The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is leading pan-Canadian efforts to advance Physical, Psychological, and Cultural (PPC) Safety in healthcare and medical education. PPC Safety ensures that learners, faculty, and healthcare professionals work and train in environments that prioritize safety, well-being, and inclusivity.
As a strategic partner, CAMI collaborates with the CMA to integrate PPC Safety principles into Canada’s medical education system. This work aligns with the Okanagan Charter, which calls on higher education institutions to embed health promotion into all aspects of campus culture.
*The following working definitions from the CMA have been sourced and adapted from definitions of physical, psychological and cultural safety from leading individuals and organizations, interviews with subject matter experts and focused dialogues and collaboration with key individuals, groups and organizations working in this space. The definitions are meant to consider the complex and multi-faceted nature of safety, and positions safety as the presence and absence of contributing factors.
The result of an environment that identifies, minimizes and mitigates harm, injury, and illness, threats of harm or injury, or near harm or injury which may be inflicted by a person, substance, object, hazard, environment or occupational practice.
A climate of trust and respect in which people are comfortable working to their full scope of practice and potential and hold the belief that teammates and leadership will support, and not embarrass or punish, a colleague for speaking up in the line of work.
An outcome based on acceptance and respectful engagement that recognizes unique individual identities, differences and preferences and strives to address inherent power imbalances in the health care system resulting in an environment free of racism and discrimination, where people feel safe to be their authentic selves.
The Okanagan Charter calls on academic institutions to embed health promotion into all aspects of campus culture through policy, leadership, education, and community engagement. PPC Safety is a core component of this vision, ensuring that medical learning and work environments are safe, inclusive, and supportive for faculty, learners, and healthcare professionals.
As a leader in advancing PPC Safety in medical education, CAMi is actively implementing initiatives that bring the Okanagan Charter’s principles to life. Through research, policy development, leadership training, and evaluation, CAMi is working to integrate PPC Safety into faculty governance, institutional policies, and national well-being strategies.
CAMi is working with medical faculties to embed PPC Safety into institutional policies by:
To ensure learning and work environments foster well-being, CAMi is:
CAMi is strengthening academic medicine culture by embedding PPC Safety into:
To ensure PPC Safety is part of lifelong learning and professional growth, CAMi is:
Recognizing the unique well-being needs of faculty, CAMi is:
To ensure long-term impact, CAMi is:
Advancing efforts of physical, psychological, and cultural safety within the faculties of medicine in Canada
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