Newly elected Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) President Dr. Carla Holinaty says she is stepping into the role with a “clear understanding” of the environment physicians are working in.

Dr. Holinaty, a Saskatoon family medicine specialist, was elected SMA president for 2026-27 on May 8, at the SMA’s 2026 Spring Representative Assembly (RA) in Regina. Dr. Holinaty succeeds Regina physician Dr. Pamela Arnold.

“Across Saskatchewan, physicians are facing extraordinary pressures,” Dr. Holinaty told delegates attending the RA. “We are seeing increasing patient demand and complexity. We are facing workforce shortages that affect access to care and the sustainability of our practices. Administrative burden continues to grow, often pulling us away from the work that matters most — caring for patients. Many physicians are experiencing moral distress — the sense that we are unable to provide the care we know our patients need within the constraints of the system.

“These challenges affect not only how we practise,” Dr. Holinaty continued. “They also affect how we feel about our work, and whether we can continue in it over the long term.”

As SMA President, advocacy means more than speaking, she said. It means listening first and carrying concerns into rooms where physicians may not always be present — and being persistent enough to make a difference.

“Physicians are not a uniform group. We work in different environments, face different challenges, and bring different priorities to the table,” she told delegates. “My commitment is to represent that diversity fairly — to ensure that all voices are heard, including those who may not always be the loudest.”

She said her aspirations include strengthening the connection between physicians and the SMA, advocating effectively with government and system partners on the issues that matter most, listening to priorities when negotiations on a new agreement begin to ramp up, and advocating forcefully for patient access to family medicine and attachment to family physicians.

“We are not powerless in this system. When we are aligned, when we are thoughtful, and when we are persistent, we do have the ability to shape the future of health care in this province.”

RA delegates approved other positions on the SMA Board of Directors at the Spring RA:

• Vice-President – Dr. Geethan Chandran, Saskatoon
• Honorary Treasurer – Dr. Breanna Davis, Prince Albert
• Past President – Dr. Pamela Arnold, Regina (ex-officio)

The following were declared as directors for two-year terms:

• Dr. Morgan Hewitt, Saskatoon
• Dr. Jay Kalra, Saskatoon
• Dr. Benjamin Leis, Saskatoon
• Dr. Danielle Nault, North Battleford
• Dr. Kirsty Sanderson, Moose Jaw

They join the following, whose terms continue:

• Dr. Braden Bouchard, Battleford
• Dr. Sarah Liskowich, Regina
• Dr. Stephen Loden, Meadow Lake

President’s Address

Dr. Arnold, whose term as SMA President expired at the close of the RA, highlighted the following in her address to delegates:

• The SMA has been working in partnership with the SHA and Ministry of Health to work through the 14 recommendations in the Regina External Review. Continued engagement of Regina physicians is critical to the successful implementation of the review’s recommendations.
  
  
• Meetings were held regularly with health system leaders, including SHA Chief and Deputy Chief Medical Officers, other SHA physician leaders, the presidents of Medical Staff Associations, and presidents of medical associations from across the country. Regular meetings were also held with the Ministers of Health. Meetings with physicians on the President and Vice-President’s Tour and individually were a highlight of the year.
  
  
• The Minister of Health approved the Practitioner Staff Bylaws. Attention now turns to the complementary Rules that will support the Bylaws. Priority topics have been identified and a Bylaws and Rules Review Committee working group is moving through those topics, which include on-call requirements, appointment and reappointment, and leave of absence.
  
  
• Family Medicine was formally recognized as a specialty in Saskatchewan. This landmark regulatory change represents years of advocacy and growing recognition of the role that family physicians serve in the health care system. It acknowledges the depth, scope, and complexity of the work of family physicians.
  
  
• Work proceeded on four topics raised during a Table Talk session at the 2025 Fall RA. These topics were Recruitment and Retention, Physician Health and Wellbeing, Contracts and Compensation, and Strengthening Physician Engagement and Relationships.

Board Chair and CEO Retirement Recognition

Drs. Arnold and Holinaty recognized retiring SMA CEO Bonnie Brossart and retiring Board Chair Dr. Janet Shannon. Highlights included:

• Dr. Shannon brought leadership and a genuine love of governance to her role as Chair. She built structures that promote good governance in SMA practices. The Board now operates more thoughtfully and effectively.
  
  
• Dr. Shannon considered it a privilege to give back to the medical profession. She thanked colleagues, mentors, and friends for their support and is looking forward to the next phase of her life.
  
  
• Ms. Brossart has been committed to large-scale improvement and advancing the key role of physicians in transforming the health system. Her leadership, quality improvement, and research background are of considerable scope and breadth. She understands that progress in health care happens through relationships more than through documents or directives. She built relationships with physicians, government, and health leaders across Canada.
  
  
• Ms. Brossart expressed a heartful thank you to delegates. Physicians inspired her, trusted her, and continually reminded her why the work of the SMA matters. Highlights included expansion of the physician wellness and workplace wellbeing programs; the innovative 2023-26 negotiated agreement that enhanced physician compensation and provided physicians with greater fairness, sustainability of practices, and innovation; and working daily with SMA staff to serve physicians.
  
  

Table Talk

RA attendees gathered at one of three tables to discuss a topic. Across all conversations, one message was consistent: physicians want a more relational, visible, and coordinated system that builds trust and supports physicians across their full career journey.

The three topics were Relationships with Physician Leaders, Recruitment and Retention, and SMA Member Engagement. Drs. Arnold and Holinaty presented five major themes that connected the three discussions:

1. Trust and psychological safety are foundational. Physicians want leaders who are respectful, transparent, approachable, and able to have difficult conversations without fear or punishment.
   
   
2. Relationships matter more than processes. Engagement, retention, and leadership effectiveness all depend on genuine relationships — not just policies, emails, or formal structures.
   
   
3. Visibility builds credibility. In Saskatchewan’s distributed environment, physicians strongly value leaders who are physically present, accessible, and willing to “go and see” realities on the ground.
   
   
4. Fragmentation and role confusion are major frustrations. There is widespread uncertainty around who is responsible for what across the SMA, SHA, Ministry of Health, Practitioner Staff Affairs, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan (CPSS). This undermines trust and slows problem-solving.
   
   
5. Physicians want support across their full lifecycle. From onboarding and early practice to leadership development and retirement, physicians want more intentional support, mentorship, and connection.

Governance 101

• Dr. Holinaty made a presentation to delegates on SMA governance. The SMA is a member-based organization with a parliamentary governance system. Members choose RA delegates, and the RA sets the direction for Board, whose members are elected by the RA. All SMA members can attend an RA, but only RA delegates can vote on resolutions. RA responsibilities include discussing and working through complex issues, identifying policy and broad objectives, providing general direction on issues important to the profession, and ensuring board accountability.
• The Annual General Meeting is held annually in conjunction with the Spring RA. It approves changes to SMA Bylaws, receives as information the audited financial statement, and can pass non-binding motions and recommendations to the Board or the RA.
• The main responsibilities of the SMA Board are to exercise the powers of the association and the RA between RAs, lead and oversee the strategic plan and annual business plans, maintain linkages with members, and ensure CEO performance.

SHA Report

Dr. Rashaad Hansia, Chief Medical Officer, SHA made a presentation to delegates. Highlights included:

• A commitment was made at the 2025 Fall RA for SHA medical officers to meet physicians when asked to do so. Fifteen such meetings have been held. Conversations were sometimes tough, but the goal is to build relationships. Practitioner advisory meetings are also planned at regional centres across the province.

• The province is committed to a Physician Health Human Resource Strategy that includes the SMA at the table, along with other stakeholders. The strategy mirrors the four pillars of the non-physician Health Human Resource Action Plan, which are retain, recruit, train, and incentivize, and adds the pillar of data management. There are opportunities for stakeholders to work collaboratively on retention and recruitment.

• SHA medical officers have a shared willingness to collaborate with physicians on positive change for the medical profession. A transformation of Practitioner Staff Affairs is underway. The level of delivery is not what physicians need. Every core function will be examined through a quality improvement lens to find areas of improvement.

College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan Report

Dr. Dapo Mabadejee, President, CPSS Council, made a presentation to delegates. Highlights included:

• The number of discipline cases continues to rise, with 102 files opened in 2025, the first time there were more than 100. Many arise from regulatory matters and breaches of undertakings. In 2025, 26 files were closed through pre-charge alternate dispute resolution. More physicians are appealing to the Court of King’s Bench following contested discipline and penalty hearings.

• Most cases are ordinary practice vulnerabilities that are repeated over time. Common themes are documentation, clinical reasoning, consent, follow-up, communication and continuity. In many cases, warning signs are present well before a serious outcome.

• Small improvements in routine habits can reduce the risk of a complaint. These include clear documentation of reasoning, reliable follow-up systems, and careful management of higher risk situations.

• There is a growing interest among medical regulators to consider training completed in jurisdictions that have been approved by Canadian certifying bodies as being substantially equivalent to Canadian training. In January 2026, the CPSS Council passed a bylaw amendment to recognize physicians who have successfully trained in and hold certification from jurisdictions that have been recognized by either the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Ministers of Health Addresses

The Hon. Jeremy Cockrill, Minister of Health, and the Hon. Lori Carr, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors, and Rural and Remote Health, made presentations that were followed by a question-and-answer session with delegates. Highlights of their presentations were:

• The government’s partnership with the SMA is essential to ensure physicians are supported and recognized. The government is focused on strengthening and building capacity in the health system. Physicians are the heart and backbone of that system. Reductions in administrative burdens are needed to allow physicians more time to spend with patients.

• The 2026-27 budget increased spending under the Health Human Resources Action Plan by $28.6 million. College of Medicine undergraduate training seats will be expanded to 128 from 108, and residency seats to 160 from 150. The goal is to keep medical school graduates in the province. Measures in the budget aim to attract more doctors to rural and regional locations, including expansion of the Rural Physician Incentive Program and additional assessment capacity for internationally trained physicians.

• Mental health and addictions will see additional treatment capacity, improved access to resources, and the transition to a recovery-oriented system of care. To date, 312 of the 500 new spaces under Saskatchewan’s Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions are available to patients.

• Construction of the new hospital in Weyburn is complete, while expansion of acute care capacity in Prince Albert continues. An Urgent Care Centre in Saskatoon is almost complete, while planning is underway for new centres in Moose Jaw, North Battleford, and Prince Albert, and for second centres in Regina and Saskatoon.

The 2026 Fall Representative Assembly will be held Oct. 30-31 at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina.