Winter 2021 (Volume 31, Number 4)
Report from the Human Resources Committee
By Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC; and Jessica Widdifield, PhD
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The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Human
Resources Committee has completed several
major projects over the last year, which have helped
us gain a better understanding of the issues facing the
workforce.
Publication of study on factors influencing
rheumatology residents’ decisions regarding
future practice location:1
This study reports on the results of a rheumatology resident
survey on factors influencing future practice location. The
main findings were that the majority of residents plan to
practice in the same province where they completed their
training. There were some training gaps identified, including
limited training in telehealth and travelling clinics,
and few electives in smaller centres. The work highlights
that further strategies need to be developed to increase
exposure of rheumatology trainees to underserved areas
and populations to address the regional maldistribution of
rheumatologists.
CRA Workforce and Wellness Survey Finalized:2
The workforce survey was completed in March 2021. The
findings highlight an ongoing deficit of rheumatologists
across Canada and high levels of burnout among Canadian
rheumatologists during the pandemic. The results were
presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual
Scientific Meeting, and the manuscript is presently
under review for publication at the Journal of Rheumatology.
The study will also be disseminated at the CRA Annual
Scientific Meeting in 2022. The committee will look to develop
strategies to address the findings of the survey in the
upcoming year.
CRA Workforce Technical Report and Position Paper
Finalized:
The HR committee’s workforce technical report has been
finalized, and the position statement has been approved
by the CRA’s board. A manuscript describing this work is
in preparation and the full report and a summary of the
position statement will be available on the CRA’s website
shortly. The position statement endorses six statements including
the need to:
- Increase recruitment of clinical full-time equivalent
rheumatologists;
- Improve the regional distribution of rheumatologists
across Canada;
- Enhance retention of rheumatologists within the
workforce;
- Promote and enhance workforce capacity with
interdisciplinary healthcare providers;
- Promote and support research to provide data about
the rheumatology workforce to plan for the future
healthcare needs of Canada’s population; and
- Support equity, diversity and inclusion in
rheumatology.
New Committee Members and Chair:
The committee would like to thank exiting members for
their service, including Drs. Jane Purvis, Janet Pope, Karen
Adams, Rachel Shupak, Mark Harrison, Carter Thorne,
Mark Matsos, and Jason Kur. We also wish to welcome new
members including Drs. Sahil Koppikar, Ashley Sterrett,
and Michelle Teo who have joined the remaining members
on the committee (Drs. Michelle Batthish, Stephanie
Kulhawy-Wibe, Janet Roberts, Justin Shamis, Jennifer Lee,
Elaine Yacyshyn, Konstantin Jilkine, and Jennifer Burt).
We are also thrilled to announce that
Dr. Dana Jerome has
been chosen as the new HR Committee Chair.
References:
1. Shamis J, Widdifield J, Batthish M, et al. Factors influencing rheumatology residents’ decision on
future practice location. Can Med Ed J 2020. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.70348.
2. Kulhawy-Wibe SC, Widdifield J, Lee JL, et al. Results from the 2020 Canadian Rheumatology
Association’s Workforce and Wellness Survey. J Rheumatol (submitted) 2021.
Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Associate Professor,
Departments of Medicine and Community Health Sciences,
Cumming School of Medicine,
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
Jessica Widdifield, PhD
Co-chair, CRA Human Resources Committee
Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute, ICES
Assistant Professor, University of Toronto,
Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation
Toronto, Ontario
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