June Council Training
Council and committee members attend a training day prior to Council meetings each quarter. On June 25, there were three training sessions held via video conference.
The College’s Governance Officer, Emma Hosein, presented a session titled “Leaders in Regulatory Excellence” that addressed the College’s approach to governance and the principles that guide Council and committee decision-making in the public interest. Council Chair Claire Ramlogan-Salanga and College staff led a training on putting compassionate/person-centre regulatory concepts into practice. And all Council and committee members participated in a conversation on Council’s continuous learning priority of engagement and participation.
Council Meeting
Reviewing our Regulations
Registrar and CEO Kelly Dobbin gave an update on our work with the Ministry on several relevant regulations.
- Designated Drugs and Substances Regulation. An updated regulation came into effect in May, expanding the list of drugs and substances that a midwife can prescribe and administer on their own authority. The College has worked to educate midwives and the public on these changes and provided several well-attended webinars on the topic.
- General Regulation, Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990.The College is working with the Ministry on expanding the list of laboratory tests that midwives can order and perform to improve client care.
- Professional Misconduct Regulation. At the June 26 Council meeting, Kelly Dobbin advised Council that an updated Professional Misconduct Regulation would be in effect on July 1, 2024 and shared that the College would be communicating about these changes with registrants.
- Registration Regulation. We continue to work with the Ministry on updating this regulation to ensure fair registration practices in the context of modern midwifery practice.
Updating College By-laws
Council approved changes to two College by-laws, the General By-law and the Fees and Remuneration By-law. Both revised/updated by-laws will be effective August 1, 2024. Thank you to everyone who participated in the public consultations on both by-laws.
General By-law
Changes to the General-By-law include:
Language and definitions
- ‘Council’ to ‘Board’
- ‘Member’ to ‘Registrant’
- ‘Council Member’ to ‘Board Director’ (elected and appointed)
- ‘Director’ to update the definition to indicate that a ‘Director’ is either a Professional Board Director or a Public Board Director and is separate from a ‘staff Director’.
- ‘Inactive’ to ‘inactive/non-practising’ – to include the wording in the proposed Registration Regulation that was submitted to the Ministry of Health in May 2023.
- Accessible and inclusive language – the By-law had already been reviewed to use gender-inclusive language in 2018.
Other changes to align with current best practice
- Removing sections that no longer apply.
- Simplifying and aligning with other governing legislation, such as the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and the Health Professions Procedural Code, by removing duplicate language and/or adding references for clarity.
- Building in flexibility where possible to enable governance modernization, procedural fairness, and equitable practices, such as updating eligibility criteria for professional director election and committee appointments.
Fees and Remuneration By-law
Council’s decision to update the Fees and Remuneration By-law came after a thorough review and public consultation. Their goal was to make fees more equitable and proportional, reflect operational resources, and streamline fee practices and processes
Council approved some proposed changes to the Fees and Remuneration By-law including:
- Changing the automatic annual increase in registration fees: This has allowed the College to freeze registration fees for the 2024 renewal period.
- Changes to administrative fees in some areas: Council approved updating administrative fees, which includes increasing the fees in some instances and removing administrative fees in other areas.
Council reflected on the feedback received in the public consultation and decided to continue offering installment payments to midwives at this time. As noted above, the College will also be freezing registration fees for the 2024 renewal period.
Rescinded: Prescribing and Administering Standard
Council rescinded the Prescribing and Administering Standard, effective July 15, 2024. Rescinding the Prescribing and Administering Standard will not change how midwifery is practised. See below for more information.
Pathways for Internationally Educated Midwives
The College’s Orientation and Assessment Pilot Program ran and completed the program for the 2024 cohort of internationally educated midwives this spring. At the June 26, Council Meeting, Council approved, in principle, a new bridging program for internationally educated midwives that is being developed by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU.) We expect TMU to continue to develop the program over the coming months and Council will review the program at a future date to decide whether to formally approve the program as a pathway to registration for internationally educated midwives. We will continue to share information on this program over the next few months.
Unauthorized Practice Web Page
The College is increasingly aware of individuals who are providing care they are not authorized by law to provide and has published updated information and a public advisory and additional information on unauthorized or illegal midwifery practice. Review the page here.
Audited Financial Statements
The Board approved the College’s 2023-2024 audited financial statements, as presented by Hilborn LLP. You can review the financial statements in the Council package here.