REGINA — Saskatoon family physician Dr. Carla Holinaty was elected to a one-year term as president of the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) May 8 during the SMA’s 2026 spring representative assembly (RA) at the Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina.
Holinaty becomes the 60th president of the SMA, succeeding Regina physician Dr. Pamela Arnold.
“I am honoured and humbled that the physicians of Saskatchewan have elected me to this position,” Holinaty said in a news release. “This role is not something I arrive at alone. Many people – often through small but meaningful moments – have influenced how I listen, how I lead and how I understand the responsibility of representing others.”
Holinaty noted the significant pressures facing physicians across Saskatchewan, including increasing patient demand and complexity, workforce shortages, growing administrative burden and moral distress.
“I step into this role with a clear understanding of the environment physicians are working in,” she said. “Across Saskatchewan, physicians are facing extraordinary challenges that affect not only how we practise, but how we feel about our work, and whether we can continue in it over the long term.”
Despite the challenges, Holinaty expressed optimism about what can be achieved through collaboration and advocacy.
“Physicians are willing to engage – have difficult conversations, challenge ideas and work toward solutions,” she said. “We are not powerless in the health system. When we are aligned, when we are thoughtful, and when we are persistent, we have the ability to shape the future of health care in this province.”
Key priorities for her term include strengthening the connection between physicians and the SMA, advocating for the priorities of physicians with government and health system partners, advancing the SMA’s anti-racism action plan, supporting physician well-being, and promoting the sustainability of the profession.
She also emphasized supporting physicians across all practice settings, improving patient access to family medicine, and engaging members if negotiations begin a new agreement.
“I want to bring people together,” Dr. Holinaty said. “Physicians may not always agree but we share common goals. I am committed to building an association that reflects the realities of modern medical practice – responsive, inclusive, and forward-looking.”
Holinaty works at the Academic Family Medicine Unit in Saskatoon, where she provides full-scope family medicine clinical care and teaches medical students and residents.
She has served on numerous SMA boards and committees, including the section of family medicine, the Saskatoon Medical Staff Association, the SMA EDI committee, and the SMA board of directors.
The 2026 spring RA also featured addresses from Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill and Lori Carr, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Seniors and Rural and Remote Health, followed by a question-and-answer session with physician delegates.
The Canadian Medical Association presented honorary memberships to Dr. Brenda Cholin of North Battleford and Dr. Clare Kozroski of Gull Lake.
