Clocks have changed and the sun is trying to come out, so spring must be around the corner. Before plans turn to summer holidays, there is quite a bit of legislation to work through. Bill 171 and Bill 124 are on the table and both affect labs and lab employees. Tools have been developed to keep employers and employees informed. The Only Constant is Change: Recent Developments in Health Law is an upcoming seminar available across the province. A new interprofessional guide developed to address the use of orders, directives and delegation is now available online. The CMLTO Quality Assurance department has launched on online learning module to help you and your employees stay on top of relevant legislation. Finally, the CMLTO Registration team has a few reminders regarding suspensions, emergency registration, and available funding for continuing education courses. Read on and stay informed.

6 Things You Need to Know About Bill 171

Bill 171 - The Health System Improvement Act was tabled on December 12, 2006. If passed, there are a number of potential changes you should be aware of:

• Mandatory reporting for incompetence or incapacity would be imposed on anyone operating a heath care facility, in addition to the current requirements relating to mandatory reporting for sexual abuse.
• The Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990 definition of a specimen collection centre would change. The suggested definition is "a place where specimens are taken or collected from the human body for examination to obtain information for medical diagnosis, prophylaxis or treatment" and exempts practice venues where a physician or nurse practitioner is working, or a laboratory that is "established, operated or maintained under a licence under the Act."
• The length of time to resolve a complaint would be extended from the current 120 days to 150.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) might be used as a substitute for the formal complaint and disciplinary process.
• The Minister would be authorized to direct the Colleges to collect whatever data the Minister might require for health human resources planning purposes.
• The public register of the College would include information about practitioners obtained through the College's own activities, but would not include employers' disciplinary action.

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Learn About Changes to Health Law

The Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario and Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc are presenting a seminar entitled The Only Constant is Change: Recent Developments in Health Law. If you are incorporating jurisprudence components into your quality assurance and CQI programs, this session may be of interest. For registration details, click here.

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New Interprofessional Guide

An Interprofessional Guide on the Use of Orders, Directives and Delegation for Regulated Health Professionals in Ontario is available on the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario website at www.regulatedhealthprofessions.on.ca.

The Guide has:

• Guidelines that include algorithms and flow diagrams to facilitate practice;
• Templates that may be used on their own, with the guidelines for back-up;
• Frequently Asked Questions that provide quick reference.

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New QA Learning Module

Our members - and your employees - want to know more about the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Medical Laboratory Technology Act, 1991. To meet the demand, the CMLTO Quality Assurance department developed a learning module focused on the legislation. Make sure your employees are familiar with the law. To access the module and self-evaluation, visit our website or click here.

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Member Status

The 2007 renewal process was completed February 6, 2007. Employers will be notified in mid-April if any MLTs working in their facilities have been suspended for non-payment of fees.

Employers interested in verifying member status of CMLTO-registered MLTs in their facilities may fax the request form to Silvia Wannam, Registration Associate at 416-861-0934. If verification is required for only one or two MLTs, call 416-861-9605 (toll-free in Canada: 1-800-323-9672) ext. 226.

Emergency Registration

The CMLTO Registration Committee has developed an emergency registration policy to register and quickly mobilize qualified medical laboratory technologists in an emergency. The policy is designed to prevent any delay in the delivery of quality laboratory services to the public of Ontario. In exceptional or emergency circumstances, the Registrar may register individuals with the College for a limited time. For further information regarding the policy, please contact Lynn Yawney at lyawney@cmlto.com.

Education Funding Deadline

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Allied Health Professional Development Fund (AHPDF) makes education and support available to MLTs and other self-regulated health professionals.

The deadline for applications is March 31, 2007. To date, only 10% of the funds allotted to MLTs have been used. This is a great opportunity for your employees to be reimbursed for learning. For further details and application forms, click here.

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