The College Council met on Friday, January 18, 2019. Here are some highlights:
Executive Committee Election
Council elected three officers to its 2019 Executive Committee:
- Dr. Pooya Hemami, President
- Dr. Richard Kniaziew, Vice President
- Dr. Patrick Quaid, Treasurer
in addition to two public members who comprise the balance of the committee:
- Brian Rivait
- John Van Bastelaar
Congratulations to Dr. Hemami and the Executive Committee.
Welcome to Council
Dr. Hemami welcomed new member Dr. Annie Micucci to Council.
Appointment of Committee Chairs and Committee Members for 2019:
The 2019 College committee chairs and members were appointed by Council. The complete composition can be found here on the College website. Thank you to all members who applied to volunteer on College committees.
Approval of NBEO as Alternate Standards Assessment Examination
Council passed a motion to approve the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) examination as an alternate standards assessment examination required for registration with the College. In order to be accepted for registration in Ontario, all three parts of the NBEO examination (Part I-ABS, Part II-PAM, and Part III-CSE) must be successfully challenged after January 18, 2019.
The Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) examination continues to be accepted as a standards assessment examination required for registration with the College. Applicants to the College may write either examination in order to meet the requirement for registration.
A message to members and stakeholders from the College President, Dr. Pooya Hemami, can be found here.
Optometric Practice Reference (OPR) Updates
Seven revised documents were approved for publication in the OPR. They are:
- 3 Delegation and Assignment;
- 2 The Prescription;
- 7 Binocular Vision Assessment and Therapy;
- 8 Visual Field Assessment;
- 4 Patients with Diabetes;
- 5 Patients with Hypertension; and
- 6 Cycloplegic Refraction.
Members will be notified when the revised OPR is available, including more detail about the amended sections.
Removal of OPR Clinical Practice Guidelines
Council passed a motion to remove the Clinical Practice Guidelines section from the OPR. Clinical guidelines are a result of exhaustive review of literature, academic research and public opinion and are multi-disciplinary in nature. The development of clinical practice guidelines may be best suited for other related organizations who have the resources and can articulate the profession’s view of evidence-based best practices through proper review and research. The Clinical Practice Guidelines document will be removed from the College website as it will no longer be maintained and would soon be outdated.
Change to College’s Continuing Education Policy
Council passed a motion amending the current 2018-2020 Continuing Education (CE) Policy to reflect that the Quality Assurance Committee does not accredit CE providers or courses. As no pre-approval process exists, approval as a Category A provider cannot be granted at this time. Those organizations already recognized as Category A providers continue to be approved for the remainder of the current cycle.
Development of E-Learning Module on Consent
Council approved funding for the development of an e-learning module on the law of consent, which will address the requirements of all health care providers, including optometrists, to obtain informed consent from patients, including consent to treatment, collection of personal health information, and fees related to services. The module will be available for members to complete on a voluntary basis. Members will be notified when the module becomes available on the College website.
Our next Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 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. If you wish to attend, please contact Ms. Sonya Kadarally at least one week before the Council meeting.