Happy Belated Canada Day!

July Update:

Attn. OAGS Members

Colonoscopy Quality Management Program Vacancy: Provincial Lead
The OAGS encourages General Surgeons to consider applying for this position....
On behalf of the Quality Management Partnership (the Partnership), Cancer Care Ontario is seeking expressions of interest from endoscopists for the position of Colonoscopy Quality Management Program Provincial Lead. The Partnership was formed by Cancer Care Ontario and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) in order to develop quality management programs for three health service areas: colonoscopy, mammography and pathology. This is a unique opportunity to provide leadership to the Partnership as it works to implement the quality management programs and increase the quality and consistency of care across facilities, improve patient safety and increase accountability and transparency across the healthcare system. This opportunity is open to all qualified candidates. Closing date for applications is July 20, 2015. For more information.
Detailed Job Description:
http://www.oags.org/temporary/QMPcolonoscopyProvincialLead2015_06-18-FINAL.pdf
QMP Report: www.oags.org/temporary/QMPPhase2Report2015-03-25.pdf

Surgeon Wait Time Dashboard

Access to Care (CCO) Roll Out Personal Dashboards Starting July 20th

Access to Care (ATC) at Cancer Care Ontario will be launching a province-wide initiative, the Surgeon Wait Time Dashboard.

The dashboard provides every surgeon in Ontario who reports into the Wait Time Information System (WTIS) with a personalized wait time report on a quarterly basis. The informational tool provides a quick and easy way to review your individual wait time data and allows you to compare your practice to peers within your hospital, LHIN and province. It can also support you when considering processes to improve access to care for your patients. The dashboard is specific to you and will only be emailed to your hospital email address as well as your hospital WTIS Coordinator for support. It is anticipated that each surgeon in Ontario who already reports to the WTIS will receive his/her own personal dashboard during the week of July 20, 2015.

Although the ATC hosted several information webinars last month, you can get more contact information on our site (WTIS tab). Or, you can contact the Wait Time Information Office directly: wtio@cancercare.on.ca or 1-866-681-WTIO (9846).

OAGS Website & Forum

Reminder: OAGS Website has a New Look!

Be sure to check out our website: www.oags.org . Apart from the obvious facelift, there are some new features we think you'll appreciate, such as new sections for practice management, medico-legal, quality management, career transitions, professional ethics, healthy surgeon, Twitter feed, and a monthly poll. We also have a section just for OAGS members (i.e. complete back issues of The Cutting Edge newsletter, monthly eblasts, billing corner Q&A, and an online forum). This member page is password protected; if you've misplaced your UN/PW, contact the office. Feedback is always welcome.

Have any suggestions for our homepage poll? Let us know!

21st OAGS Annual Meeting

Saturday, November 7, 2015 - Hilton Toronto, 145 Richmond St. W., Toronto, ON

REMEMBER MEMBERS: If you plan to attend, you MUST RSVP/Register BEFORE Oct.30! (Paying your dues does not automatically count as an RSVP.)

RSVP/Registration: Online or Download Paper Form
Payment: 1) Credit Card - online *; also accepted over the phone now: 1-877-717-7765 / 705-745-5621, or 2) Cheque - make payable to "OAGS" (mail to: OAGS, P.O. Box 192, Station Main, Peterborough, ON, K9J 6Y8)
Accommodation: Fantastic low group rate of $159 / standard room at the Hilton Toronto Hotel (Richmond/University). Room block under "OAGS15" available now until October 1st or while availability lasts. Make your own reservation online (click on "Attendee" from drop-down menu) or call the Hilton directly: 1-800-HILTONS .
Accreditation: This event is seeking accreditation as a Group Learning Activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and approved by the Canadian Association of General Surgeons.
Travel: For those who will be flying in, you can either land on the Toronto Island via Porter or you can take the new Union Pearson Express from the Lester B. Pearson International Airport directly to Union Station, which is now up and running. Underground parking is available on site, but more affordable parking is available at the nearby City Hall Green P or Four Seasons Centre across the street. Check our website for more details: www.oags.org/agm.html .
*NOTE: Our new website has separate sections for dues payments and annual meeting payments ("Payment" tabs).

Speakers & Topics: Tentative Program

International Key Note Speaker: Dr. Sarah McLaughlin, Breast Surgeon, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida (Talk#1: "Breast Surgery: Evolving Role of Managing the Axilla - Latest adjuvant or neoadjuvant regimens"; Talk#2: "Breast Surgery: High Risk Lesions and Their Management"; Banquet Talk: "Breast Cancer in the Media...the Angelina Jolie Affect - Has it helped or hindered our discussions with patients?")
Upper GI Endoscopy - Dr. Chris Teshima, Toronto
Surgical Error & Judgement - Dr. Carol-Ann Moulton, Toronto
Colonoscopy: Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy Techniques - More than removing a polyp - Dr. James Ellsmere, Halifax, NS
Incidentalomas: What is that?!...And what do I do now?!! - Dr. Lloyd Mack, Calgary, AB
Difficult Hernias - Dr. Lloyd Smith, Toronto
Anorectum Disease - Dr. Marcus Burnstein & Dr. Stanley Feinberg, Toronto
Panel Discussion: 4 Pearls of Surgery on the Obese Patient (Stomas, Wound Closure, Impact on Decision Making, Hernias) - Dr. Dennis Hong, Hamilton; Dr. Amy Neville, Ottawa; Dr. Todd Penner, Toronto; Dr. Ken Reed, Guelph.
OMA Negotiations, Relativity & Gov't Relations - TBA
Billing Corner Interstitials - Dr. Alan Lozon

For more details: www.oags.org/agm.html .

CME/CPD Listings

Aug.21-22, 2015 - Ultrasound: From Basics to Bedside Diagnosis and Procedures - Details
Aug.23-27, 2015 - WCS2015 46th World Congress of Surgery- Details
Aug.26-29, 2015 - IFSO15: 20th World Congress - Details
Sep.2-5, 2015 - MIS Week Annual Mtg and Endo Expo - Details
Sept.17-20, 2015 - Canadian Surgery Forum 2015 - Details
Sept.25-26, 2015 - 37th Annual Meeting on Vascular Surgery - Details
Oct.2-3, 2015 - 10th Annual Obesity Summit - Details
Oct.2-3,2015 - Diabetic Limb Salvage Wound Care - Details
Oct.4-8, 2015 - ACS - 2015 Clinical Congress - Details
Oct. 16-18, 2015 - Symposium on Advanced Wound Care - Details
Nov. 7, 2015 - 21st OAGS Annual Meeting - Details
Nov.20-21,2015 - UofT Update in MIS - Details
Nov.30, 2015 - UofT International Conference on Surgical Education & Training - Details
Feb.20,2016 - National Capital General Surgery Symposium - Details
Feb.23-26, 2016 - 16th MISS 2016 - Details
Feb.26-28, 2016 - 11th Annual Canadian Surgery Review Program - Details
Apr.7-9, 2016 - UofT Update in General Surgery - Details

For more details on these and other CME/CPD meeting programs, please visit our website: www.oags.org/mtgs-cpdlistings.html . Be sure to let us know of any other meetings that we may have missed on our CME page and that might benefit your colleagues as well. We'll post them for free!

OAGS Job Listing - Check our new listings

These Listings & More Details:  www.oags.org/joblisting.html
* Cornwall Community Hospital
* William Osler Health System, Brampton
* Lady Minto Hospital, Cochrane
* Niagara Health System - Welland Hospital Site
* The Reimer Clinic, Kitchener
* Advanced Multi-Specialty Walk-In Clinic, Mississauga
* Hopital Notre-Dame Hospital, Hearst
* Lakeridge Health Corporation, Port Perry

Do you have a General Surgery vacancy to fill in your hospital, clinic or practice? How about a locum? OAGS members can post a job ad with us any time FOR FREE!!
These Listings, Online Form & More Details: www.oags.org/joblisting.html
Contact: 1-877-717-7765 / info@oags.org
NOTE: General Surgeons and Residents/Fellows are encouraged to check our page often, as updates are made as them come in.

OAGS Membership Drive

We are now collecting annual dues for the current calendar year
(Jan-Dec, 2015)

OAGS membership invoices were mailed out with our newsletter in the first quarter. There are two options to pay:
Credit Card: Online http://www.oags.org/membership.html ; and now by phone: 1-877-717-7765 / 705-745-5621.
Cheque: Mail in with form Generic Form (Mail to: OAGS, P.O. Box 192, Stn. Main, Peterborough, ON K9J 6Y8)
NOTE: Earlier this spring, there was a discrepancy on the personalized invoices in the right column under the 2nd box entitled "21st OAGS Annual Meeting Registration". The amount of $50 should not have been listed in the Subtotal column. Please disregard. The fees have NOT changed, although there will be a new $25 admin fee for those who pay on the day of the Annual Meeting. Admission to the annual meeting is still FREE for current OAGS members (2015). We apologize for the typo and any confusion it may have caused.