Council Meeting and Strategic Planning/Training Sessions
The recent CCO Council Meeting and Strategic Planning/Training Session held September 9th through 11th was a much-anticipated opportunity for Council to assess its current strategic priorities in a concentrated, multi-day format. For the vast majority of Council members who were able to participate in-person, it was a welcome change from the many months of videoconferencing that, of necessity, was the only forum possible in which to conduct Council business during COVID-19.
I found it incredibly valuable to be meeting in-person again, and to hear directly from so many insightful and committed members of the profession and public appointees both within and outside our formal Council sessions. Foremost in all our minds was how to continue to strengthen the regulation of chiropractic in the public interest in Ontario, as together we exit the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic response.
Much of the work throughout our three-day planning session was informed by the Ministry of Health’s College Performance Measurement Framework (CPMF) –specifically those areas previously identified where CCO can enhance its operations to more closely align with CPMF guidelines, objectives and commendable practices.
Accordingly, Council heard presentations from industry experts in information security, diversity, equity and inclusion, conflict of interest and governance, before considering a range of strategic initiatives to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in each.
The importance of information and data security emerged as an early focus of our session. Council considered the current status of data protection at CCO, and whether the existing training and education on cybersecurity is sufficient. Fortunately, CCO has a managed IT solutions provider and is insured against cyber-attack. Discussions at the Council and staff levels in this critical area are ongoing.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) objectives were a primary focus of the planning session, viewed from both an organizational perspective, and as a consideration of chiropractic practice as a whole. DEI is a significant area of ministerial interest and impact for health regulatory colleges in Ontario. As part of its deliberations, CCO Council (and staff) undertook a training workshop in unconscious bias from the Toronto-based firm BIPOC Executive Search. Council also continues to approve amendments to Registration forms and documents to align with CCO’s DEI plan and will be considering how to weave DEI principles in all functions, including in the recruitment of non-Council committee members, and in the core competencies for all who serve at CCO.
Legal counsel Richard Steineke and Rebecca Durcan, well-known to CCO for the development and delivery of extensive training modules for Council and Committee members and other guidance, provided Council with detailed examples of best practices from other regulatory colleges in the critical areas of conflict of interest (COI), DEI, and governance. Council was reminded that the CPMF explicitly requires regulators to conduct impact assessments of policy from a DEI perspective, to prevent any discriminatory impacts. In addition, regulators must have a formal DEI plan and be able to demonstrate its relation to strategic activities. Council learned what some colleges are doing with regard to their DEI plans, and deliberated what measures could be further undertaken as part of CCO’s plan.
One of my key takeaways from the rich DEI discussions is that we are on a journey, and that there is no one-stop solution to the challenges many face. Rather, what is required is a suite of measures and an ongoing conscious reflection about the ways we can become more sensitive to, and successful in, implementing DEI best practices as a College.
In the months ahead, look for further initiatives in these areas arising from this successful planning session, in addition to updates on ongoing Council activities. My thanks to all those who participated in and helped plan the September 2022 event.
Telecare/Virtual Care
Please note that although the state of emergency and public health directives around COVID-19 have been lifted, members may continue to provide telecare or virtual care services in accordance with the principles and protocols from the April 17, 2020 President’s Message. Please review the protocols for further guidance. In providing any telecare or virtual services, members should understand and acknowledge the limitations of telecare, as described in the guidance.
CCO will continue to review this topic and communicate further in future President’s messages.
A word on locating amendments approved by Council and other documentation
In addition to strategic planning, Council heard committee reports as part of its September 9, 2022 Council meeting. Council routinely receives reports from committees and in turn exercises its statutory responsibility and discretion to amend CCO standards of practice, policies and guidelines, following committee recommendations and/or extensive member feedback where it has been sought.
Amendments may be distributed for feedback from stakeholders, including members, via President’s Messages. Recent examples of this include the widely circulated proposed amendments to Guideline G-008: Business Practices, approved and communicated here; as well as Standard of Practice S-023 and Guideline G-023: Health Care Claims in Advertising, Websites and Social Media initially circulated here, approved after considerable feedback and communicated here.
Where an amendment to a standard of practice, policy or guideline may not be considered significant or could be characterized as administrative or technical in nature, it might not be highlighted in these messages or circulated for prior feedback.
The Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 prescribes which by-laws need to be circulated. Standards of practice, policies and guidelines are not required to be circulated as Council exercises its statutory responsibilities to develop, establish and maintain standards of practice, policies and guidelines which protect the public interest. All standards of practice, policies and guidelines are based on the recommendations of a statutory committee, are included on Council agendas, and are discussed/approved or revised by Council before being posted on the website to come into effect once the minutes are approved. Council minutes, once approved, are posted on the CCO website. CCO continues to circulate those matters requiring circulation to stakeholders, including members, with feedback being reviewed by the relevant committee before recommendations are made to Council.
As a reminder, all standards of practice, policies and guidelines are reviewed annually by CCO committees as part of their initial responsibilities after re-composition, traditionally in April of every year. Recommendations to Council from these committees focus on what changes, if any, are proposed to better protect the public interest. Feedback concerning existing standards of practice, policies and guidelines and in particular what amendments would enhance public protection are welcome, and will be considered as part of each committee’s annual review.
CCO maintains a transparent and up-to-date website for members and the public to serve the public interest. All President’s Messages, updates to CCO Standards of Practice, Policies and Guidelines, as well as public Council meeting information packages can be found on our website.
I encourage all members of the public and CCO members to regularly avail themselves of CCO’s comprehensive information resources.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dennis Mizel
CCO President
September 9 – 11, 2022 (Kingbridge Centre)
CCO Council and staff attended a Council meeting and participated in training sessions on topics identified in the College Performance Measurement Framework, including the identification of commendable practices, enhancement of cybersecurity, and incorporation of the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion into all aspects of CCO’s governance structure. The sessions were facilitated by experts in the topics, and culminated in a strategic planning session on Sunday, September 11, 2022 to determine how best to incorporate the training and information into CCO’s CPMF action plan.
1. CCO Council and staff participating in a hybrid Council meeting and training sessions – September 9 – 11, 2022
2. CCO Council and Staff – September 10, 2022
