Election Results
President's Announcement Regarding CMRTO Office Lease
Legislature Considers Changes to MRT Scope of Practice
New Development Planned for the Quality Assurance Program for Fall 2009/Spring 2010
Council Highlights
Suspended Members
Election Results
The College is pleased to announce the results of recent elections for Council in Districts 2 and 5 for 2009.
| District #2 |
Eastern District, Radiography |
Re-elected by acclamation David Price |
| District #5 |
Radiation Therapy |
Re-elected by acclamation Donna Lewis |
|
The three year term for both these Council members starts at the Council meeting to be held on July 9 & 10, 2009.
President's Announcement Regarding CMRTO Office Lease
David Price, President, made the following announcement at the Council meeting held on Friday, April 24, 2009:
The CMRTO has been located in its current office space on Bloor Street in Toronto for approximately 15 years. The current lease expires on December 31, 2009. During those 15 years, there has been substantial growth in the volume and complexity of the College's work, and we have outgrown our current 5,000 square feet of space.
In 2007, the College Council directed the Registrar to undertake a review of the space needs of the College now and into the future, and a search for suitable office space. An external consultant performed a space needs analysis and recommended that the College secure a lease for between 7,000 and 8,500 square feet.
After a lengthy, comprehensive search and careful consideration (including a full analysis of the College's current space), the College decided to enter into a lease with Manulife Financial for 7,800 square feet of space at 375 University Avenue, Toronto, commencing January 1, 2010.
The College Council is delighted that we have been able to find new office space which meets and exceeds our needs and in addition provides:
- Easy accessibility for the public and members by subway, GO train and car
- Barrier free access
- A less expensive leasing cost per square foot (14% reduction)
- Central location
- A professionally managed building with 24-hour security
- Newly renovated high efficiency HVAC system
- Go Green Plus Certification, a national environmental recognition and certification program for commercial buildings
- Tenant recycling program
Over the summer, the College will remodel the offices to meet the needs of the public, our members, Council and committee members, and CMRTO staff. We will announce a moving date once the new space is ready for occupancy.
The College is pleased to have secured this space and looks forward to moving into fresh and cost-effective office space that meets its current and future needs.
Legislature Considers Changes to MRT Scope of Practice
Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, on May 11, 2009 introduced Bill 179 - Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act. Sections of the Bill propose that the current scope of practice statement and authorized acts identified in the Medical Radiation Technology Act, 1991 be repealed and replaced with these new sections:
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 and the evaluation of images and data relating to 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:
- Administering substances by injection or inhalation.
- Tracheal suctioning of a tracheostomy.
- 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.
- Performing a procedure on tissue below the dermis.
- Applying a prescribed form of energy.
The Bill has received second reading and been referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy. It is anticipated that the standing committee will invite the public to comment on the Bill over the summer months. The College will stay attentive and engaged throughout the legislative process. It is likely that we will make a further submission to the standing committee and appear before it in order to ensure there continues to be clarity in government about the new scope of practice statement and authorized acts.
Registrar, Linda Gough, expressed pleasure on behalf of the College that "the government of Ontario is adopting a package of important reforms that will modernize the practice of medical radiation technology, streamline access to medical radiation services and enhance public protection. These changes are broadly consistent with recommendations made in a joint submission to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC) by the College and the Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists".
The fact that proposed reforms are consistent with the College's recommendations speaks to the intense work by Council throughout 2008 both in the development of - and consultation with members about - the written submission in response to the HPRAC's consultation document under very tight timeframes, then a rapid turnaround to prepare a further submission when it was found that HPRAC's report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care contained serious misunderstandings about the role of MRTs in today's healthcare system and the changes to the profession's scope of practice needed to echo this growing role.
The legislation can be viewed by clicking here.
New Development Planned for the Quality Assurance Program for Fall 2009/Spring 2010
The College's current QA program has two components. The first component is the self-assessment profile, continuous learning portfolio and the related QA records. Although all College members are required under the CMRTO Quality Assurance Regulation to carry out an assessment of their knowledge and engage in professional development activities every year, only those members who are selected are required to submit their QA records to the College for review by the Quality Assurance Committee.
The second component of the Quality Assurance program is the multi-source practice assessment. Each year some College members are randomly selected and requested to participate in the multi-source practice assessment. Those members unable to participate in the multi-source practice assessment due to practice constraints (such as working in an administrative position, not working with enough other MRTs or having patients who are unable to fill out questionnaires) are required to submit their self-assessment profile, continuous learning portfolio and documentation of their professional development activities.
The multi-source practice assessment has proven to be an effective tool to provide MRTs with feedback on their performance. However, for those MRTs whose results are significantly below the mean of their peers, a more detailed and specific assessment may be needed to guide improvement or remediation.
In response to changes to the Regulated Health Professions Act in effect June 4th, 2009, the College will be 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. Assessors will be MRTs with significant experience and knowledge of MRT practice and they will be trained in how to conduct effective behaviour-based practice assessment to ensure consistency of results. The interview or assessment will consist of a series of questions related to MRT practice based on the College's Essential Competencies and Standards of Practice. This behaviour-based practice assessment is a more detailed and specific assessment of the member's knowledge, skills and judgment.
The development of the behaviour-based practice assessments will consist of five phases:
- Conduct two focus groups to identify CMRTO Essential Competencies to be assessed in a behaviour-based practice assessment (Summer 2009)
- Conduct a teleconference focus group to validate competencies to be assessed (Summer 2009)
- Conduct an item writing session (to develop interview questions) based on prioritized competencies (Fall 2009)
- Pilot test the assessment tools (Spring 2010)
- Train peer assessors (Spring 2010)
For the focus groups we will ensure representation from each specialty and from each electoral district. We will also include front line MRTs who work in smaller clinics, those working in larger hospitals and members of the public. If you would like to volunteer to participate in the development project for the behaviour-based practice assessment contact Lori Boyd, Director of Policy:
facsimile: (416) 975-4355
e-mail: lboyd@cmrto.org or
telephone: 1 (800) 563-5847 or (416) 975-4353.
The College will continue to keep members up-to-date about the Quality Assurance Program through articles in Insights. We will also continue to provide information on the results of the Quality Assurance Program and to inform members of any legislative changes affecting the Quality Assurance Program and of new developments in response to them.
Council Highlights
At the April 24, 2009 meeting Council conducted a review of College registration fees. Council considered key College priorities and strategic initiatives as well as the College's current financial position. Council also took into account what other similar sized health regulatory colleges in Ontario are charging their members for annual registration. After lengthy discussion and deliberation, Council decided to maintain College registration fees at their current level for the year 2010.
Suspended Members
The following are the people whose certificates of registration were suspended between March 28, 2009 and June 5, 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.
| 00270 |
Diana Buttenham |
| 12290 |
Kimberlee Lewis |
| 11813 |
Christalina Olivier |
| 12199 |
Cherie Anne Playfoot |
| 11973 |
Helen Roadway |
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