetus in establishing rules for physician-assisted dying, which are due in February. CMA will continue working on that thorny issue under Forbes. “CMA has been in the lead in bringing the physician voice to those discussions,” says the Halifax-born Forbes. Professionalism, pharmacare and medicinal marijuana may also be on her agenda. And it’s going to be a busy year at CMA itself, with decisions on whether to reno or replace its aging head office, plus the branding of NewCo, CMA’s new subsidiary of for-profit enterprises, including CMAJ. In addition, Forbes will nurture her pet issue: bringing the voices of young physicians to CMA. She sees this as mutually beneficial: younger doctors acquire leadership skills and an understanding of medical politics, and their involvement guides CMA’s efforts to be more relevant to its future members. “When [younger people] do join CMA, it’s not for reasons doctors joined several decades ago. We need to make sure that the CMA is relevant and valuable to them.” At this year’s General Council, CMA expanded its ambassador program and sponsored 30 younger members. CMA is also assessing its communications and the way it conducts business and meetings. “Those are all things that we recognize that we need to improve,” says Forbes. Products and services such as CMA’s clinical library, online resources and MD Management will also undergo a demographic rethink. Forbes says she feels “connected” to this initiative, in part because her daughters, Andrea and Kristie, are in their twenties, and Forbes began her career teaching health and science to young people. That interest in teaching New CMA president tackles demographic issues