New Hires

A Medical Staff Appointment outlines the Practitioner’s rights and responsibilities associated with their appointment, it grants you Clinical Privileges and access to AHS facilities.  Clinical Privileges are procedures that may be performed by a Practitioner; Sites of Clinical Activity in which a Practitioner may perform Procedures or provide care to Patients; and the AHS Programs and Professional Services that are available to a Practitioner in order to provide care to Patients.

Please fill the form – “Request for Medical Staff Appointment Package”, and send to Connie.shang@ahs.ca.  For more information: AHS Medical Staff Appointments page.

Upon receipt of the above information, Connie will initiate correspondence with the Medical Staff Office (MSO).  Expect to receive an MSA application package from the MSO shortly afterwards.  You will be expected to complete the following items, in anticipation of this package we recommend reviewing the items below:

• Register for College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) Practice Permit - Reference
• Apply with Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) - Reference
• Complete Information Privacy & IT Security Training - Reference
• You will be expected to complete an Alberta Health Services Security Check - Reference
• It is only valid for 90 days. (Residents of Psychiatry has this item on file)
• Communicable Disease Assessment (CDA) Complete and submit the CDA form with available immunization records to CDA@ahs.ca.  This process helps Workplace Health & Safety create a record for you and potential risks.

You can submit the package back to MSO even some of the above items are outstanding.

When your documents have been received the Medical Staff Office (MSO) will send you an Appointment Offer Letter (AOL). Upon signing your AOL you have agreed to be governed by both the AHS Bylaws and AHS Rules which can be found on AHS Bylaws & Rules page.

Following this, the MSO will release an MSA memo confirming that Medical Affairs has verified your credentials and recognizes your clinical privileges as detailed in the document.

All practicing physicians require a Practitioner Identification Number also known as a Prac ID.  Alberta Health registers practitioners for a claim payment or patient referral purposes.

Please see below for instructions on how to complete the required Practitioner Information form (AHC0912).

• Complete sections A, B, D, H, F
• Completing Section F:
  • Effective date is your start date – please leave this blank if you are unsure of the exact start date

** You can get your Practice Permit, Registration & Understanding Agreement (RUA) Letter, and Specialty Letter by contacting the College of Physician and Surgeons of Alberta at: Contact us or phone: 780-423-4764

This process can take up to 90 days.

Waiting for your Prac ID?

• Call Alberta Health Toll free 310-0000 then 780-422-1522
• Have your CPSA number handy
• Your Prac ID should be available approximately 5 business days after submission
• If you are in the ARP please state that you are in the ARP when requesting your Prac ID

Professional Corporation

If you would like to register your professional corporation, please do the following:

• Select 'also register Professional Corporation' on the Practitioner Information Form referenced above
• Include a void cheque from the corporation
• Include Form F from CPSA (you will need to register your Professional Corporation with CPSA to obtain Form F)
• Include Certificate of Incorporation
• Complete Alberta Health Form 0911
• If you are joining the AARP please include the AARP Letter of Participation with corporation signature

• AMHSP members are entitled to an office space or dropdown station, shared administrative support, and shared billing clerk.
• Please contact Jillian Bonk Jillian.Bonk@ahs.ca, Administrative Manager, before your start date for the following:
  • Name and location of your administrative support
  • Office furniture and keys
  • Computer with specific programs installed

Billing Clerks

• Before your start date, your assigned Billing Clerk will contact you.
• If you have questions:

• UCMG Transcription and Billing Services Contacts
  • Melina Drha – Transcription Services (P: 403-592-5097 or E: mdrha@ucalgary.ca)
  • Jennifer Radford – Financial Assistant, Billing Services (E: jennifer.radford@ucalgary.ca)
• UCMG Contracts
  • Shelly-Ann Douse – Manager, UCMG (P: 403-220-4319 F: 403-283-5594 E: Shelly-Ann.Douse@ucalgary.ca)

Administrative Assistants

• Administrative Assistant can assist with:
  • Ordering additional office supplies
  • Setting up and updating the voicemail greeting
  • Ordering business cards
  • Providing contact details (e.g., long distance codes, clinic phone numbers, and fax numbers)

University of Calgary Medical Group (UCMG)

Here are links to the UCMG Agency Agreement and the UCMG Clinical Practice Levy at a Glance.  You will be required to add to the UCMG business arrangement number.*

*A business arrangement is an agreement for the payment of health services provided.  All practitioner registered with Alberta Health and Wellness must have or be part of a business arrangement in order to claim for services.

UCMG provides you with the following Operational Services:

• Clerical, Nursing, Chart Handling/EMR
• Janitorial, Clinic Space, Procedures, Lab/Diagnostics
• Clinical supplies, HVAC, Housekeeping, Security, General Maintenance
• Shared administrative support, Office or touchdown space
• AHS intranet/internal information technologies and systems, UCMG & AHS Transcription, Billing clerk, Sabbatical credits

Pagers are not included* – physicians are required to purchase a pager to maintain their independent contractor status.  Pagers are $250.00 and can be picked up from Mary McRae prior to your start date.  Unfortunately, the DoM can only accept cheques at this time.  Please make cheque payable to: Alberta Health Services. A receipt will be issued.

*Locum physicians are not required to purchase their own pagers, pagers will be provided by their Section and shall be returned at the end of their term.

If you already have a Prac ID, complete this form to be added:

• Select 'Add me to the Business Arrangement'
• Leave 'Business Arrangement Number' blank
• Effective date is your start date, leave blank if unknown
• If you have a current BA number, select 'End my relationship with the BA' and enter corresponding number
• Effective end date is the day before your start date, leave blank if unknown
• 'BA contract holder name' is University of Calgary
• 'Practitioner name' is your name
• Ensure you include your Prac ID
• Enter your Section in the 'Indicate the skill that will be used on most claims' space
• Under 'Section B' sign on 'Practitioner Signature'

Fee for Service Physicians choose to opt in

Physician pays 14 -18% of their total billings to UCMG (approximately $45k to a maximum of $96K)

Please complete the following forms and include void cheque:

• Oath of Confidentiality
• Schedule "D" UCMG Physician Participation Agreement
• Schedule "D" Physician Participation Agreement to Alberta Health Services (AHS) and to Alberta Medical Association (AMA)
• Appendix II: Member Admission Application
• UCMG Transcription Services
• UCMG Member Information form
• Statement of account

AMHSP Physicians

All AMHSP members must be members of the UCMG

Please complete the following forms:

• Oath of Confidentiality
• Schedule "D" UCMG Physician Participation Agreement
• Schedule "D" Physician Participation Agreement to Alberta Health Services (AHS) and to Alberta Medical Association (AMA)
• Appendix II: Member Admission Application
• UCMG Transcription Services
• UCMG Member Information form

Department of Psychiatry Medical Staff are required to hold a University of Calgary Clinical Appointment if they participate in the following activities:

• Clinical work with learners
• Research
• Education

Clinical appointments may be made for periods of twelve months up to five years.  The University rank and years will be determined by the Department Head.

The Department of Psychiatry requires:

• CV (preferably in U of C format, but not mandatory - see attached guide) U of C format.
• Complete the Clinical/Adjunct Academic Personal Information form
• 3 letters of reference – Email to valerie.Taylor3@ahs.can and copy connie.shang@ahs.ca.
  • Letter of Reference Template. (it does not need to be followed).  Please have your references address the letters to:

                       Dr. Valerie Taylor
                       Head, Department of Psychiatry
                       Psychiatry Administration
                       Room AW259B, 2nd Floor, SSB, Foothills Medical Centre
                       1403 – 29th Street NW
                       Calgary AB  T2N 2T9

Joint Appointment

A joint appointment is granted if a Practitioner will be contributing to a specific department academically.  They allow for practitioners to participate in the Department’s academic activities, apply for funding and supervise graduate students within those Departments.  Joint appointments can also be offered to academics outside the Cumming School of Medicine who are fully involved in the Department.  Creating a Joint Appointment helps account for FTE appropriately within each Department.

The following is required for a Joint Appointment:

• The Primary Department Head will need to approve of the joint appointment
• If an existing joint appointment(s) exists the Department Head(s) will also need to support this
• After this approval is granted an offer of appointment will be created

Joint appointments will be aligned with the end date of the Practitioners current appointment.

Joint appointments result in full involvement of the Department Heads in all academic processes, including merit, tenure and promotion.  This should be considered when deciding between offering a Joint or Adjunct appointment to those outside of the School.