|
Council Highlights Below is a summary of key decisions taken by Council at its meeting held on June 16 & 17, 2011. (Note . . . by-laws which have not been approved are not summarized in these highlights until they have been approved by Council). Amendments to By-law No. 13 Council enacted amendments to By-law No. 13 to facilitate the College’s banking arrangements and to incorporate minor changes to the College’s Code of Ethics for consistency with the new CMRTO Standards of Practice. The amendments to By-law No. 13 related to the College’s Code of Ethics will come into force on September 1, 2011. Council Elections and Appointments Council received the results of the recent elections in District # 3 (Central District, Radiography), and District # 6 (Nuclear Medicine). Claudina Di Zio Longo, M.R.T.(R.) was re-elected in District # 3 and Robert Kamen, M.R.T.(N.) was elected in District # 6. Council re-elected David Price as president and elected Donna Lewis as vice president. The Nominating Committee presented recommendations for membership on the College’s statutory and non-statutory committees. Council appointed members to the statutory committees and non-statutory committees for a one-year term. (Information about the membership of the statutory committees can be found elsewhere on the College’s website). 2012 Council Election Date The date for the next election of members to the Council for electoral districts #2 (Eastern District, Radiography) and district #5 (Radiation Therapy) was set as Tuesday, April 10, 2012. Reports from Statutory Committees Received by Council Council received reports from the Executive Committee, the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, the Quality Assurance Committee, and the Registration Committee. Registrar’s Report College Registrar Linda Gough presented an update on the College’s activities to implement the goals set out in the strategy map previously approved by Council. The College is on-track with strategic initiatives for 2011. Standards of Practice L. Gough and S. Saberton (consultant for the Standards of Practice project) presented Draft 5 of the CMRTO’s Standards of Practice. Council members provided comments and approved minor amendments to Draft 5. Council then approved the CMRTO Standards of Practice, effective September 1, 2011. Effective September 1, 2011, the Standards of Practice replace the Essential Competencies and Comprehensive Guidelines for Acting in Accordance with the Regulated Health Professions Act Scope of Practice/Controlled Acts Model. Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act (HARP Act) Council reviewed Ontario Regulation 173/11, made under the HARP Act that was filed May 20, 2011. This regulation amends Regulation 543 made under the HARP Act. The amendments to the HARP Act include defining CT scanners and dental CT scanners as classes of x-ray machine and setting out the health professions who are authorized to order CT and dental CT scans and operate CT and dental CT scanners (provided certain conditions are met). After lengthy discussion, Council directed staff to communicate with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to pursue the removal of a clause in the amended Regulation 543 that requires an MRT to be supervised by a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario when the MRT is operating a dental CT scanner. Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Committee (HPRAC) Consultation HPRAC requested the College to provide comments on proposed revisions to the criteria for regulating new professions under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA). Council approved a draft letter to HPRAC which comments on the proposed revisions. The primary criterion in the consultation document for determining if a health profession should become regulated under the RHPA is whether the profession seeking regulation poses a risk of harm to the health and safety of the public. The College agrees with this principle being the threshold, however, the College has indicated in its response that it is important that the means of assessing potential risk of harm be clearly laid out and closely aligned to the objective of protecting the public. The College noted that it also agrees that there be secondary criteria that consider the readiness of a profession to be regulated including leadership able to favour the public interest and membership support for self-regulation. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) Independent Health Facilities (IHF) Guidelines for Nuclear Medicine The College received a request from CPSO to provide comments as part of CPSO’s External Review of IHF Clinical Practice Parameters & Facility Standards for Nuclear Medicine – Fourth Edition, April 2011. The College, after consulting with MRT subject matter experts in the specialty of nuclear medicine, provided a letter to CPSO noting that in general the guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for the safe practice of nuclear medicine in Ontario’s independent health facilities. In the letter the College provided some general comments and specific suggestions for amendments in sections related to the practice of MRTs in the specialty of nuclear medicine in Independent Health Facilities in Ontario. Educational Presentation for Council College staff and legal counsel gave a presentation entitled “A case study – the Life of a Member of the CMRTO.In this presentation, a fictitious College member interacts with the College in the following ways: · registering with the College · participating in the quality assurance multi-source feedback program · being the subject of a complaint and an investigation of a complaint · being the subject of allegations of professional misconduct that are referred to the Discipline Committee of the College The purpose of the presentation was to illustrate to Council the different College processes a member might encounter during their professional career and membership in the College. The following material was circulated to Council as information items · E-mail to L. Gough from Dr. P Warde, N. Harnett and E. Gutierrez dated April 20, 2011 respecting ‘Clinical Specialist Radiation Therapist Sustainability Project Announcement’ · Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario (FHRCO) Press Release dated April 26, 2011 regarding the election of its officers. College Registrar, Linda Gough, has been elected as Vice -President of FHRCO · MOHLTC news release entitled “Breast Cancer Screening” printed May 11, 2011 · Canadian Institute for Health Information Medical Radiation Technologist Database, 2009 Data Release Next Council Meeting The next Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. |