REGINA – Dr. Carla Holinaty, a Saskatoon family physician, was elected president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) on Friday, May 8, during the SMA’s 2026 Spring Representative Assembly (RA), held at Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina.

Dr. Holinaty becomes the 60th president of the SMA, succeeding Regina physician Dr. Pamela Arnold. Dr. Holinaty will serve a one-year term.

“I am honoured and humbled that the physicians of Saskatchewan have elected me to this position,” Dr. Holinaty said. “This role is not something I arrive at alone. Many people — often through small but meaningful moments — have influenced how I listen, how I lead, and how I understand the responsibility of representing others.”

Dr. Holinaty noted the significant pressures facing physicians across Saskatchewan, including increasing patient demand and complexity, workforce shortages, growing administrative burden, and moral distress.

“I step into this role with a clear understanding of the environment physicians are working in,” she said. “Across Saskatchewan, physicians are facing extraordinary challenges that affect not only how we practise, but how we feel about our work, and whether we can continue in it over the long term.”

Despite the challenges, Dr. Holinaty expressed optimism about what can be achieved through collaboration and advocacy.

“Physicians are willing to engage — have difficult conversations, challenge ideas, and work toward solutions,” Dr. Holinaty said. “We are not powerless in the health system. When we are aligned, when we are thoughtful, and when we are persistent, we have the ability to shape the future of health care in this province.”

Key priorities for her term include strengthening the connection between physicians and the SMA, advocating for the priorities of physicians with government and health system partners, advancing the SMA’s anti‑racism action plan, supporting physician well‑being, and promoting the sustainability of the profession.

She also emphasized supporting physicians across all practice settings, improving patient access to family medicine, and engaging members if negotiations begin a new agreement.

“I want to bring people together,” Dr. Holinaty said. “Physicians may not always agree but we share common goals. I am committed to building an association that reflects the realities of modern medical practice — responsive, inclusive, and forward‑looking.”

Dr. Holinaty works at the Academic Family Medicine Unit in Saskatoon, where she provides full-scope family medicine clinical care and teaches medical students and residents.

She has served on numerous SMA boards and committees, including the Section of Family Medicine, the Saskatoon Medical Staff Association, the SMA EDI committee, and the SMA Board of Directors.