College Council met on Monday, April 9, 2018. Here are some highlights:
Treasurer’s Report: College Produces Operating Surplus for 2017
The College’s auditors, Ms. Ildiko Jurina Cleary and Mr. Terry Lee, visited Council to present the draft audited financial statements to Council for their review and approval. The College ended the year with a modest operating surplus. The statements will be published on our website and in our 2017 annual report.
Complaints about Conflict of Interest
The chair of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, Dr. Annie Micucci, spoke to Council about some recommendations the Committee has regarding the College’s conflict-of-interest provisions, which came into force with the 2014 Professional Misconduct Regulation. The ICRC has consistently fielded complaints that relate to these provisions. It seems clear that members for whom these provisions apply are not well informed of their requirements. To avoid future complaints of this nature, the Committee believes the College should communicate more explicitly with members about conflict of interest. Members will hear more about the regulation in the near future.
OEBC Exams Approved
Council approved the May 2018 Optometric Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) written exam and OSCE as the College’s standards assessment exam for registration.
OPR Update: Required Clinical Information
One revised document, 4.2 Standards of Practice – Required Clinical Information, was approved for publication in the OPR. An earlier revision of this document had been approved at the January Council meeting. That version required optometrists completing third party reports involving the clinical information of patients (e.g., MTO, CNIB, employment application reports) to verify the photo ID of patients. This new update is a minor edit to clarify that the photo ID must be government-issued.
The revised OPR document will be available soon.
The next Council meeting will be held on Thursday, June 21, 2018 at the College office, 65 St. Clair Ave. E., Suite 900, Toronto. Council meetings are open to the public, and members are welcome to attend.