Word from the President May 2023

What is the CORE BUSINESS of the SOGC and what factors impact its success?

There is a saying in business, “If you have more than three priorities, you have no priorities.” The wide clinical mandate of the SOGC and the varied activities of the members and affiliates make it very hard to successfully meet priorities, given this “common idiom.”

There are two clear structures that are the guiding principle for a “not-for-profit” organization like the SOGC. They are the organization’s strategic plan and governance structure. I have, throughout my presidential year, talked repeatedly about the strategic plan trying to get the message across to the membership and affiliates.

The strategic plan of the SOGC builds on our strengths as a profession and as professionals, given that we:

• Use our expertise to provide the highest quality care to our patients and enhance the wellbeing of our members.
  
• Apply our expertise to advance knowledge and influence public policy.
  
• Share our knowledge and participate in meaningful dialogue with women directly, or through the media, respecting and supporting women in their quest for optimal health.

Of the four priorities (high quality health care, healthy professionals; collaboration to improve women’s health beyond clinical practice; partnership with women; a vibrant and resilient SOGC), the fourth priority directs us to the governance aspect.

Governance is the way rules, norms, and actions are structured, sustained, regulated, and held accountable.

An alternative description is that governance is a process by which authority is conferred on leaders, by which they establish the rules, and by which the rules are enforced and modified.

Within priority 4: The SOGC must be prepared to adapt to rapidly changing conditions in our society and in our professions, managing its resources, ready for unforeseen challenges. The SOGC will demonstrate best practice in leadership, management, and governance.

To provide these outcomes, the SOGC must have financial sustainability, collaborative and collegial membership, a skilled and dedicated staff, and a strong and strategic board.

It is for these reasons that CHANGE has been required, as difficult and disruptive as it may have been, in the different relationships and areas of our CORE BUSINESS.

So, what is our CORE BUSINESS:

1. Post-residency / formal professional training obstetric and gynaecology education (although many of our members are involved in the Royal College’s Residency-Fellowship training programs);
   
2. Clinical guidelines creation and update (the BAR quality, safety, prevention, treatment, outcome evaluation);
   
3. Knowledge creation and translation;
   
4. Help with the creation of networks (professional, personal, purposeful): The ability to call a friend, ask for help or advice, or just have a chat and shoot the breeze.

The Guideline Management and Oversight Committee (GMOC) is a CORE BUSINESS Board Committee that is reviewing these new governance changes as GMOC human resource and fiscal issues required re-evaluation, to keep the SOGC vibrant, resilient, and sustainable.

The GMOC Core Committee and the three new clinical pillars of care committees (obstetrics, gynaecology, sexual and reproductive health) are being established and staffed with content experts to lead the guideline topics planning and collaboration process (as required).

GMOC Core Objectives

1. To develop and maintain the processes and standards for the SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines with the SOGC Board and the JOGC, including:

• Processes and policies related to the development of the SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines, joint guidelines and endorsements;
  
• Best practices and policies for review and approval of the SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines;
  
• Prioritization with the clinical pillar committees on topic areas for the SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines development and updates based on the needs of women, care providers, and learners.

2. To evaluate and approve/reject clinical practice guideline proposals submitted by a SOGC clinical pillar committee or member.
   
3. To peer review the final draft of all SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines and provide feedback to authors for revision as required.
   
4. To have the SOGC Board approve the final version of all SOGC clinical practice guidelines for publication in the JOGC.

Clinical pillar committee objectives

1.  To advise the GMOC and SOGC Board on the scientific, clinical, educational, and professional matters in the field.
   
2. To provide an expert voice for the SOGC as clinical and research members in the field.
   
3. To provide recommendations to the SOGC Guideline Management Oversight Committee (GMOC) on guideline topics (new or revised), priorities, and opinions (new areas not ready for a guideline).
   
4. To determine initial considerations on the guideline author working groups (5-6 authors which may include 2-3 content experts that are not SOGC members) for new or revised SOGC Clinical Practice Guidelines.
   
5.  To suggest topics and potential faculty for SOGC CME conference programs and workshops in the specialty area.
   
6.  To collaborate with other SOGC committees on issues of mutual interest, including Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Clinical Pillar Obstetrics Committee

• 2-3 Community Practice Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Diagnostic Imaging Specialists
  
• 2-3 General Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Genetic Specialists
  
• 2-3 Infectious Disease Specialists
  
• 2-3 Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists

 Clinical Pillar Gynaecology Committee

• 2-3 Community Practice Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 General Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Gynaecological Oncologists
  
• 2-3 Infectious Disease Specialists
  
• 2-3 Minimal Invasive Surgery Specialists
  
• 2-3 Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialists
  
• 2-3 Urogynaecologist Specialists

Clinical Pillar Sexual and Reproductive Health Committee

• 2-3 Medical and Surgical Abortion Specialists
  
• 2-3 Community Practice Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Contraception Specialists
  
• 2-3 General Obstetrician Gynaecologists
  
• 2-3 Menopause Specialists
  
• 2-3 Transgender Health Specialist

Finally, the main goal of these changes to GMOC-guideline governance aims to:

• Increase cohesion, collaboration, and coordination of key topics across the field of obstetrics and gynaecology—education, advocacy, priorities, partnerships, evidence, etc.
  
• Reduce the duplication of work when topics arise that involve expertise from more than one subspecialty group.
  
• Improve the guideline development process by reducing the number of external committee review steps.
  
• Improve responsiveness for time-sensitive clinical issues (consulting 3 committees vs. more than 15) with possible media comments.
  
• Circumvent scheduling challenges to maximize attendance and engagement (meeting dates/times will be set and coordinated in advance).
  
• Ensure better use of valuable expertise to truly provide leadership to the SOGC, representing colleagues in their own areas of practice and specialization.
  
• Direct linkage to GMOC.
  
• #ItsMoreThanJustGuidelines.

I hope that this SOGC newsletter will help you understand and support the process changes. We, the SOGC, need you, your expertise, and your passion as the SOGC guideline CORE BUSINESS output is only as good as the planners, authors, and reviewers that volunteer their valuable time, along with the SOGC staffers that move the product from source to the JOGC. Making the SOGC vibrant and resilient is accomplished by providing the members, affiliates, and many others with evidence-based guidelines for quality, safety, preventive, and treatment outcomes that benefit reproductive and gynaecological health.

 All the best,

Dr. R. Douglas Wilson, MD, MSc, SOGC President 2022-2023

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