Dr. Alison M. Clarke is a family physician who has practiced for over 20 years at Valley Medical Clinic, providing care to patients and their families in the rural community of Strathmore, Alberta. She is also an admitting physician for acute and long-term care for Strathmore District Health Services. Dr. Clarke has been involved with primary care networks since the PCN concept was first established, and she participated in the original planning and implementation of the PCN in the Strathmore medical community. She has served as the medical director of the Calgary Rural PCN since 2014.
Dr. Clarke has also served in leadership roles including president of the Rural Medical Staff Association and Chief of Staff of Strathmore District Health Services. She is a member of the Health Services Support Task Group under the direction of the Secretariat of the Calgary Zone PCNs with specialty groups to facilitate and stream referral processes. She has also written columns for Vital Signs magazine focusing on medical practice from a rural perspective.
An AMA member since her family practice residency in 1990, Dr. Clarke has a lengthy history with the AMA. She served as a Representative Forum delegate from 1998-2013 and as a member of the Board of Directors from 2010-13 and since 2017 in her role as president-elect. She also served on the Nominating Committee and the Ad Hoc Committee to Review AMA’s Regional Structure, and was a delegate to CMA General Council on several occasions. For her contributions, she was recognized with the AMA Long-Service Award in 2010.
In her role as president, Dr. Clarke will continue as a member of the Board of Directors and will serve on various internal and external committees such as the Representative Forum Planning Group, Committee on Bylaws, Executive Committee and Provincial Physician Liaison Forum.
Banner photo credit: Curtis Comeau