Oct. 28, 2024

Dr. Peter Butt recognized for contributions to Sask. medical community with SMA Service Award

Dr. Peter Butt’s extensive and impactful contributions to the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) and the medical community have been recognized with his selection for the 2024 SMA Service Award.

Introduced in 2023, the award recognizes a physician’s contributions to the SMA on committees, the board or in other activities that support the SMA and its mission. The award was presented on Friday, Oct. 25, during the SMA’s 2024 Fall Representative Assembly awards ceremony in Regina.

“I am surprised and extremely honored to be nominated for this award by my peers,” Dr. Butt said. “I have greatly enjoyed my professional work, both clinically and in the SMA. I appreciate the opportunities I had to enrich that work in so many ways, thank the dedicated people I worked with, and thank those who chose to nominate me for this award.

“It is difficult for me to appreciate what I did that was so notable by others. I endeavored to work collegially, intelligently, and pragmatically. We all wanted to get things done in as positive a way as possible.”

Dr. Butt’s medical career, which spans more than three decades, has significantly shaped medical policy, education, and practice, particularly in public health, emergency medicine, and addictions medicine.

His involvement with the SMA began in 1987 as a member of the Legislative and Policy Committee. He served on the Committee on Preventive Medicine and the Medical Education Committee from 1991 to 1993 and was appointed Chair of the Medical Education Committee from 1993 to 1994.

Dr. Butt’s nominators note that “in the realm of emergency medicine, Dr. Butt’s contributions have been nothing short of transformative.” He was on the Emergency Medical Services Committee in 1993-95 and represented the Emergency Medicine Section on Intersectional Council from 1994 to 1996. He played a pivotal role in the Council on Health and Emergency Services, where he served as a member from 1995 to 2001, and subsequently as Chair from 2001 to 2005.

In addition to his work in emergency medicine, he has had extensive contributions in primary care and addictions medicine. He was a member of the Primary Care Contract Negotiating Committee from 2001 to 2007 and the Primary Care Contract Working Group from 2003 to 2007. “These roles were critical in shaping the framework for primary care services in Saskatchewan, ensuring that contractual agreements met the needs of both physicians and their patients,” his nominators say.

“As my professional career evolved, so too did the opportunity to contribute through the SMA,” Dr. Butt noted. “Throughout it all, I had the privilege to work with some wonderful, dedicated people. Not only was there the potential to improve policy or our system of care, but also to directly impact the support and well-being of our colleagues providing their services to the people of the province.”

Dr. Butt’s clinical work has focused on substance use disorders, and he has served on provincial and national committees and organizations in this field. Most recently, Dr. Butt has been Chair of the SMA’s Section of Addiction Medicine since it was formed in 2021.

Dr. Butt’s dedication to the health and well-being of physicians is evident in his 25 years with physician support programs. He was a member of the Saskatchewan Physicians at Risk Committee (1997-2005), transitioned to a member of the Physician Support Program/Physician Health Program (PHP) in 2006 and was Chair of the PHP for 12 years, from 2009 to 2021.

“Perhaps the most rewarding committee was the Physician Health Program,” Dr. Butt said. “The SMA and its members should be proud of the broad range of services that are available to those in need of personal support. I was struck by how far ahead we were at the national level, quietly developing excellence in access and service that, frankly, were unmatched. That work was very much a collective effort by a range of staff and physicians. I cannot take credit for it but do take pride in what we achieved.”

As his nominators observe: “Dr. Butt provided leadership that was vital in supporting the health and well-being of physicians across Saskatchewan. His work in this area has had a lasting impact, ensuring that physicians receive the care and support they need to continue providing exceptional care to their patients.”