A Red Deer doctor has been elected to the Alberta Medical Association’s board of directors for the first time in 18 years.
Dr. Robert Korbyl, an orthopedic surgeon at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, is one of several board members recently elected to the body.
Central Alberta physicians have run in the past, but didn’t get elected for whatever reason, Korbyl said. Approximately 142 physicians and AMA members participated in the voting.
“It’s tough to know why people vote one way or the other,” he said. “It’s just been an unusual 18 years, where Central Alberta has not had representatives, and maybe I just got lucky.”
Korbyl’s term is three years long.
The 48-year-old also ran for the AMA last year, but didn’t get elected.
The board is diverse and members come from all facets of health care, such as general practice, cardiac surgery and family medicine. Korbyl brings his orthopedic expertise to the AMA’s table.
One of the AMA’s focuses is diversity and inclusivity for all physicians in Alberta. Another priority is letting patients access their medical charts online.
“So you can check up your own lab tests, results of an X-ray, and we’re going through that and how that is going to affect the delivery of health care and how does it affect the physicians,” he said.
The members are in the initial stages and discussions about how the system will work.
“It will be an expensive venture, but at the end of the day, it will save the health-care system money when a patient is able to look at their own results.”
Korbyl said it’s all about the patients at the end of the day.
“They will be less falling through the cracks, because in a system that’s so big, this is always one of our concerns, so we’re hoping this will assist in that matter.”
Korbyl was appointed a member at large of the Alberta Orthopaedic Society around 2005. Later, he was elected secretary, followed by president.
Korbyl is the team orthopedic surgeon for the Red Deer Rebels. He enjoys coaching hockey, loves to golf and is a beginner to woodworking.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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