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Mailing Address
Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council
55 St. Clair Avenue West
Suite 806 Box 18
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4V 2Y7

Telephone and Facsimile
Toll-Free: 1-888-377-7746
Telephone: 416-326-1550.
Fax: 416-326-1549

Latest News

 

New Executive Coordinator Joining HPRAC

Barbara Sullivan, Chair, and members of Council are pleased to announce the appointment of Don Embuldeniya as Executive Coordinator of the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council, effective April 12, 2010. 

Don brings significant skills in applied research, policy development, stakeholder management, and accountability from leading various strategic initiatives in both the public and non-profit sectors. Don is joining HPRAC from the Health System Planning and Research Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care where he was Acting Manager of the Research Unit. In this position, Don has provided leadership to the Ministry's health research enterprise, including a number of initiatives geared to enhancing evidence-informed decision-making across the health care system. Most recently, he has been involved in the development of Ministry's health research strategy, design and implementation of the Applied Health Research Network Initiative (AHRNI), and the Ministry's first ever health research productivity assessment. 

Prior to joining the Ontario Public Service, Don was a researcher with the Canadian Center for Philanthropy (now called Imagine Canada) and United Way Toronto. At the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, his research focused on volunteering, philanthropy and civic engagement in Canada. At United Way Toronto, he co-authored Poverty by Postal Code, a seminal study of socio-economic trends in Toronto. Don has also participated in a number of community development projects in Northern Ontario First Nations communities, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.  Don is currently completing a PhD in public policy at York University. 

HPRAC welcomes Don, and expresses its thanks to Frank Schmidt, who has served as Interim Executive Coordinator during this transitional period, and will be returning to his work in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care following Don's arrival in April.

 

Interim Executive Coordinator at HPRAC

Friday, January 15, 2010

Barbara Sullivan, Chair, and members of the Council of HPRAC, are pleased to announce that Frank Schmidt will join the HPRAC team on Monday, January 18, 2010 as Interim Executive Coordinator.

Frank comes to this role with a background in program and policy development in the Health and broader social policy fields. Over almost 20 years in the Ontario Public Service, Frank has contributed to developments of diverse public policy initiatives ranging from Social Assistance Reform, the Alzheimer Strategy, the introductions of Telehealth, Telemedicine, the End-of-Life Care Strategy, and the Local Health Integration Networks, as well as the creation of new Health Regulatory Colleges. Most recently, Frank has been involved in a number of initiatives associated with interprofessional collaboration and maximizing scopes of practice. Prior to his OPS career, Frank worked for the Government of Canada and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

While Frank is working with HPRAC, the Council will conduct an extensive search for a permanent Executive Coordinator; details relating to the competition will be posted on the website.

At HPRAC, Frank can be reached at Frank.Schmidt@ontario.ca;  telephone 416-326-1553.

 November 30, 2009: Bill 179 passes Third Reading

On November 30, 2009, following a review by the Standing Committee on Social Policy in the early Fall, Bill 179, Regulated Health Professions Statute Law Amendment Act, 2009 passed Third Reading in the Ontario legislature.

For a detailed review of the amendments to the bill, please visit: http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2189 

July 16, 2009: Refractometry - A letter from the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to the College of Opticians of Ontario

On July 16, 2009, Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, wrote to the College of Opticians of Ontario asking that they take immediate action with respect to the registration of "Refracting Opticians" (Refraction Status). To view the letter, click here.

 April 24, 2009: Interprofessional Collaboration - Remarks by the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, MPP, Premier of Ontario

 

Click here to view remarks relating to interprofessional collaboration by the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, MPP, Premier of Ontario, at the annual general meeting of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.  

 March 27, 2009: HPRAC Posts Letter from Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

HPRAC has posted a letter from Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, providing specific timelines for upcoming projects.  The letter confirms the Minister's commitment to requests for advice from HPRAC made by his predecessor, Hon. George Smitherman in his letter of June 28, 2007, and identifies dates on which reports from HPRAC are expected on the outstanding projects,

A report on Personal Support Workers will be expected March 31, 2011.  Reports on Chiropody/Podiatry and the foot-care model in Ontario; the regulation of Dental Assistants, Diagnostic Sonography and Paramedics and Emergency Medical Attendants will be submitted to the Minister by March 31, 2012.

HPRAC will begin consideration, therefore, of the request for advice on Personal Support Workers in April, 2010, and the other four projects will commence by April 2011.

Work on interprofessional collaboration and related issues in the eye care sector, referenced in Critical Links and in the Minister's letter of February 19, 2009 will begin in August, 2009, with a report to be submitted to the Minister following consideration of the issues.

Additionally, the statutory requirement to monitor health colleges patient relations programs will resume in October, 2009.

To view the Minister's letter, click the following link: Minister's Letter of February 25, 2009

 

February 2, 2009: Minister Releases HPRAC's Critical Links Report

HPRAC has submitted its latest report, Critical Links: Transforming and Supporting Patient Care (January 2009), to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Building on HPRAC's previous advice to the Minister over the last two years, this report focuses on interprofessional collaboration, the prescribing and use of drugs by non-physician regulated health professions, and scope of practice reviews for the professions of medical laboratory technology and medical radiation technology.

The Minister has posted Critical Links on the Ministry website, and he is inviting comment on HPRAC's advice by February 28, 2009. For more information, please visit the Ministry website at

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/ministry_reports/hprac_08/hprac_08.html.

The report is also available for download on this site under "Current Ministerial Referrals - Drug Regulations for Health Professions" or "Current Ministerial Referrals - Interprofessional Collaboration". 

 

January 26, 2009: Minister Receives Comment on Four Recent HPRAC Reports

The Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC) recently submitted four reports to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care:

  • A Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on the Review of the Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses in the Extended Class (Nurse Practitioners), March 2008

  • An Interim Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Mechanisms to Facilitate and Support Interprofessional Collaboration among Health Colleges and Regulated Health Professionals, March 2008

  • An Interim Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Mechanisms to Facilitate and Support Interprofessional Collaboration among Health Colleges and Regulated Health Professionals: Phase II, Part I, September 2008

  • A Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Regulatory Issues and Matters Respecting the use of the "Doctor Title" in Traditional Chinese Medicine, September 2006

The Minister made the reports public on November 18, 2008, and invited comment on these documents by January 31, 2009.


November 18, 2008: Minister Releases HPRAC Reports

The Minister of Health and Long-Term Care has released four HPRAC reports:

A Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Regulatory Issues and Matters respecting the use of the "Doctor Title" in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Click here for more information and to view the report.

A Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on the Review of the Scope of Practice for Registered Nurses in the Extended Class (Nurse Practitioners).  Click here for more information and to view the report.

An Interim Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Mechanisms to Facilitate and Support Interprofessional Collaboration among Health Colleges and Regulated Health Professionals. Click here for more information and to view the report.

An Interim Report to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care on Mechanisms to Facilitate and Support Interprofessional Collaboration among Health Colleges and Regulated Health Professionals: Phase II, Part I. This report includes recommendations on scope of practice reviews for the professions of pharmacy, dietetics, physiotherapy, and midwifery. Click here for more information and to view the report.