This March, your College of Midwives of Ontario Council proposed a registration fee increase. If approved, this increase would bring the fees to $2150 for general class of registration and $1075 for inactive class of registration, effective for this year’s renewal. We would then move to increasing the annual fees by inflation, at 2% per year. While this was not an easy decision, it is necessary in order for the College to continue fulfilling its mandate of public protection and meeting the cost of regulation
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As midwives know, setting and maintaining high professional standards is fundamental to public protection and public confidence in the midwifery profession. At the College, we need to ensure that our standards of practice clearly set out the high standards we expect of all midwives. This led us to develop the new Professional Standards for Midwives (Professional Standards), which were approved by Council on March 21st.
There are currently two open seats for professional representatives to serve terms on the College’s Council. We are looking for engaged and motivated members of the profession to run for election and all eligible members are invited and encouraged to apply.
We’re making some changes to our Quality Assurance Program, and have updates to Fetal Health Surveillance, a new Self-Assessment Questionnaire and are looking for focus group participants.
In 2017, the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges of Ontario convened a Consent & Capacity Working Group. The Working Group’s first task is to assess the current knowledge of all regulated health professionals in Ontario regarding consent and capacity. Results of the survey will be used to determine the feasibility of creating collaborative educational materials to improve our member understanding of their legal and professional obligations for obtaining consent and assessing capacity in their respective practice settings.
In light of a few recent changes, the College’s Council has decided to defer the changes to the Registration Regulation, O. Reg 168/11 so that we have some additional time to consider and develop policies and processes that will result from the proposed changes. Very recent external factors, such as the planned approval of new funding models of practice, will impact our registration practices significantly. We will benefit from some additional time to consider these impacts in relation to the Registration Regulation and its currency, class change, and continuing competency requirements. Council plans to consider a revised Registration Regulation in December 2018.
As part of our strategic priority of implementing risk-based regulation, the College of Midwives of Ontario has done an analysis of past professional conduct matters. This thorough analysis will be used to help us focus our energy and resources, and to be effective in fulfilling our mandate of public protection. We’ve gone back and reflected on past complaints, reports, and Registrar’s investigations, and decisions.
In accordance with the College’s Registration Regulation, all members requesting a class change from the Inactive class to the General class of registration effective April 1, 2018, are required to show evidence of having completed the College’s Jurisprudence Course, unless the course was previously completed. Click here to read the more about class change requirements and the Jurisprudence Course.
This update is to inform members who currently have an APA Type 1 with the College that we will be extending your APA until June 1st, without any renewal fee required. We’re extending these arrangements because we’re currently reviewing the program, and changes may be made. We’ll be in touch to let members know if the College Council makes changes to the program. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the College at cmo@cmo.on.ca
The College is requesting a change to the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 2015, that would grant midwives the authority to order laboratory tests within their scope of practice as defined by the Midwifery Act, 1991.