Dr. Sky has been a member of the OMA Board of Directors for 15 years, and has served on numerous OMA committees during his tenure. A University of Toronto graduate, Dr. Sky currently practises at the William Osler Health Centre, Etobicoke Hospital Campus, as well as the University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital.
Issues that Dr. Sky will focus on during his term as OMA President include the critical shortage of physicians in Ontario, the sustainability of the health-care system, and information technology initiatives.
"Ontario urgently needs more physicians," said Dr. Sky. "According to the government’s own report, Ontario is already short at least 1,000 physicians. Patients are waiting too long for emergency care and surgery, and are having difficulty accessing a family doctor because there aren’t enough physicians. Conditions will only get worse if we don’t take substantial action immediately.
"Recent government announcements of additional northern and rural medical training and the expansion of licensing international medical graduates are welcome first steps, but much more needs to be done. We must find real and sustainable initiatives to alleviate the serious shortage of physicians in this province and secure the long-term health-care needs of our patients."
Efficient and quality patient care, now and in the future, is Dr. Sky’s main objective. "With projections of the physician shortage becoming increasingly critical within the next 20 years, and a growing and aging population expected to place more strain on our already stressed system,
we must commit to the dialogue on issues such as funding, accountability and quality of the health-care system that Ontario patients, who support our system through their tax dollars, want addressed.
"The physicians of Ontario look forward to participating in the important upcoming provincial discussion on the future direction of health care, announced by the Ontario government in its Throne Speech and by Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Tony Clement. We also anticipate the opportunity to provide input into the Romanow Commission, to help find a made-in-Canada solution that preserves the spirit of the Canada Health Act, and that meets the needs of patients by providing a strong, high quality and stable health-care system into the future."
In addition, Dr. Sky will continue advancing information technology initiatives within the medical community to keep pace with the growing communication needs across the health sector, while ensuring that the privacy of patient information is maintained.
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