A message from 2021 CPSA Council President Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti
2021 marked the first anniversary of COVID-19 and was our first full calendar year living in a pandemic state. There’s no doubt it was another tough year for Albertans, physicians and physician assistants, and in many ways, was the opposite of 2020. Instead of 2020’s guiding principle that everyone is in this together, 2021 saw conflicting beliefs divide friends, families, colleagues and communities.
Providing care during a public health emergency has been no easy feat, and I’d like to thank my fellow regulated members across the province for their ongoing commitment to providing safe, evidence-based medical care as we persist through a pivotal time in modern medical history. CPSA is a trusted leader in Alberta’s healthcare system and it’s important we use our voice to support evidence-based care. In 2021, our Council published open letters to regulated members and Albertans calling on them to seek information from credible sources, protect themselves and each other by following public health measures and, above all, get vaccinated against COVID-19 as vaccines became increasingly available. We also took time to listen to physicians and our partners across our province through a virtual, regional outreach program known as Regional Tour, which connected CPSA with five Alberta communities.
Despite the ongoing challenges we faced as a result of the pandemic, CPSA continued laying the groundwork for future initiatives while also building on and actualizing much of the work we started in previous years. At the top of everyone’s mind in 2021 was anti-racism, anti-discrimination and equity, diversity and inclusion—areas in which CPSA has begun to move forward. Throughout the year, Council put great emphasis on Indigenous health in our province by welcoming elders and knowledge keepers to our Council meetings, providing us an invaluable opportunity to listen and learn from their experiences. Most notably, Council formally established CPSA’s first Indigenous Health Advisory Circle in December 2021 to guide how our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation is carried out through our work.
As of April 1, 2021, provincial legislation shifted CPSA Council to an equal composition of appointed public and elected physician members, which has brought many new and diverse perspectives to our Council table. It was an honour to serve as President alongside these talented individuals, and I encourage you to read their messages to understand Council’s shared priorities of 2021 from the perspective of both our public and physician Councillors.
On behalf of CPSA Council, I’m pleased to endorse CPSA’s 2021 annual report, which Council formally approved on May 12, 2022. I hope you enjoy learning about our year as we look at healthcare delivery and its regulation through the lens of compassion and the shared human experience.
Dr. Louis Hugo Francescutti
Blackfoot name: Sii-pyaa-po | “Travelling at Night”
During a 2021 visit to Siksika Health Services with leaders from CPSA, Dr. Francescutti was gifted a Blackfoot name during a special ceremony with area elders.