CPSA’s journey towards anti-racism and anti-discrimination
Estimated read time: 5 minutes
Racism and discrimination are unacceptable in any setting and, in health care, lead to negative care experiences, preventing people from providing or receiving the best care possible. This undeniable and unacceptable reality results in negative patient outcomes and decreased well-being of healthcare providers, impacting physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
As Alberta’s medical regulator, CPSA has a responsibility to acknowledge this reality and take tangible action towards meaningful and lasting change. All patients have the right to feel safe when seeking health care, and all health professionals have the right to feel safe in their workplaces.
Learning and growth: micro-aggression training for physicians
In 2023, CPSA partnered with the Alberta Medical Association and Alberta Health Services to create an online training course for Alberta’s physicians about micro-aggressions. The goal of the course is to help position Alberta’s physicians, physician assistants and medical learners as leaders in addressing racism in healthcare settings, using VITALS* as a tool for identifying and intervening in micro-aggressions:
*Walker, V. P., Hodges, L., Perkins, M., Sim, M., & Harris, C. (2022). Taking the VITALS to interrupt microaggressions. MedEdPORTAL, 18(11202)
After completing this course, participants should be able to:
Define micro-aggressions
Identify harms caused by micro-aggressions in healthcare settings
Identify examples of micro-aggressions in healthcare settings
Summarize interventions physicians can make when encountering microaggressions
Select appropriate interventions for situations involving micro-aggressions in healthcare settings
Differentiate between good, better and best interventions when encountering micro-aggressions
Engage in self-reflection regarding micro-aggressions
“The collaboration between AHS, AMA and CPSA speaks to a strong sense of organizational commitment and support for healthy workplaces in the health system,” says Dr. Florence Obianyor, Family Physician and Medical Advisor for Physician Diversity, Wellness and Development, Physician Experience at AHS. “Given the correlation between racism and discrimination, physician wellbeing and burnout, this course has the potential to increase awareness, and provide bystanders and allies with evidence-based strategies for preventing the perpetuation of the emotional trauma that victims experience.”
The course launched in June 2023 and by the end of the year, 589 physicians completed the training. Below are some of the responses provided by participants when we asked how the course would change their current medical practice:
The course is accredited for continuing professional development purposes and is available to all regulated members through CPSA’s online learning platform, MyCPSA.
Building practical resources: anti-racism and anti-discrimination guidelines
In December 2023, after almost a year of research, thought and collaboration, CPSA published a new advice document for regulated members on anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
Advice documents provide regulated members with support and resources, and help clarify our expectations for professionalism and ethical behaviour. In addition to highlighting some key concepts to reflect on, the Anti-Racism Anti-Discrimination Guidelines focuses on many practices and actions that can be taken by regulated members related to anti-racism and anti-discrimination, such as:
Accessing training and education on topics such as cultural humility, cultural safety, unconscious bias, trauma-informed practice, racism and micro-aggressions.
Identifying and addressing racist and discriminatory practices, actions and behaviours.
Self-reflecting on how actions impact patients, care teams and facility staff.
Taking a holistic approach to patient care by considering cultural and traditional practices, social determinants of health, institutional and social structures, historical context and environmental factors when providing care.
Regulated members are responsible for acting in the best interest of the public, ensuring patients receive the safe, high-quality care they deserve.
Both the advice document and the micro-aggression training are tangible steps forward and part of CPSA’s ongoing efforts to foster anti-oppression in healthcare settings.
Guiding the way: internal and external advisory committees
In 2021, CPSA established the Anti-Racism Anti-Discrimination Action Advisory Committee (ARADAAC), to provide CPSA with guidance and advice on how to disrupt racism and discrimination in health care. This committee includes regulated members, learners and CPSA Council members—many with lived experience facing racism and discrimination. In 2023, the guidance of ARADAAC was instrumental in the development and publication of CPSA’s new advice to the profession document on anti-racism and anti-discrimination.
Also in 2021, CPSA established the Indigenous Advisory Circle to help guide CPSA on our path to reconciliation. In 2023, the Circle and ARADAAC began discussing how the two committees can collaborate and make progress towards their shared goals.
Find out more about the Indigenous Advisory Circle and CPSA’s path to reconciliation.
“It has been a humbling experience to see the work, impact and momentum built through ARADAAC since I joined upon its inception,” says Dr. Daisy Fung, CPSA Council member and chair of ARADAAC since 2023. “I have seen growth in our discussions and plans, and the impact of the committee on the practice of medicine and—most importantly—our patients. It is clear there has been a ongoing shift at CPSA, on Council, and among regulated members and the public towards understanding how crucial anti-racism and anti-discrimination is to health outcomes, and that it requires learning, unlearning, shared understanding and a lifelong commitment.”
To ensure we are integrating equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) into all we do, CPSA has also established an internal EDI Committee, which began meeting in September 2023. Each department and all levels of CPSA are represented in the committee’s membership, to bring a breadth of knowledge and experience to the committee’s discussions. Once formed, the committee prioritized co-creation of psychological safety to establish a foundation for EDI work in 2024.
“I’m so grateful to the EDI committee members, who have engaged wholeheartedly with co-creating a space in which we can safely discuss our workplace from different perspectives, lived experiences and world views,” shares Dr. Danielle Michaels, CPSA Senior Medical Advisor and inaugural Chair of the EDI Committee. “We have used these rich discussions to raise awareness of EDI at CPSA and inform our recommendations. Our aim is to improve inclusion at CPSA and foster authentic connections at work.”
In 2023, all committee members completed training from the Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, and made recommendations to CPSA leadership on how to be more inclusive in recognizing holidays.
To say we’ll do something is one thing, but to truly make an impact, there needs to be action as well. This is why CPSA’s commitment to being an anti-racism and anti-discrimination organization is enshrined in our five-year strategic plan: so we can hold ourselves accountable and ensure we’re doing our part to make a difference in health care.
As we continue moving towards our goal of becoming an anti-racism and anti-discrimination organization, CPSA remains committed to:
- Developing specific initiatives to address racism and discrimination in medical regulation.
- Integrating equity, diversity and inclusion principles into all we do, and developing specific initiatives and actions that address our equity, diversity and inclusion opportunities.
