New CEO Alex Munter steps into role

Press Release

December 2, 2024

The new CEO of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and CMA Group of Companies, Alex Munter, knows first-hand the pressures on the health system — including the impacts on Canadians who don’t have a family physician or can’t get the care they need in a timely manner.

As president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Mr. Munter worked with patients, families, physicians and other clinicians to improve access to care at the local level. Now, he’s bringing that passion for finding solutions to the CMA.

We have an ambitious strategy to strengthen Canadian health care and we look forward to Alex deploying his experience and insights to help the CMA advance our goals for the benefit of all Canadians — and to alleviate pressures faced by physicians and everyone else in the health care workforce.

Dr. Joss Reimer, CMA president

Among the CMA’s areas of focus for 2025 are its ReconciliACTION plan to chart a more equitable path forward with Indigenous Peoples — the next step following an apology on behalf of the organization and the profession for past and ongoing harms to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in the health system.

The CMA will also continue to work to reduce physicians’ crushing administrative burden so they can spend more time with patients, support wellness and cultural safety in health care and the profession, and drive a more sustainable, climate-resilient health system.

Recognizing the importance of collaboration for meaningful change, Mr. Munter will build on the CMA’s relationships with physicians, policy-makers, provincial and territorial medical associations, affiliate and associate groups and others.

In addition to his time at CHEO, Mr. Munter brings experience as chief executive officer of the Champlain Local Health Integration Network and as executive director of the Youth Services Bureau, one of Ontario’s largest accredited children’s mental health agencies.

He was also a city and regional councillor for Ottawa from 1991 to 2003. As Canada prepares for a federal election next year, he will work with patients, physicians and partner organizations to ensure that health care remains at the forefront of the political agenda – and physicians’ voices are heard loud and clear.

IHT5