Idea submissions and prioritization
Overview
Each year, members are invited to submit strategic ideas for consideration by the General Assembly (GA). The Priority and Leadership Group (PLG) reviews and votes on feasible submissions to determine priorities, which are then advanced by the three panels through the development of recommendations on how the OMA should address these important issues. We actively seek input from across the membership to help identify priorities and guide our work.
In 2026, we received 108 idea submissions. Through a peer-led review process, supported by OMA staff, 11 ideas advanced to the rating phase. Delegates completed their ratings, and six ideas will be brought forward for discussion and voting at the PLG meeting on May 30–31, 2026, in Toronto.
Visit the General Assembly page to see how ideas are transformed into priorities and the bodies that support them.
Thank you for your support:
- 108 ideas submitted
- 11 ideas advanced to rating
- 70 delegates participated in rating
- Six ideas advanced for prioritization
- Two final priorities voted in at the PLG Meeting
Based on delegate feedback, several enhancements were introduced to strengthen prioritization:
Members submitted ideas into two pathways:
- An open call across all panels focused on broad, system-level impact (such as physician experience and patient outcomes), and
- A targeted intake pathway addressing priorities in community-based specialist access and hospital physician workloads
This year the General Assembly Steering Committee introduced a refined approach in reviewing rating outcomes to identify which ideas move forward to the PLG meeting for voting. Based on delegate ratings, the top three ideas in each pathway advanced. This approach is informed by historical rating patterns and is intended to ensure meaningful consideration of the ideas with the strongest overall support.
As a trial, we are inviting idea authors to attend the PLG meeting in an observer capacity and provide relevant contextual input on their submission as needed in the hope it better supports delegates during prioritization.
How ideas were reviewed for feasibility
All 108 unique idea submissions were assessed based on:
- Alignment with the OMA Strategic Plan
- Relevance to General Assembly 2–3-year delivery timelines
- Duplication or overlap with existing work
Where needed, teams:
- Merged similar ideas with author participation and approval
- Clarified and refined submissions with authors
- Redirected ideas to more appropriate channels
All idea authors received detailed responses on their submission outcomes by March 10. A total of 11 ideas were identified as feasible and advanced to delegate rating.
How rating works
PLG delegates are asked to rate each feasible idea based on:
- Accomplishable (Is this possible for the OMA to accomplish?)
- Patient reach (will this idea help many patients?)
- Physician reach (will this idea help many physicians?)
- Partner support (will partners support this?)
Each idea is scored on a Likert scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for each criterion.
Once rating closed, average scores are reviewed and the top ideas advance to the PLG meeting for discussion and voting.
How ideas were submitted
Members were asked to submit ideas based on two pathways:
Open call (all panels)
Members submitted ideas across three panels:
- Health policy
- Advocacy, Communications & Engagement (ACE)
- Compensation
Outcome: One priority will be identified for this pathway
Targeted idea intake
A guided submission pathway focused on key pressing system issues.
Hospital Physician Workloads
- Addressing burnout and improving role clarity
Access to Community-Based Specialists
- Improving access, integration, and continuity of care
Outcome: One priority idea will be selected from this pathway
About this work
Prioritization provides members with a structured way to share strategic ideas aligned with the General Assembly’s 2–3-year recommendation horizon. It is a valuable way to identify shared challenges and priorities across the membership
Since launch, prioritization has:
- Generated 400-plus member ideas
- Identified 14 priorities
- Received board direction for six sets of recommendations
Each accomplishment has been guided by a commitment to transparency, engagement and continuous improvement across all General Assembly activities.
Visit the General Assembly page to see how ideas are transformed into priorities and the bodies that support them.