Insights - Fall 2009

Excitement builds as the College is in the midst of planning for its move to its new office on November 20, 2009. Effective November 23, the CMRTO’s new address will be:

375 University Avenue, Suite 300
Toronto, Ontario M5G 2J5

The telephone numbers, fax, email and website addresses will remain the same.

As outlined in the summer issue of Insights, the new 7,800 square foot office space provides easy accessibility for the public and members by subway, GO train and car; barrier free access; less expensive leasing cost per square foot; and a professionally managed building with 24-hour security.

While it is expected that everything will go smoothly for the move, the College anticipates disruptions in access to the website and the phone system from 12 noon on Friday, November 20 to 12 noon on Monday, November 23. If your registration renewal is due during this time and you plan to renew online, you should access the Online Member Services to complete your renewal prior to November 20.

Just prior to the publication of this issue of Insights, the College was delighted to learn that the government has amended the proposed scope of practice for MRTs as set out in Bill 179: Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act to include a modification requested by the College.

After Bill 179 was introduced in May of this year, the College submitted to the government a request to amend the proposed scope of practice statement to recognize that MRTs play an important role in the assessment of the condition of the patient before, during and after a procedure. The College made the case that this essential component of MRT practice should be included in the profession’s scope of practice statement.

On October 20, 2009 the Standing Committee reported the amendments to the Legislative Assembly which included the change requested by the College.

The amended Bill 179 has now been ordered for third reading. Once the Bill passes third reading, it must receive Royal Assent and it is hoped this will happen before year end. Even with Royal Assent, however, the new scope of practice and authorized acts for MRTs will not come into effect until proclamation of the related section of the Act which could take as long as one or two years.

The College intends to use this time to communicate with its members and stakeholders, to develop revised Standards of Practice for the new authorized acts and scope of practice statement (Essential Competencies and Comprehensive Guidelines) and to develop any regulations or bylaws required to support the amendments.

If the scope of practice statement and authorized acts are amended as set out in Bill 179, they will read as follows:

Scope of practice
The practice of medical radiation technology is the use of ionizing radiation, electromagnetism and other prescribed forms of energy for the purposes of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, the evaluation of images and data relating to the procedures and the assessment of an individual before, during and after the procedures.

Authorized acts
In the course of engaging in the practice of medical radiation technology, a member is authorized, subject to the terms, conditions and limitations imposed on his or her certificate of registration, to perform the following:

1. Administering substances by injection or inhalation.
2. Tracheal suctioning of a tracheostomy.
3. Administering contrast media, or putting an instrument, hand or finger,
• beyond the opening of the urethra,
• beyond the labia majora,
• beyond the anal verge, or
• into an artificial opening of the body.
4. Performing a procedure on tissue below the dermis.
5. Applying a prescribed form of energy.

Since going live with the online public register of members in the spring of this year, the CMRTO has responded to a number of questions from members and employers. Below are some of the College’s responses that you may find helpful:

How can employers verify that their MRT employees are active in their respective specialty?
The online public register contains the most up-to-date information available from the College on the status and specialty of a member. Employers are encouraged to use the online public register available on the website as a complementary tool to the certificates of registration issued by the College.

How can I as a manager use the online public register?
The online public register is a useful tool for managers to check whether MRTs employed or being hired at their facility are active members of the College. They can also confirm which specialty(ies) members are registered in (radiography, nuclear medicine, radiation therapy and/or magnetic resonance). However, it is important for employers to be aware that members are still active, even if they do not pay their renewal fees, until the certificate of registration is suspended. If the member has not paid the renewal and late fees within a three month period following the due date (the member’s birthday), the certificate of registration will be suspended for failure to pay fees. At that time, the suspension will be displayed in the public register and will be published in the next edition of Insights if the person’s certificate of registration is still suspended at the time of publication.

I am looking for a member who I know is active and the search did not return the results. Why?
This may be the result of confusion about the member’s registered name. The College issues certificates of registration using a member’s legal name. The College does not use short forms or variations of this legal name. The best approach for searching for a member on the public register is to use the member’s name as it appears on the member’s certificate of registration. If you are still not able to find the person, please call the College.

Why is the expiry date of a member’s certificate and the registration number (which appear on the member’s wallet card) not available on the public register?
Since June 4, 2009, the information about members which is public information and available on the website includes:

• First and last name
• Registration class and specialist status
• Business address (including the name of the member’s employer) and business phone number for the primary place of practice
• Any terms, conditions and limitations that are in effect on a certificate of registration
• A notation of revocation or suspension of a certificate of registration (including a suspension for failure to pay fees)
• Referrals to the Discipline Committee until the matter has been resolved
• A synopsis of every finding made against a member by the Discipline Committee or the Fitness to Practise Committee
• Findings of professional negligence or malpractice made against the member unless the finding is reversed on appeal
• Where a member, during or as a result of an investigation, has resigned and agreed never to practise again in Ontario, a notation of the resignation and agreement

The following are the people whose certificates of registration were suspended between June 6, 2009 and October 31, 2009 for failure to pay their fees in accordance with section 24 of the Health Professions Procedural Code.

A person whose certificate of registration has been suspended is not a member of the College unless and until the suspension is removed.

The letter below, dated August 11, 2009, was received by the College Registrar, Linda Gough. It recounts the positive experience of a patient who underwent nuclear medicine procedures under the care of three nuclear medicine technologists. The College recognizes that the vast majority of medical radiation technologists provide excellent service for their patients, and is pleased to publish this letter as an example of the high level of care and consideration provided by three specific College members.

Dear Ms. Gough,

I am writing to sing the praises of the wonderful medical radiation technologists at Toronto General Hospital. Specifically, Mr. Paul McCrossin and his colleagues, Brian (Bryan Mogaji) and Rob (Robert Kamen).

Going to the hospital is never a pleasant experience, besides the anxiety of worrying about one’s health, the hospital is generally a place of fear and the unknown.

I must say that both of my experiences, on the week of June 8th and then again on July 29, were wonderful. Mr. McCrossin is caring, considerate, personable and friendly. If one had any anxiety about the tests, they were definitely gone when Paul took you “in hand” and walked you through your tests. He took the time to explain the test and process and put you at ease. I saw him interact with other patients as well, with the same degree of consideration and care that he took with me. The test I had required me to visit the Nuclear Medicine department 4 days out of 5 on the week of June 8th. Paul remembered me each time. He remembered me while I was sitting on the bench outside the hospital, as I was very early for one appointment and he said that they were running ahead of schedule and could fit me in earlier. On our way to the department, he stopped to help some people who were lost and required assistance —he went out of his way to assist them.

As it happened, I had to go back to the Nuclear Medicine department on July 29th for another test and was treated with the same kind and caring attention from Rob and Brian. Each of them were friendly, and took the time to make you feel at ease and relaxed. As well, Paul McCrossin remembered me from when I was there in June—this just blew me away! Hundreds of patients must have gone through that department in the last month and for him to have remembered me, well, all I can say is I was very very impressed.

I just wanted you to know what wonderful Technologists you have at Toronto General Hospital. Nowadays, too many people only write to complain, never to praise. I wanted you to know that the service and attention from these individuals was outstanding.

Best regards,
Lisa A. Benvenuto

In the last issue of Insights, we outlined an approach to respond to changes to the Regulated Health Professions Act which took effect June, 2009. This involves developing a third component of the QA program—a behaviour-based individual peer and practice assessment. The behaviour-based practice assessment will be a structured interview conducted by an assessor.

The College launched a five phase process over the summer holding two live focus groups and one teleconference. These focus groups, comprising all four specialties with geographical representation and a public member of Council, identified and validated which of the CMRTO’s Essential Competencies can be assessed using a behaviour-based practice assessment (phase one and phase two).

Phase three will take place in December of this year. During this phase College members and a public member from the CMRTO Council will assist in the development of interview questions based on the selected competencies determined in phases one and two.

Phases four and five will take place in the spring of 2010. These phases will comprise intensive pilot testing of the assessment tool and assessor training.

District #1 (Northern District, Radiography) is composed of the geographic area within the territorial boundaries of the Districts of Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Algoma, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Manitoulin, Sudbury and the City of Greater Sudbury.

District #4 (Western District, Radiography) is composed of the geographic area within the territorial boundaries of the Regional Municipalities of Halton, Niagara, Waterloo, the Counties of Brant, Dufferin, Wellington, Essex, Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth, Lambton, Elgin, Middlesex, Haldimand and Norfolk, the Restructured County of Oxford, the City of Hamilton and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

District #7 (Faculty Members) includes all of the Province of Ontario.

District #8 (Magnetic Resonance) includes all of the Province of Ontario.