Susan Chafe

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Candidate statement

CMPA provides exceptional service to Canadian physicians, and I am honored to be a Councilor. CMPA protects physicians’ professional integrity and ability to practice medicine in Canada.

What I bring to this role is that I enjoy being a Councilor, I am enthusiastic, and I have a diverse background. I am trained in both medicine and law. I worked as a family physician and a specialist. I maintain a busy clinical practice and am involved in teaching, mentoring, clinical research, governance and I have administrative roles in my department. I also believe involvement in sport and community is important.

CMPA recently completed a governance review and will make significant changes to the Organization in the next few years. During this crucial crossroad, it is imperative to have experienced councilors guide the transition to ensure continued protection for physician members. Although these changes will modernize the CMPA, it must not do so at the expense of the members’ needs.

There are many significant proposed changes to the governance model, with increased focus on education, research and board appointments. Going forward a single controlled nomination process will result in a very different Board overseeing the organization. It is important to ensure that physician members continue to be represented on the Board and that members' needs continue to be the number one priority of the CMPA.

Health care is currently in crisis, lack of Government support is astounding, and delivery of health care is threatened. Artificial intelligence and virtual care are changing the face of medicine as we know it. With restructuring of the CMPA, physicians require assurances that the organization will continue to be at the forefront of these issues, while first and foremost, advocating for, and continuing to protect the interests of physician members.

If elected I will continue to represent and advocate for physician members. I support the CMPA in advancing new governance models, providing expanded programs to meet member’s needs, and to collaborate with other medical groups to ensure ongoing safe medical care in Canada. It is however important for the Board to mandate that members remain the priority of the CMPA. Sustainability and financial oversight are also important principles to be preserved. The CMPA continues to have exceptional leadership. It is the collaboration of Council and Management working together that will ensure continued success of the CMPA.