The COA tries to keep our finger on the pulse and brief members regularly on issues impacting the field, advocacy initiatives and collaborations with other organizations.
Many Canadians wait too long for access to musculoskeletal care. The COA strives to promote access to timely, appropriate orthopaedic care, and therefore continues to meet with government representatives to advocate for the adoption of innovative models of care.
Public awareness, government relations and advocacy campaign tackling surgical wait times in orthopaedics now, and as we navigate the new normal after the pandemic.
The COA is proud to announce the launch of a public awareness, government relations and advocacy campaign called ‘Fast Track Care’, tackling surgical wait times in orthopaedics now, and as we navigate the new normal after the pandemic. You can get involved too!
#FastTrackCare was developed by Mobilize Canada, a coalition made up of the COA, the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, and the orthopaedic industry members of Medtech Canada. The initiative uses simple one step resources to empower surgeons, patients and allies to engage with provincial governments to:
On www.fasttrackcare.ca, the #FastTrackCare Campaign offers the opportunity to automatically send an e-mail to your respective Provincial MLA and Provincial Minister of Health. This e-mail can be customized with a personal impact story and emphasizes that patients are waiting in pain for restorative procedures that are now further delayed by the pandemic. These are tools that allow your voice to be heard.
The COA, the Centre for Evidence-Based Orthopaedics at McMaster University, and a team of clinician-researchers from across Canada and the United States have partnered to raise awareness about IPV victimization and provide health care professionals who see patients in the fracture clinic with education on how to identify and respond to IPV.
Did you know?
Read our Position Statement and Best Practice Recommendations. (and IPV Resources Appendix) – 2020)
Despite long wait times for patients to receive musculoskeletal care, and an aging population which will further strain the health care system, there is an unacceptably high rate of unemployment among orthopaedic graduates.
This poses a serious threat to the quality of patient care and to surgeons’ personal and professional wellbeing. The ever-increasing number of graduates unable to find employment in Canada are faced with chronic locum experiences and serial fellowships, and many are turning to job opportunities abroad.
Review the June 2018 COA Bulletin article for a summary of actions the COA has taken to address the unemployment crisis.
If you have a concern that you think the COA should be
following or reporting on, please feel free to contact us.
