Ontario Medical Association |
| Abbreviation | OMA |
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| Formation | 1880; Foundation 1881. |
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| Type | Professional Association |
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| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Membership | More than 39,000[1] |
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Official language | English |
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President | Dr. Andrew Park |
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President-Elect | Dr. Dominik Nowak |
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CEO | Mr. John Bozzo |
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| Website | www.oma.org  |
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The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is a membership organization that represents the political, clinical and economic interests of Ontario physicians. Practising physicians, residents, and medical students enrolled in any of the six Ontario faculties of medicine are eligible for OMA membership. The OMA runs programs to encourage healthy living practices and illness prevention.
History
The OMA was founded in 1880 by physicians across the province of Ontario who encouraged the profession to unite and form a provincial medical association.
The OMA is governed by a board of directors. The board is made up of 11 directors: eight physician directors and three non-physician directors. The officers of the board are the chair, president, president-elect and the immediate past president. The president-elect and immediate past president are non-voting observers on the board.
The General Assembly is another large member body that collects member input to help identify and recommend organizational priorities to the board, including opportunities and challenges facing the profession. The General Assembly is comprised of the General Assembly steering committee, the Priority and Leadership Group, the three panels and working groups.
Membership and structure
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) represents more than 43,000 physicians and medical students across the province.[2] While membership is voluntary, as of 1991, all practicing physicians in Ontario are mandated by law[3] to pay dues to the organization, regardless of whether or not they choose to be members. The Ministry of Health recognizes the organization as the sole negotiator on behalf of physicians in Ontario and has been called a union by Bob Rae, a claim rejected by the OMA.[4][5]
Publications
Ontario Medical Review
The Ontario Medical Review has played a pivotal role in documenting the achievements of Ontario’s physicians and providing thoughtful, in-depth stories about the challenges facing the province’s health-care system for more than 100 years.
Published quarterly and delivered to 39,000 physicians, the magazine reaches family doctors, specialists and residents, as well as medical students, in every corner of the province. It is a vital source of information about how the Ontario Medical Association is advocating for health-system modernization and improved care for Ontario patients.
Recent stories showcasing physician expertise include an article on how OMA health-care advocates affect system change, tackling physician burnout to narrowing the gender pay gap in medicine.
First launched as the Bulletin in 1922 and renamed the Ontario Medical Review in 1943, the magazine is one of the oldest and most trusted medical publications in Canada. Today’s OMR continues the tradition of being a vital conduit to the experience of Ontario physicians on the front lines of medicine, where they are working hard every day to meet their patients’ needs and lay the groundwork for a better health-care system.[6]
Foundation
The OMA engages in fundraising and philanthropy through the Ontario Medical Foundation (OMF). Starting in 2018, the OMF began a transformation to dedicate more time and funds to charitable causes beyond its community of members.[7] The OMF has received donations and sponsorships from over 7000 sponsors including individuals, corporations and societies. Some of the foundation's largest donors are Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, the Canadian Medical Association, GlaxoSmithKline, KPMG, Merck Frosst, Pfizer Canada, Pharmacia, Royal Bank of Canada and Sun Life Financial.[8]
