REGINA — Dr. Andre Grobler, a family physician from Prince Albert, was elected president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association on Friday, May 10, during the 2024 Spring Representative Assembly held at Regina’s Delta Marriott.
Dr. Grobler becomes the 58th president of the SMA. He succeeds Dr. Annette Epp, a Saskatoon gynecologist, and will serve a one-year term.
“I am honoured and privileged to have been chosen to serve the physicians of this province,” Dr. Grobler said. “We are in a period of change in medicine following the ratification of the new agreement between the SMA and the Ministry of Health. But change brings opportunity. I will listen to and advocate for Saskatchewan’s physicians as the SMA and the government continue the detailed work of implementing the agreement.”
Dr. Grobler said he wants doctors to practice medicine in an environment where they feel supported by government and health care partners.
“We need to establish a dialogue so that decisions are made with the input and knowledge of physicians,” he said. “We can accomplish much more if we work together. We have seen that with the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new agreement.”
Dr. Grobler was born and raised in Pretoria, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Africa, and studied medicine at the University of the Free State. He worked in trauma and family medicine for two years before moving to Estevan in 2008.
In 2014, he moved to Prince Albert to enroll in the Surgical Skills Program for one year and remained in the community. Dr. Grobler now works in family medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics, GP surgery, and as a hospitalist. He is also director of the Enhanced Surgical Skills Program in Prince Albert for the Department of Academic Family Medicine. He joined the SMA Board of Directors in 2017. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and flying, especially to northern communities where he manages care for expectant mothers before they travel to P.A. for their deliveries.
“My experience as a physician in Saskatchewan has been rewarding,” Dr. Grobler said. “I have been blessed with the abundance of opportunities that working in a rural and regional medicine provides. I have also been fortunate to work with and be mentored by great physicians. I truly respect and admire the doctors of Saskatchewan.”
The 2024 Spring RA also featured addresses from Health Minister Everett Hindley and Tim McLeod, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health, followed by a question-and-answer session with delegates.
The SMA presented its inaugural Service Award to Dr. Guruswamy Sridhar of Regina, who served as SMA president in 2010-11. The award recognizes a physician’s contributions to the SMA on committees, the Board of Directors or in other activities that support the SMA and its mission. Dr. Sridhar’s involvement with the SMA spans several years and roles, including chair of the Medical Compensation Review Committee and membership on the Bylaws and Rules Review Committee, the Legislation and Policy Committee, the Finance Committee, and committees related to electronic records and information technology. He was the SMA’s representative on the Canadian Medical Association Board of Directors from 2014 to 2020.
The Canadian Medical Association presented CMA honorary memberships to four Saskatchewan physicians: Dr. Rick Gore-Hickman, Dr. Gene Marcoux, Dr. Jim Melenchuk, and Dr. Mysore S. Renuka-Prasad.
The Saskatchewan Medical Association (www.sma.sk.ca) is a voluntary, member-based, professional association for physicians, medical students and residents in the province and it is the provincial chapter of the Canadian Medical Association. As the trusted voice of Saskatchewan’s physicians, the SMA negotiates for and on behalf of our doctors; supports the educational, professional, economic and personal well-being of physicians; and advocates for a high-quality and patient-centred health care system.
— Submitted by SMA
