In this issue:

• Message from the Chair; AMHSP Tips
• What You Need to Know
• ACB: Race is a social construct, not a biologic classification
• DoM Research
• DoM News
• Happenings in DoM
• Helpful Support and Tips: finance tip; editorial guidelines tip
• FoMD News
• U of A News
• AHS News

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

AMHSP Individual Service Agreement (ISA) TIP

Billing Targets and Billing Thresholds

All AMHSP members are required to submit Shadow Billings as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) measurement of clinical service delivery.  Within the DoM, all practitioners must meet an annual billing target which is reflected in every ISA with Schedule A. The billing threshold is 85% of the billing target. The billing threshold is one of the deliverables that is assessed when determining whether an AMHSP member has met their clinical service requirement.  Next month’s tip will outline how billing thresholds are reviewed on a divisional and individual basis.

Please work with your Division Directors to ensure your ISA reflects the correct billing target and threshold for your job description.

All AMHSP policies can be found on the AMHSP website.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Department of Medicine is hosting a free, drop-in community event connecting you with local health experts for a day of learning, conversation, and community connection.

Please share this with anyone who would benefit from engaging health talks, informative booths, and practical resources to support lifelong wellness.

DoM Apparel Sale

Two weeks only: November 12–28

Show your Department pride and stay cozy while you do it!

The DoM Apparel Sale runs Nov. 12–28. That’s just two weeks to snag your gear before it’s gone.

Choose from three great styles: a classic T-shirt, a comfy hoodie, or a warm fleece that’s perfect for those long winter days. Each features official University of Alberta and Department of Medicine branding so you can rep your DoM spirit wherever you go.

Order online and follow the link for pickup or delivery details.

Please join us in welcoming the following DoM members:

• Marie Dekker, divisional program support (DPS)

• Harleen Grewal, facilities support person, working with Allen Mathew, Facilities team (domfacil@ualberta.ca)

• Tanya Northfield, divisional program support (DPS)

Congratulations to the following members on their new roles:

• Keiko Fukunaga, divisional administrative support (DAS), Dermatology
• Lisa McFaull, medical education program coordinator (MEPC), Gastroenterology
• Erika Suarez, divisional administrative support (DAS), Gastroenterology

The Department of Medicine is developing a new series designed to support faculty as they prepare for the next stage of their academic and clinical careers. From planning your research legacy to navigating patient transitions and exploring life after full-time practice, this series will offer practical tools and candid insights from colleagues who have been there. Watch for details in the coming weeks!

DoM ACCESS, COMMUNITY
AND BELONGING

Race is a Social Construct,
Not a Biologic Classification

“Race” does not account for human biological variation. It never has and never will. Humans are not divided into biologically distinct continental types or genetic clusters. Large-scale genetic studies demonstrate that human variation is continuous and overlapping rather than being partitioned into distinct racial groups. Most genetic differences occur within populations rather than between them.

The concept of race emerged as a classification system to justify colonialism, enslavement, and oppression. Its foundation was political and economic, not biological. Misunderstanding race as biology has profound negative biological and social consequences in medicine, research, and public health. In medicine, this includes the historical use of race-based correction factors in kidney and lung function testing, which can delay diagnosis and treatment in Black and Indigenous patients. A Toronto concept-mapping study (Mahabir et al., 2021) found that Black patients frequently felt “viewed as inferior” and reported “unequal access” to medical care. These examples illustrate how structural racism—not biology—drives inequities in health and treatment.

Although race is not rooted in biology, it operates as a powerful social force. Across centuries, it has shaped legal systems, policy, and daily experience. Cultural norms and institutions continue to reinforce racial hierarchies, producing inequities in health, education, housing, and policing. These inequities show that while race is a social construct, its effects—biological, psychological, and social—are real.

Recognizing this distinction is essential for dismantling inequities and addressing racism as a determinant of health.

Read other ACB definitions and topics on the DoM ACB site.

DoM RESEARCH

Faculty Funding and Awards

CIHR Internal Review for Spring 2026 Competition

• Notice of Intent (NOI) to Apply - New Submissions | Dec. 7. Researchers who are interested in applying for the CIHR Project Grant Spring 2026 competition should email Prashanth Komirishetty by Dec. 7.
   

Cardiac Arrest Research Team Grants | Dec. 16. This funding opportunity is coordinated with the American Heart Association (AHA) Cardiac Arrest funding opportunity to increase survival and optimize quality of life of those impacted (directly and indirectly) by cardiac arrest. Value: $5,000,000 CAD; $1,666,665 CAD/team ($333,333 CAD per year for five (5) years).

For more Funding and Award Opportunities, see:

Members' Research Publications

Themes for November: Pulmonary Hypertension, Antimicrobial Resistance

The following highlights research conducted by DoM members related to this month’s themes.

• Glassman H, Ismail A, Kabbani D, et al. Appropriateness of intravenous vancomycin prescribing in a Canadian acute care hospital. Journal: Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada. 2025;10(3):252-256. doi:10.3138/jammi-2024-0040
   

• van Lierop LMA, Devillers MJC, van der Woude CJanneke, Hoentjen F, de Vries AC. Long-term outcomes of increased versus conventional adalimumab dose interval for patients with Crohn’s disease in stable remission: 3-year follow-up of the randomized controlled LADI trial. 
  Journal: Gastroenterology. Published online September 19, 2025. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.09.023
   
• Weatherald J, Fleming TR, Wilkins MR, et al. 
  Clinical trial design, end-points, and emerging therapies in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Journal:  European Respiratory Journal. Published online August 29, 2024. doi:10.1183/13993003.01205-2024
   

DoM NEWS

Congratulations to Canada Research Chairs: Dr. Sara Davison, Dr. Glen Jickling, and Dr. Padma Kaul!

Congratulations to Dr. Mahua Ghosh, (associate professor, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism) on receiving the 2025 Killam Annual Professorship!

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Shafran, assistant clinical professor with the Division of General Internal Medicine, and the Edmonton Diabetes & High Risk Foot Clinic on receiving the Health Quality Alberta Patient Experience Award! 

Congratulations to RaeAnne Barkhouse, team lead of Academic Divisional Administration, on receiving the 2025 Chuck Morrison Award from ACCADA!

Congratulations to Amanda Blouin, Medical Education Program Coordinator (MEPC), on receiving the Clerkship Administration Award from the U of A Medical Students' Association!

Dr. Gopinath Sutendra (associate professor, Division of Cardiology) and team uncover potential treatments to protect the heart and slow cancer (Folio)

• Dr. Justin Ezekowitz (professor, Division of Cardiology)
  • Vericiguat Improves HFrEF Regardless of Background Therapy (HCP Live)
     
• ​​​​​Dr. Giovanni Ferrara (professor, Division of Pulmonary Medicine)
  • Wearable Technology: The Future of Lung Health!? (The Unsung Lung Podcast)
     
• Dr. Ross Mitchell (professor, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
  • Canada's information and privacy regulators wrap up meeting that focused on critical access and privacy issues facing Canadians (Tolerance.ca)
     
• Dr. Lynora Saxinger (professor, Division of Infectious Diseases)
  • Premature baby dies of measles in Alberta outbreak's 1st death (CBC)
  • AHS testing people in relation to bird flu outbreak at petting farm, Calgary Zoo taking precautions (CBC News)
  • Respiratory virus season is here. Here's what experts say you should do (CBC The Dose)
  • Opinion: Why you should get your annual flu shot (Edmonton Journal)
  • Canada's measles outbreak control challenged by disinformation and distrust, doctors say (CBC News)
     
• Dr. Adrian Wagg (professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine)
  • Revolutionizing Senior Care: Optima Living and University of Alberta Spark a Transformative Partnership (Yahoo)
  • The first drug that can slow Alzheimer’s disease has been approved by Health Canada (CBC Edmonton AM)

HAPPENINGS IN DoM

Classroom D - 2F1.04 WMC, University Hospital

Join us in person for coffee and good conversation, or click on links below to register on Zoom.

• Nov. 14 - Tom Marrie Lectureship: Clostridioides difficile Infection in 2025: New Strains, Old Games, Dr. Susy Hota, clinician investigator, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute
• Nov. 21 - Wensel Sherbaniuk Lectureship: The Road to Prevention in IBD, Dr. Marla Dubinsky, chief, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital
• Nov. 28 - TBA, Dr. Stephanie Smith, division director and professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, DoM, U of A
• Dec. 5 - TBA, Dr. Richard Camicioli, professor, Division of Neurology, DoM, U of A

In case you missed it:

• Leadership is for Everyone: A Panel Discussion with Dr. Carrie Ye, Dr. Lindsay Bridgland, Dr. Dominic Mudiayi, Dr. Nikhil Shah and Dr. Ashley Whidden (moderator)
• Dr. Greg Hrynchyshyn, Edmonton Zone Virtual Home Hospital: Transforming Acute Care at Home
• Dr. Robert Gniadecki, The Sun Paradox: Revisiting Human Evolution, Health, and the Forgotten Benefits of Ultraviolet Light
• Dr. Jason Weatherald and Dr. Steven Meyer, Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension & Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy from Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension - Surgical Considerations
• Dr. Justin Ezekowitz, From Failure to Function: Heart Failure 2025 and Beyond
• See more previous recordings on the MGR Library web page.

HELPFUL SUPPORT and TIPS

• Finance Tip: Gratuity. The maximum gratuity approved by the U of A is 18% (calculated after tax is applied). This applies to all out-of-pocket expenses and purchases made using the corporate credit card. Questions? Contact the DoM Finance team.
   
• U of A Editorial Style Guide Tips:
  • health care – two words as a noun but hyphenated as an adjective. Example: Health-care research underway at the U of A will benefit Albertans’ health care.
  • "U of A” is the correct abbreviation for the University of Alberta; do not use UAlberta.
  • Kipnes Academy (formerly ECHA) – use the full name of the building on first reference, the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Academy. Do not use an acronym. The academy is home to the Dianne and Irving Kipnes Health Research Institute. 
     
• Updated CPR & Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for Canada released by Heart & Stroke on October 22.

FACULTY OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY

• Alberta Respiratory Centre (ARC) Research Day | Nov. 12. Oborowsky Degner Seminar Hall, 1-040 Li Ka Shing Bldg, with Dr. Duncan J. Stewart, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Cell therapies for lung vascular diseases: a glass half full?
   
• Clinical Reasoning Workshop Series. This three-part workshop series is spaced out to provide time to practice and have real-time reflection on their clinical teaching. Register through the Office of Faculty Development website.
  • Workshop 2:  What’s in a Question? Effective Questioning Techniques to Foster Clinical Reasoning (Nov 21, 9 - 10:30 a.m.)
  • Workshop 3: Expanding your Toolkit for Teaching and Assessing Clinical Reasoning (Dec 12, 9 - 10:30 a.m.)

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA NEWS

• Awards for Teaching Excellence (U of A) | Nov. 27, 2025. Nominate your colleagues for the five awards available in undergraduate, graduate and teaching collaboration. 
• Awards for Faculty Excellence (U of A) | Mar. 5, 2026. Nominate your colleagues for the five awards available: University Cup, UA Distinguished Professor, Vargo Teaching Chair, McCalla Professorship, and Henry Marshall Tory Teaching Chair.

ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES NEWS

Free AMA webinars support PPIP requirements. The Alberta Medical Association Accelerating Change Transformation Team (AMA-ACTT) is offering free, interactive webinars to help physicians meet the Physician Practice Improvement Program (PPIP) requirements by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta.

These sessions are ideal for primary care providers looking to complete their mandated PPIP activities with practical, step-by-step guidance. Upcoming virtual sessions include:

• Artificial Intelligence Tools Checkup: Taking the Pulse on Your Practice Readiness | Nov. 18, 6:00 p.m.
• PPIP-Stop: Drop-in Q&A | Nov. 24, 6:00 p.m.
• Working Through Conflict: Mastering the Process | Nov. 27, 6:00 p.m.
• Shhhh! Peeking into Privacy Particulars and Best Practices | Dec. 1, 6:00 p.m.

Register and learn more.

Provincial Medical Leadership Educational Series: Tuning into Safety |  Nov. 26 @ 4p.m. or Nov. 27 @ 7 p.m. Dr. Ghazala Radwi, hematologist and the Medical Lead, North Sector, for Transfusion Medicine at Alberta Precision Labs. Learn how to recognize your nervous system’s patterns, understand how they shape your responses, and explore ways to engage and regulate them.

Emergency Health Services-Alberta (EHS-Alberta) and Health Link 811 expand alternative transportation program for non-urgent patients in Calgary and Edmonton. The EHS-Alberta/Health Link 811 Shared Response program is piloting a six-month project in Calgary and Edmonton to include alternative transportation for patients who need in-person medical assessment but do not require an ambulance.